Sharing the Planet — Ecosystems and Our Responsibility
PYP Transdisciplinary Theme: SHARING THE PLANET
Central Idea: All living things are INTERCONNECTED in complex ECOSYSTEMS — and humans have a special RESPONSIBILITY to protect the balance of life on Earth.
Lines of Inquiry
- How do ECOSYSTEMS work?
- How do human actions AFFECT the environment?
- What can WE do to live more SUSTAINABLY?
1. Ecosystems — The Web of Life
What Is an Ecosystem?
ALL the LIVING things (biotic): plants, animals, fungi, bacteria. ALL the NON-LIVING things (abiotic): sunlight, water, soil, air. ALL the INTERACTIONS between them. 'An ecosystem can be as BIG as a rainforest — or as SMALL as a rotting log. The principles are the SAME.'
Energy Flow — Everything Starts With the SUN
Sun → PRODUCERS (plants make food through PHOTOSYNTHESIS) → CONSUMERS (animals eat plants or other animals) → DECOMPOSERS (bacteria/fungi break down dead matter, returning nutrients to soil). 'At EVERY step, energy is LOST as HEAT. That's why there are MORE plants than herbivores — and MORE herbivores than carnivores.'
Food Chains and Webs
'A FOOD CHAIN is a single path: Grass → Rabbit → Fox. A FOOD WEB is ALL the paths interconnected. In a real ecosystem, the fox eats rabbits AND mice AND birds. The rabbit eats grass AND clover. The web is STRONGER than the chain — because if one link breaks, there are ALTERNATIVES.'
2. Biomes — The Earth's Great Ecosystems
| Biome | Climate | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Rainforest | Hot. Wet year-round. | MOST biodiverse. Amazon, Congo. |
| Desert | HOT days. COLD nights. Very little rain. | Cacti. Camels. Adapted to SAVE water. |
| Tundra | VERY COLD. Permafrost. | Mosses, lichen. NO trees. Arctic. |
| Grassland (Savanna/Prairie) | Seasonal rain. | Grasses. Large herbivores (zebra, bison). |
| Ocean | Covers 71% of Earth. | Plankton (produce ~50% of world's oxygen). Coral reefs. |
Inquiry Activity
'Choose a BIOME. Research: its CLIMATE. Its KEY plants and animals. One THREAT it faces. Present your findings as a poster or digital presentation. "Every biome is a UNIQUE world — and every biome is in DANGER."'
3. Human Impact — What Are We DOING?
The Problems
| Problem | Causes | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Change | Burning FOSSIL FUELS. Deforestation. | Rising temperatures. Melting ice caps. More extreme weather. |
| Deforestation | Logging. Cattle ranching. Palm oil plantations. | Loss of habitat. Species extinction. Less CO₂ absorbed. |
| Pollution | Factories. Cars. Plastic waste. | Air (breathing problems). Water (kills fish). Land (soil becomes toxic). |
| Overfishing | Modern fishing technology. High demand. | Fish populations COLLAPSING. Ocean ecosystems disrupted. |
Case Study — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
'A swirling mass of PLASTIC in the Pacific Ocean. TWICE the size of Texas. Plastic does NOT biodegrade — it breaks into TINY pieces ("microplastics"). Fish eat the microplastics. WE eat the fish. "There is no 'away' — everything we throw 'away' goes SOMEWHERE."'
4. Taking Action — What Can WE Do?
The 5 R's
REFUSE (say no to single-use plastic). REDUCE (buy less. Use less.). REUSE (use things again — water bottles, bags). RECYCLE (turn waste into new things). ROT (compost food waste).
Individual and Collective Action
'Individual action MATTERS — but it is not ENOUGH. We ALSO need: GOVERNMENTS to make laws. COMPANIES to change practices. COMMUNITIES to work together. YOU can: write to leaders. Join environmental groups. Educate others. VOTE (when you are old enough).'
PYP Exhibition Connection
'Your PYP EXHIBITION — the culminating project of the Primary Years Programme — gives YOU the chance to take ACTION on an issue you care about. What environmental issue MATTERS to you? What will you DO about it? This is your opportunity to turn KNOWLEDGE into ACTION.'
Your Summative Assessment
Task: 'The Action Project' Choose an environmental issue you care about. Research it. Plan an ACTION: a letter to a leader. A campaign at school. A change in YOUR behaviour. A presentation to your community. DOCUMENT your action. REFLECT on: What did you LEARN? What CHANGED? What would you do DIFFERENTLY?
Key Concepts: CONNECTION (How are living things connected?). RESPONSIBILITY (What is our duty to the planet?).
ATL Skills
Research: Gathering information from multiple sources. Thinking: Analysing causes and effects. Social: Taking collective action. Advocating for change.
