Which Niche?
(Adapted from Project WILD)
See also Oh Deer

Standard Statement(s):

4.6.10 A - Explain the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem and their interaction.

Content Objective(s):

Students will be able to:

Compare ecological niches with careers in their communities.

Assessment Strategies:

  1. A definition of ecological niche
  2. A comprehensive description of an ecological niche
  3. A creative poster that shows all the facets of an animal’s niche

Background:

Each animal has a role in the community. This is called its ecological niche. The niche includes such things as where the animal lives, where and how it gathers food, its role in the food chain, what it gives to and does for the community, its habits, periods of activity, etc.

An animal’s niche can be described as "what it does for a living." In a sense, this can be compared to what people do for a living – that is, what their jobs or professions are in the community in which they live.

The major purpose of this activity is for students to understand the concept of ecological niche, simultaneously learning more about potential careers in their own community.

Suggested Level:
Middle School

Standard Category:
4.6 – Ecosystems and their Interactions


Materials:
Guest speaker
Chalkboard
Reference materials


Instructional Strategies:
Discussing
Oral presenting


Other Academic
Areas:
Language arts
Economics

Procedures:

  1. Explain to students that in this activity they will be comparing human professions to the roles of animals in environments (animal "professions").
  2. Begin with a discussion of jobs in your community. What jobs are there (those of parents, friends, their own, etc.)? (OPTIONAL: Invite a doctor, dentist, social worker, truck driver, cook, etc. to your class to talk about his or her work.) Select a few interesting jobs for discussion. (Note: If a speaker visits, ask these questions of him or her or provide them in advance. Work with students to develop the questions. Have students take notes and record the answers during or immediately after the presentation, asking additional questions for clarification as necessary.) Points to include:
    1. what do they do for the community (the service provided)
    2. how they provide the service
    3. what resources are used by them in providing the service
    4. where they live and work
    5. the times during which they work
    6. what other professions they are dependent upon for the functioning of their profession (janitor, delivery person, secretary, repair person)
    7. what special adaptations (skills, tools, behaviors) they use or they are required to have)
    8. what special habits they exhibit
    9. what other professions they compete with, if any
    10. what other professions they cooperate with, if any
      Ask students to produce a written summary of information they acquire concerning each of the jobs they investigate.
  3. Have students brainstorm a variety of animals living in a particular community (forest, stream, desert, tundra). A photograph could serve as a stimulus. List representative members of this natural community on the blackboard. Make sure a variety of animals including predator, prey, scavengers, etc. is included.
  4. Pick one of the animals listed and, as a group, begin discussing the same questions for it that were asked of the visiting professional. In this way, students can see how the "profession" concept applies as a metaphor. Identify the animal’s profession as its "ecological niche."

OPTIONAL: As individual projects or in teams, students should select one animal, research the "niche" it fills and answer the same questions used for human jobs. As a culmination, each team can make a visual and/or verbal presentation about its animal and its niche.

Extensions:

  1. Identify niches which are overlapping and where there is competition or cooperation for resources and services. Connections may also be made between niches to illustrate interdependency webs in the community.
  2. Investigate a variety of human professions in different communities or cultures for an emphasis on career awareness. Illustrate overlapping professions, competition, cooperation and interdependency.
  3. Develop commercials or ads for "recruiting" individuals into given ecological niches, using special contributions, advantages, etc., as points to highlight.
  4. Select the animal you would most like to be, from among those studied, basing your selection on the contribution of the ecological niche to the community’s health, as well as other factors. Describe the reasons for your choices. You could do this for human professions, too!

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