European Ecosystem Project for Elementary Students

This European Ecosystem project focusing on the natural environment of Europe is a fantastic opportunity to get your students really thinking about the environment in different locations around the world.

In this inquiry task, students imagine they are a zoo keeper at a renowned zoo in Australia, tasked with designing an enclosure for the new ‘Plants and Animals of Europe’ exhibit. The students must use their knowledge of European plants, animals and climate to plan one of the animal enclosures.

Guiding Questions

• What is the climate (temperature and rainfall) like in the chosen European ecosystem?
• What types of vegetation are found in this ecosystem?
• How will you replicate the features of this ecosystem in your enclosure?

This teaching resource includes:

• a detailed overview of the inquiry task
• various scaffold and planning worksheets
• reflection questions.

How to Use this European Ecosystem Inquiry Task in the Classroom

This inquiry task is a project that can be done in multiple lessons Here is a brief guide as to the process your students will be walked through:

1. Choose a European plant or animal and its natural ecosystem.
2. Research and gather details about the climate, vegetation, and habitat needs.
3. Design the enclosure by creating a labelled diagram with features replicating the ecosystem.
4. Reflect on the ecosystem designed – explain how the design supports the animal or plant needs and make adjustments as needed.

This inquiry task could also be used as an assessment piece.

Download and Explore Different Ecosystems Today!

Use the dropdown menu to choose between the easy to print PDF version of this resource or the editable Google Slide version.

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher in Florida and Teach Starter collaborator.

More Ecosystem Resources

Looking for more ecosystem resources? We have you covered…

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