Energy Flow through Ecosystems

This Click & Learn traces the flow of energy from the Sun all the way to cells within organisms. The embedded questions and calculations guide students’ understanding of how energy is distributed through a variety of ecosystems. 

Most students are familiar with the concept of energy transfer within ecosystems. But how does energy enter an ecosystem, and what role does it play in the structure of the ecosystem? In this Click & Learn, students explore the source of Earth’s energy and the factors that control how much energy ends up in different trophic levels. 

This Click & Learn is an interdisciplinary overview of the movement of energy through ecosystems and could be used as an introduction to the concept or as a summative experience.