7 WOW Ideas to Teach the Difference Between Abiotic and Biotic Factors

Looking for a way to teach the difference between abiotic and biotic factors in your middle school science classroom? Let’s explore some awesome ideas!

Biotic and abiotic factors is one of those topics that is fundamental. When teaching about ecosystems, students need to understand that there are many things that interact with one another. An ecosystem includes all biotic and abiotic factors (living and non-living parts) of the environment.

In this post, I will share some WOW Factor ideas to bring to your classroom when you are teaching what abiotic and biotic factors are. First, you will learn all about bringing WONDER to your classroom before teaching what abiotic and biotic factors are. Second, you will learn how an interactive lesson about the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors can bring engagement to your classroom while helping your students retain the information. Finally, you will learn how to WIDEN your students knowledge on this topic!

Which ideas are you going to choose to teach the difference between abiotic and biotic factors?

Difference Between Abiotic and Biotic Factors WONDER Strategies

Have you ever taught a lesson to your students, and they were just zoned out, not engaged, or just not having a care in the world? Here are some ways to add that spark back into the lesson. The goal is to get your students internally motivated to learn. After that, it’s a smooth ride. Check out the WONDER strategies to try in your classroom for abiotic and biotic factors. They will be excited to learn more!

You don’t have to completely dive into learning the difference between abiotic and biotic factors yet, but just give an introduction!

Sun, Soil, Water, and Air Song

Ok, so this one may be a little cheesy. It’s probably best for your younger middle school students, but secretly, the older ones may like it too!

You can start your lesson by playing the Sun, Soil, Water, and Air Song by the Banana Slug String Band. It shares the four main things that a plant needs. These are things that impact the growth and survival of plants. This song can introduce them to the complex relationships that living and non-living parts of the environment have!

This is a quick WONDER activity that you can do that can spark a nice discussion.                            

After you listen as a class, you can ask them:

• Why are these things important for plant growth?
• Do other organisms need these non-living parts of the environment? Why?
• What are some examples of living things that impact plant growth?
• Why are both living things and non-living things important to the environment?

If you don’t think students will care to listen to the song on the computer, you can always sing it with them and get them involved. Here’s a cute video that can spark some ideas for you!

Abiotic and Biotic Factors Scavenger Hunt

Do you take your students outside? If not, you should try it more. It really gets students engaged. Even if they act like they don’t want to, once they get outside, they really enjoy it! Especially if it’s a beautiful day!

 So, before learning about abiotic and biotic factors and their interactions, take them outside to explore!

1. Divide your students into small groups.
2. Tell students that you will be going outside to explore abiotic and biotic factors. Give them a brief description of what that means. Biotic factors are living things in an ecosystem. Dead or once living things are also considered biotic. Biotic factors are non-living things in an ecosystem.
3. Make sure students have somewhere to record their observations and to create a list of things that are abiotic and biotic. They can even use technology to take pictures!
4. Give each group a set amount of time to find as many of these items as possible.
5. When time is up, either inside or outside, have students present their findings to the class.
6. Encourage students to ask questions and possibly discuss the relationships between these factors.

Components of an Ecosystem Sort

Another quick and easy way to get students curious about this topic is to provide them with an opportunity to sort. This is an opportunity to really explore the difference between abiotic and biotic factors before diving into the lesson.

1. Create some cards with pictures and terms that have both abiotic and biotic factors. Here are some examples of cards you can create. Abiotic factors can include sunlight, temperature, soil, water, air, minerals, salinity, and humidity. Biotic factors can include sunflowers, worms, squirrels, panda bears, bees, bacteria, wolves, and apple trees.
2. Make sure you create enough sets of these cards for partners or groups to sort together. If you’d like, you can also make some for each student. They can glue these into their notebooks if that is something you do in your classroom.
3. Give the set of cards to your students and tell them to sort them. You can tell them to sort them into living and non-living things or you can see how they sort them on their own!
4. After, discuss and review their categorizations as a class!

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors? Students learn more in the lesson below!

Abiotic and Biotic Factors Interactive Lesson

Interactive lessons are great! They are designed with the 7 steps to help students retain information in mind. They are fabulous for teaching content, but are also great for science centers, homework, review, and more!

Interactive lessons teach content on the middle school level and include embedded activities for students to complete and help them process the information as they move on.

What is the main difference between abiotic and biotic factors? In this abiotic and biotic factors interactive lesson, your students will learn about what ecosystems are, about abiotic and biotic factors, what makes something living, how these factors interact, and more!

Within the lesson, the embedded activities include answering questions, drag-and-drop activities, an anticipation guide, exploring outside videos, and more!

You can find this resource in the Bright in the Middle Shop.

You can also find this on TPT.

Abiotic and Biotic Factors WIDEN Activities

Now that your students have become curious about this topic and learned a bit about it, it’s time to widen their knowledge and have them apply what they have learned. Here are some activities you can do to expand their knowledge on the difference between abiotic and biotic factors.

Are Viruses Abiotic or Biotic? – Debate

Debates are great for students because it helps build their critical thinking skills, their interdisciplinary understanding, their communication skills, and so much more! Debating about a scientific topic also helps their understanding of science and the process of science.

Once students learn about abiotic and biotic factors, they can dive deeper into the classification of certain things, such as viruses. It’s classification could be controversial because of it’s unique nature. They exhibit both living and non-living characteristics.

Here’s a brief guide on how to set up a debate in your classroom:

1. Introduction: Give students an overview of viruses. Make sure to explain that they can replicate inside of the cells of living organisms. They also consists of genetic material. Emphasize that they lack cellular structures and cannot reproduce independently.
2. Either have students “pick a side” or choose a side for them. The “sides” are Team Abiotic or Team Biotic.
3. Have students search their side and prepare arguments. Make sure they have key points to support their stance.
4. Now it’s time to begin the debate. Tell each team to share their opening statements.
5. Then, Team Abiotic can share their arguments and Team Biotic can share their arguments.
6. Then, allow the teams to cross-examine each other. They can ask questions, challenge each other, or get clarification.
7. Next, provide time for a rebuttal, the counter arguments.
8. Finally, each team can provide closing statements.
9. After the debate, have a reflection period with your class.
10. Then, discuss the scientific consensus that they are generally considered abiotic. They lack some of the life-like properties such as being able to replicate on their own and lacking cellular structures.

RAFT for Abiotic and Biotic Factors

If you have read many of my posts, you know that I love using RAFT writing assignments in the classroom. It helps spark student creativity, increases scientific literacy and understanding, and is an interdisciplinary WIDEN strategy.

A RAFT is a writing assignment where students are assigned a (R)ole, an (A)udience, a (F)ormat, and a (T)opic.

You can choose anything you wish for this topic, but here’s an example you can assign to your students.

R: You are an Environmental Scientist about to go on an expedition to a newly discovered planet!

A: Your audience is an Intergalactic Environmental Agency.

F: Create some scientific journal notes that include the abiotic factors, biotic factors, their interactions, and conclusions.

T:  You are given the assignment to research the abiotic and biotic factors of this planet.

This is a fun way to get your students to expand and explain the difference between biotic and abiotic factors.

Plant Turgor Pressure Lab

Maybe you’re looking for a lab assignment where students can explore how abiotic and biotic factors interact with each other. Here’s a quick lab you can try that will focus on the immediate impact of an abiotic factor (water) on a biotic factor (celery).

You’ll need:

• fresh celery sticks
• clear plastic cups
• water
• knife and cutting board
• timer
• science notebook for recording observations

1. Cut the bottoms of the celery stalks to create a clean surface.
2. Fill one of the clear plastic cups with water.  Leave one empty.
3. Place one of the celery stalks into the cup of water and one of the celery stalks in the empty cup.
4. Start the time and record observations every 15 minutes.
5. Even if you have to wait until the next day, discuss with your class the role of water as an abiotic factor for plant turgor pressure.

Here are some useful resources for this lab:

Turgor Pressure in Celery Stalks

What is Turgor Pressure?

BONUS: Start exploring ecosystems.

You may not have time for a abiotic and biotic factor WIDEN activity. I get it! You can always move ahead in your ecosystems unit.

Biomes

Levels of Organization in an Ecosystem

Limiting Factors in Ecosystems

Ecological Relationships

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Time to start adding your “difference between abiotic and biotic resources” to your lesson plan!

Help your students master science content!