Ask students to design a terrarium that would provide a good habitat for a specific plant or animal. Students should determine the amount of light, heat, and moisture the plant or animal needs to survive. They should also consider whether the organism needs shelter and, if so, what kind. 

In a short paragraph, students should explain how their chosen organism would get access to those resources in their natural ecosystem. Student responses should indicate that students recognize that different organisms have different needs and that their needs are typically met within their natural environment. For example, a student might design a terrarium for a leopard gecko and explain that a leopard gecko thrives in a desert ecosystem with high heat, low rainfall, and a rocky or sandy ground. They also find places to hide like rocky crevices in the desert to cool down or avoid predators. A plant example students could discuss is the vanilla orchid. A terrarium designed to house a vanilla orchid would require bright, indirect light to simulate the light a vanilla orchid would get by growing part way up a tree and a consistently warm and humid environment that simulates frequent rain. Vanilla orchids are native to rainforests and these conditions help them thrive in that ecosystem.

One common misconception is that an environment and an ecosystem are the same.  The environment includes both biotic and abiotic components, whereas the ecosystem is composed of only biotic components and organisms. As an educator, it is important to know that the terms biotic and abiotic factors are taught in grade 5. At this grade level, the conditions and objects surrounding an organism are taught as living (or once-living) and non-living factors.