Abiotic Factors in an Ecosystem

Show your sixth graders how nonliving things shape where organisms can live! In this one-page worksheet, students read about four abiotic factors, match causes to effects, and then use what they learned to solve two short science stories.

The page uses three topic cards, each with its own picture and heading. The first card covers light and water: plants need sunlight to make food, every organism needs water, and only plants that store water, like cacti, grow well in a desert. The second card explains that each organism can live only in a certain range of temperatures, using polar bears and coral reefs as examples. The third card defines soil composition as what soil is made of, such as sand, clay, bits of rock, and dead plant matter. In the first activity, students draw lines from four changes, like a long drought or warming ocean water, to their effects on living things. In the second activity, students read about a farmer's wilting corn and an arctic fox and circle the abiotic factor that explains each one. The sheet is written to Texas TEKS 6.12A and also fits NGSS MS-LS2-1.

What's inside:

• Three illustrated topic cards with key words in bold
• A 4-item cause and effect match
• 2 short scenario questions
• A visual answer key with every answer marked in red

How teachers use it:

• As a follow-up to a lesson on biotic and abiotic factors
• For bell work, science centers, or small groups
• As homework or sub plans, with no prep needed

It takes about 5 to 10 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. This worksheet is part of our Reading in Science series for grade 6.