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VFT Creation Activity

All About Ecosystems

Co-created by the Stanford VFT Team and Shannon C., upper-elementary teacher.

    Grades 3-12 Life Science
All About Ecosystems

Fun with food webs? All about adaptations? Learners choose an ecosystem from around the world and create a VFT to teach other students all about it.

In this activity, students will create a VFT to:

  • Highlight how ecosystem climate and geography connects to the features of the living and nonliving things within it.
  • Contextualize how living and nonliving things interact within an ecosystem.
  • Showcase their understanding of NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (LS2.A), Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience (LS2.C), Adaptation (LS4.C), and Human Impacts on Earth Systems (ESS3.C).

  • Designed for Grades 3-12

  • Takes approximately 3-5 hours

Prerequisites

If YOU are new to supporting student creation

Check out our Educator Guides for everything you need to know.

If YOUR STUDENTS are new to creating VFTs:

Teach our introductory lessons to help your students get started.

Materials

Lesson plans, worksheets, and slides to help you complete this activity

  • Lesson Plan
  • Instructional Slides
  • 360° Media Package
  • Upper Elementary Assignment
  • MS/HS Assignment
  • VFT Planning Student Resource
  • Stanford VFT Camera (optional)
Next Steps

Take your VFT Creation Project Further!

Student Examples

How other students have used this activity

All About Ecosystems: Northeast US Swamp

All About Ecosystems: Northeast US Swamp

by by a 5th-grader in California
  • Earth Science
  • Life Science
  • ThingLink
  • Grades 3-5
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