Science · 6th Grade

Active learning ideas

Ecosystem Stability and Disturbances

Active learning helps students move beyond abstract definitions by letting them manipulate models and analyze real cases. When students test resistance and resilience using hands-on tools like Stability Jenga or compare case studies, they see how ecosystems respond differently to disturbances. These experiences make the vocabulary stick and prepare students to apply the concepts to new situations.

• Common Core State Standards
• MS-LS2-1
• MS-LS2-4

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Case Study Comparison: Fire Recovery vs. Invasive Species

Assign half the class to research the Yellowstone fire recovery (1988-present) and the other half to research a local or regional invasive species impact. Each group identifies whether the ecosystem showed resistance, resilience, or neither, and the factors that influenced the outcome. Groups present to each other and the class synthesizes a list of factors that promote ecosystem stability.

Explain how ecosystems recover after a major forest fire.

Facilitation Tip

During Case Study Comparison: Fire Recovery vs. Invasive Species, have students highlight specific evidence in each case that shows either resistance or resilience before they discuss their findings.

What to look for

Provide students with a brief description of a hypothetical US ecosystem facing a specific disturbance (e.g., a coastal wetland after a hurricane). Ask them to write one sentence defining resistance and one sentence defining resilience in this context, and then predict which concept might be more important for the wetland's long-term survival.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 25 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Stability Jenga

Use a block tower where each block is labeled with a species or function in an ecosystem. Students take turns removing blocks (simulating species loss or disturbance) while the class predicts at each step whether the ecosystem can remain stable. After the tower falls, discuss which removals were most destabilizing and what that reveals about keystone species and functional redundancy.

Differentiate between resistance and resilience in an ecosystem.

Facilitation Tip

During Simulation: Stability Jenga, circulate and ask students to explain which blocks represent species with high resistance versus those with high resilience in their tower.

What to look for

Present students with two short case studies of US ecosystems recovering from disturbances. Ask them to identify one factor that promoted resistance in the first ecosystem and one factor that promoted resilience in the second ecosystem, writing their answers in their notebooks.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Drought Resilience

Present data from two ecosystems facing the same drought: a monoculture cornfield and a tallgrass prairie. Pairs analyze which is more resilient and explain why, using evidence about biodiversity, root depth, soil structure, and species interactions. Pairs share their reasoning, and the class builds a conceptual model of what structural features predict resilience.

Analyze the factors that make some ecosystems more stable than others during a drought.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share: Drought Resilience, explicitly remind pairs to use the drought data table to justify their predictions about ecosystem recovery.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine a forest ecosystem that is highly resistant to small, frequent fires but takes a very long time to recover from a single, massive wildfire. Is this ecosystem more resistant or more resilient?' Facilitate a class discussion where students justify their answers using the vocabulary terms.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should anchor this topic in tangible examples before moving to abstract reasoning. Start with simulations or case studies to build intuition, then layer in vocabulary and comparisons. Avoid front-loading definitions; instead, let students construct meaning through observation and discussion. Research shows that students grasp stability concepts better when they explore multiple disturbances rather than a single example.

Students will confidently explain the difference between resistance and resilience in their own words. They will use evidence from simulations and case studies to support their reasoning about ecosystem responses to disturbances. Clear evidence of success includes accurate vocabulary use and logical connections between activity examples and the definitions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Case Study Comparison: Fire Recovery vs. Invasive Species, watch for students assuming the post-fire forest will be identical to the pre-fire forest.

  Use the Yellowstone case study materials to guide students in comparing species lists before and after the fire. Ask them to note differences and discuss why the new forest might not be a perfect 'reset'.

• During Simulation: Stability Jenga, watch for students generalizing that larger ecosystems are automatically more stable.

  After the simulation, have students compare towers of different sizes with varying biodiversity. Ask them to identify which combination showed the most stability and why.

• During Think-Pair-Share: Drought Resilience, watch for students assuming human cleanup efforts will always restore an ecosystem to its original state.

  Use the drought case study data to prompt students to evaluate whether the ecosystem returned to its pre-drought conditions or shifted to a new stable state.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share