Home of real teaching & learning
  • Full support for teachers
  • Focus on critical thinking
  • Engaging classroom activities
  • Integrated student eBook
  • Assessed tasks / qBank
  • Practice exam questions
Find out more Download brochure

The InThinking Guarantee: Our sites are written by expert practitioners and not by AI

See our AI policy

Disclaimer: InThinking subject sites are neither endorsed by nor connected with the International Baccalaureate Organisation.

Don't miss out, find out!

2.1 Abiotic and Biotic Factors

In this activity you will explore the abiotic and biotic factors at play in Congragee National Park, USA. You can then complete a typical Paper 2 question which would assess this knowledge.

Teacher only box

This is a very old-school activity involving simply working in groups to collate two piles of abiotic and biotic factors contributing to the functioning of the system. Students tell me they really enjoy working in small groups with these types of activities where highly visual, hands-on resources scaffold their thinking and gets them away from screens. They should be able to use this activity to confidently complete a 4 marker at the end.

Background Information

Congragee National Park is located in South Carolina, USA. It is one of the oldest examples It became an international biosphere reserve in 1981[1]. You can read more about why it has been designated as a biosphere reserve here. This is a great example which will link well with future studies in topic 3.3. 

Watch this video

Cards Needed for activity

Download, print and cut the cards out. Arrange them in two piles of abiotic and biotic factors.

Review Questions

  1. Why can the park be considered an open system?
  2. Create a systems diagram of the park

Examination style questions

  1. Describe how a named abiotic factor within the park could be monitored  [2]
  2. Describe biotic and abiotic factors with reference to a named ecosystem. [4]

You can print out a PDF of this activity

Answers: 2.1 Abiotic and Biotic Factors 

Footnotes

1. https://www.britannica.com/place/Congaree-National-Park

All materials on this website are for the exclusive use of teachers and students at subscribing schools for the period of their subscription. Any unauthorised copying or posting of materials on other websites is an infringement of our copyright and could result in your account being blocked and legal action being taken against you.

Help