Activity B
Bears
Get the Gizmo ready
Click Reset
Select the FOREST tab
Question: How do bears get the nutrients they need to live?
1 Explore Using the Gizmo, try to figure out what bears depend on for nutrition.
2 Earm hypothesis How do bears get the energy and nutrients they need?
3 Predict Based on your hypothesis, which population(s) would be hurt if bears were added?
4 Test Click Reset Click Advance year a couple times. Add as many bears to the forest as
possible. Then go forward a couple more years. Select the DATA tab. Which populations
were hurt by adding bears?
5 Classify Are bears producers or consumers? Explain your reasoning.
6. Draw conclusions An organism that breaks down organic matter into simpler materials (like
carbon dioxide) is called a decomposer Decomposers absorb nutrients from living things or
the organic matter they leave behind. They do not need to kill to get their food.
Do your results suggest bears are decomposers? Explain your reasoning.
7. Challenge Using the Gizmo, figure out what bears prefer to eat most. Write your results and
reasoning in your notebook or on the back of this sheet.