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Stable ecosystems are complex and dynamic systems that rely on the interconnectedness between organisms and between organisms and their environment. In this sequence, students explore the components and organization of ecosystems, how energy flows through food chains and webs, and how nutrients are cycled to maintain life.

Ecosystems can return to dynamic equilibrium after a natural or human-caused disruption. After a disruption, ecosystems proceed through a process that may return them to their initial state or to a new equilibrium based on the complexity of the ecosystem and the nature of the disturbance. In this sequence, students explore different examples of disturbances and how ecosystems recover and change from these events.

Energy flows and matter cycles among organisms, and between organisms and their environment, creating dynamic interconnected systems. In this unit, students learn about the biotic and abiotic factors in a river ecosystem, using the Hudson River as a case study. They then investigate the impact of an invasive species (zebra mussels) on this ecosystem, using teaching case materials created by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History.

New species may be introduced into ecosystems by accident or for a specific purpose. Some of these introduced species will become invasive, others cause little disruption or fail to establish themselves. Due to increased competition or predation some invasive species may have devastating effects on ecosystems. In this instructional sequence, students explore a data set in order investigate the impacts of the introduction of the zebra mussel on the Hudson River.

In this task, students use organism fact cards to identify the relationships between different organisms found in the Hudson River.