Track Matter and Energy Through a Salt Marsh
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Track Matter and Energy Through a Salt Marsh" is written for 7th Grade (Ages 12-13), and it covers NGSS MS-LS2-3. A 6th grader who is already steady on ecosystems can use it too, and an older student can use it as a short review.


2 pages in this set
7th grade science worksheet: mark salt marsh arrows as energy, matter or both and find the percent of energy passed up each level. Answer key included. Part of our food webs and matter cycles ecosystems collection. Aligned to NGSS standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Use the salt marsh sheet to teach energy and matter, and then the kelp forest sheet to practice cause and effect in a food web.
What students will practice
- Students will mark arrows in a salt marsh web as carrying energy, matter or both.
- Students will explain why the Sun sends energy but no matter to the marsh.
- Students will find the percent of energy passed from each level to the next.

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Curriculum Links
Next Generation Science Standards
Science · 7th Grade
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FAQ
How do I use this food webs and matter cycles worksheet?
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Use the salt marsh sheet to teach energy and matter, and then the kelp forest sheet to practice cause and effect in a food web.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Mark salt marsh arrows as energy, matter or both and find the percent of energy passed up each level. The directions on the page read: Read the text. In each circle, write E if the arrow carries only energy, M if only matter, or B if both. Only some heat and dead matter arrows are shown. An answer key is included.
Can I use this food webs and matter cycles worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 7th grade ecosystems, and it works the same at home or at school. At home, a student can work through it alone and then go over it with you, which shows quickly what is solid and what needs another look. In class it works as independent practice, homework or a warm-up, and you can print one copy or a full set.
What happens to a food web when a predator disappears?
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On the kelp sheet, sunflower stars fell by more than 90 percent, urchins multiplied and kelp forests shrank.
Does the Sun send matter to an ecosystem?
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No. The Sun sends energy to a marsh, but it sends no matter. Matter and stored chemical energy move together when one organism eats another.
How much energy passes to the next level?
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The salt marsh sheet gives a sample energy budget, and students find the percent passed on at each level.
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Worksheet Details
| Grade | 7th Grade |
| Subject | Science |
| Topic | Ecosystems |
| Standard | MS-LS2-3 |
| Pages | 2 pages |
| Difficulty | Medium |
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