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 Science
Quarter 4
Module 5-Interactions

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Science – Grade 8
Self-Learning Module, First Edition 2021
Quarter 4 – Module 5: Interactions

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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio
Development Team of the Module

Writer: Ohmark V. Veloria

Marianne D. Soriano

Editor: Adelina D. Vinluan, EdD

Reviewers: Elvira C. Viray, EdD

Catherine B. Operaña, EdD
Jerry R. Junio, PhD
Management Team
OIC, Schools Division Superintendent: Ely S. Ubaldo, CESO VI
Asst. Schools Division Superintendent: Marciano U. Soriano Jr., CESO VI
Chief Education Supervisor, CID: Carmina C. Gutierrez, EdD
Education Program Supervisor, LRMDS: Michael E. Rame, EdD
Education Program Supervisor, Science: Jerry R. Junio, PhD

District Supervisor: Catherine B. Operaña, EdD

School Head/Head Teacher in-Charge: Elvira C. Viray, EdD

Adelina D. Vinluan, EdD

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Office Address: Alvear St., East Capitol Grounds, Lingayen, Pangasinan
Telefax: (075) 522-2202
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 8

Science
Quarter 4
Interactions

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Introductory Message
Welcome to the Science 8 Self-Learning Module (SLM) on the Interactions!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed, and reviewed by

educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or
facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum
while overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also
aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Note to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them
to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and
assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to the Science 8 Self-Learning Module (SLM) on the Interactions!

The hand is one of the most symbolized parts of the human body. It is often
used to depict skill, action, and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create,
and accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a
learner is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant
competencies and skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in
your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while being an
active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the

module.
This part includes an activity that aims to
check What I Know what you already know about the lesson to take.

If you get all the answers correct (100%), you

may decide to skip this module.
This is a brief drill or review to help you link
the What’s In current lesson with the previous one.

In this portion, the new lesson will be introduced What’s

New
to you in various ways such as a story, a song, a

poem, a problem opener, an activity, or a

situation.
This section provides a brief discussion of the
What is It

lesson. This aims to help you discover and

understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent practice to solidify

your understanding and skills of the

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 topic. You may check the answers to the
exercises using the Answer Key at the end of the
module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled into process what you learned from the
lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will help you
transfer your new knowledge or skill into real life situations or concerns.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your level of

mastery in achieving the learning competency.
Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given
to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the lesson

learned. This also tends retention of learned

concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the module.

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 What I Need to Know

In Grade 7, you have learned that organisms work together with other
organisms and their environment to survive. You also describe the different
ecological relationships found in an ecosystem. All organisms need energy to
sustain life. Every activity that organisms do in ecosystems like breathing, moving,
hunting, burrowing, and growing requires energy.

In this module, you will learn the transfer of energy in an ecosystem through
food chain and food web. You will also learn the cycling of materials in the
ecosystem such as the Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Cycle, the Water Cycle, and the
Nitrogen Cycle.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

• describe the transfer of energy through the trophic levels, (S8LT-IVi-

22)
• analyze the roles of organisms in the cycling of materials, (S8LT-IVi-
23)
• explain how materials cycle in an ecosystem, and
(S8LT-IVi-24)
• Suggest ways to minimize human impact on the environment (S8LT-
IVj-25)

What I Know

Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer and write it on a piece of paper.
1. Which of the following describes the interconnected feeding relationships in an
ecosystem?
A. Food interaction B. Food network C. Food chain D. Food web

2. What is the original source of almost all the energy in most ecosystems?

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 A. carbohydrates B. water C. sunlight D. Carbon

3. Which among the organism that uses energy to produce its own food supply
from inorganic compounds?
A. Heterotroph B. Omnivore C. Consumer D. Autotroph

4. Water changes from a liquid to a vapor during _________.

A. precipitation B. decomposition C. evaporation D. respiration

5. What is the term for each step in the transfer of energy and matter within a
food web?
A. energy path B. trophic level C. food chain D. food pyramid

6. A snake that eats a frog that has eaten an insect that fed on a plant is a _______
A. first-level producer C. second-level producer
B. first-level consumer D. third-level consumer

7. Organisms need nitrogen to ____________.

A. breathe C. build proteins and DNA
B. break down carbon molecules D. build sugar

8. When fungi and bacteria decompose organic matter, they return ____ to the
environment.
A. oxygen B. nitrogen C. carbon D. both B and C

9. What do you call a consumer that eats a consumer that already ate a
consumer?
A. Producers C. Secondary Consumers
B. Tertiary Consumers D. Decomposers

10. What is the source of carbon in fossil fuels?

A. combustion and respiration
B. carbon captured during nitrogen fixation
C. the buried remains of long-dead organisms
D. carbon dioxide in ground water

11. Carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere in increasing quantities,
causing it to hold heat. These causes ____________.
A. the temperature of land to rise. C. global warming
B. the temperature of the ocean to rise D. all of the above

12. What step(s) could be taken to help reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere?
A. decrease combustion C. cut fewer trees
B. plant more plants D. All of the above

13. Carbon dioxide and water are released as by-products of

A. combustion B. respiration C. photosynthesis D. decomposition

14. Most animals get the nitrogen they need by _____________.

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 A. breathing C. eating other organisms
B. "fixing" nitrogen D. drinking water

15. Most animals get the nitrogen they need by _______________.

A. breathing C. eating other organisms
B. "fixing" nitrogen. D. drinking water

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 Lesson
The Transfer of Energy in
an Ecosystem
1

What’s In
Complete the crossword by writing the correct lettersthe
on boxes.

Down
1. A type of ecological relationship which has direct and long term interaction
between two different organisms.
2. A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits from the association and
the other is harmed.
3. A relationship where the participating organisms fight for the same materials in
their environment.
4. A type of ecological relationship does not occur over a long period of time, and
indirect interaction over resources.

Across

5. A relationship where one kills and eats another.

6. A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is
unaffected.
7. A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit from their
association.

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 What’s New

Arrange the organisms on the box to complete a food chain. Write the correct
word in the four boxes (or in your answer sheets, then label them).
The arrow means eaten by. Choose your answer in the box.

grasshopper grass frog snake

birds caterpillar leaves snake

What is It

Organisms get energy from other organisms such as plants, animals and
microorganisms in order to enable them to move, grow, repair damaged body parts,
and reproduce. In this situation wherein it involves the use of organism such as
food by another we call this as trophic interaction.
The Plants are capable of converting energy
from the Sun to make glucose. This process
of converting energy from the Sun into
chemical energy to form food is called
photosynthesis; it uses water, carbon
dioxide and sunlight, and releasing oxygen
at the end of the process. Most plants make
much more food each day than they need.
The excess glucose is converted into starch
by the plants and is stored either in the
roots, stem, leaves, tubers, seeds, or in
fruits. Plants are considered producers
(autotrophs) because they can produce their
own food. Do plants the only organisms in
an ecosystem that can produce their own https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ph
otosynthesis.gif
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food? There are also microorganisms that can photosynthesize like algae and
cyanobacteria.
Humans and other animals are not capable of making their own food. They are
dependent on the organic matter made by photosynthetic organisms. Animals and
humans must eat either plants or other animals to obtain energy. Organisms that
feed on other organisms are called consumers. Those that get their energy by
eating plants only are called Primary consumers.

Some energy in the primary

consumer is not used by the
consumer itself. This energy is made
available to another consumer. A
consumer that eats the plant-eaters for
energy is called a Secondary
consumer, examples of which are
chicken eating caterpillar, snake
eating a mouse and Maya eating snail. A
secondary consumer gets only a
fraction of energy from the primary
consumer that it fed upon. A part of
this energy is stored and may be
https://www.flickr.com/photos/102642344@N02/99128905
passed on to another consumer. A 23
consumer that eats a secondary
consumer is called a
Tertiary consumer.

The transfer of energy can be sequenced. The sequence of energy transferred

among organisms to obtain energy and nutrients is called a food chain. A food
chain starts with the energy source, the Sun. The next link in the chain is the
group of organisms that make their own food – the photosynthetic organisms or
producers. Next in the sequence are the organisms that eat the producers; they are
the firstorder consumers. The next link in the chain is the group of animals that eat
the firstorder consumers; they are the second-order consumers. These organisms,
in turn, are eaten by larger animals-the predators; they are also called, third-order
consumers. Each food chain ends with a top predator-an animal with no natural
enemies.

Trophic level, step in a nutritive series, or food chain, of an ecosystem. The

organisms of a chain are classified into these levels on the basis of their feeding
behavior. The first and lowest level contains the producers, green plants. The
plants or their products are consumed by the second-level organisms—the
herbivores, or plant eaters or primary consumer. At the third level, primary
carnivores or secondary consumer, or meat eaters, eat the herbivores; and at the
fourth level, secondary carnivores or tertiary consumer eat the primary
carnivores. These categories are not strictly defined, as many organisms feed on
several trophic levels; for example, some carnivores also consume plant materials
or carrion and are called omnivores, and some herbivores occasionally consume
animal matter. A separate trophic level, the decomposers or transformers, consists
of organisms such as bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms and
waste materials into nutrients usable by the producers.

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 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Trophiclevels.jpg

What is the difference between food chain and food web?

A food chain is a food relationship that shows the flow of energy in an
environment. It is a straight line diagram of who eats whom. The food chain moves
food from one organism to another, giving energy to the organism digesting the
food. While the food web consists of interlocking food chains. It is the summary of
all pathways by which energy moves from one level to another through an
ecosystem.

FOOD CHAIN FOOD WEB

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 What’s More
Activity 1: Trophic Levels

Objective: Analyze the transfer of energy through the trophic levels and create a
food chain.

Directions: Study the ecological pyramid and answer the questions below. Write
your answer in a separate sheet of paper.

Questions:

1. There are _______________ trophic levels in an ecosystem.

2. Which organism is the quaternary consumer?
3. List down five heterotrophs from the above pyramid.
4. Cactus is a _____________.
5. Write a food chain using this ecological pyramid with a producer and four
consumers. Use arrows to indicate the direction of energy flow.

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 Lesson The Cycl es of Materials
2 in an E cosystem

What’s New

Study the picture diagram below and list down the natural occurring elements or
compounds and the sources on which these materials are present.

Source: http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/envisrs/?q=node/47/#2

Elements/Compounds Sources
Ex. Oxygen (O2) Ex. Produce by plants
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.

Questions:
1. Where do materials mostly recycled?
2. Do organisms play important part in circulating the materials.

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 What is It
There are a few types of atoms that can be a part of a plant one day, an animal
the next day, and then travel downstream as a part of a river’s water the following
day. These atoms can be a part of both living things like plants and animals, as
well as non-living things like water, air, and even rocks. The same atoms are
recycled over and over in different parts of the Earth. This type of cycle of atoms
between living and non-living things is known as a biogeochemical cycle.

The Oxygen-Carbon Cycle

There are two basic life processes in the oxygen-carbon life cycle; these are the
cellular respiration and the photosynthesis.
What process is being shown in the picture below? What is the driving energy
of this process?

During photosynthesis, Carbon dioxide (CO2) is taken in by plants and water

(H2O) is absorbed through roots; with the used of sunlight, the materials are
breakdown into oxygen (O2) and sugar as a waste product. Meanwhile, animals
inhale the O2 given off by plants and exhale CO2 as waste product of cellular
respiration.
Other minor processes involve in this cycle are decomposition and
combustion. When an animal or plant dies all the carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and
water, calcium etc. return to the soil and air during decomposition. Certain insects,
fungi and bacteria aid in the decomposition process and are called decomposers or
detrivores. In combustion, it is the burning of materials particularly fossil fuels
that accelerates the negative effects of global warming.
Oxygen is an important element for the living things. Without oxygen, it is
impossible for humans and animals to breath. Without oxygen, there will be no life
on the planet. We need oxygen in order to live. Moreover, Carbon dioxide is use to
produce oxygen. As humans and animals release carbon dioxide on air; the plants
use this compound and eventually manufactures this into oxygen again to be use
by the humans and animals. This process occurs continuously and naturally in
nature.

The Nitrogen Cycle

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 The nitrogen cycle
represents one of the
most important nutrient
cycles found in
ecosystems. Air, which is
78% nitrogen gas (N2), is
the major reservoir of
nitrogen. Nitrogen is a
required nutrient for all
living organisms to
produce a number of
complex organic
molecules like amino
acids, the building blocks Source
of proteins, and nucleic
acids, including DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). The
ultimate store of nitrogen is in the atmosphere, where it exists as nitrogen gas. This
store is about one million times larger than the total nitrogen contained in living
organisms. Other major stores of nitrogen include organic matter in soil and the
oceans.
Free nitrogen - the nitrogen
found in the atmosphere,
animal wastes, and dead and
decaying organisms - is all
around. However, only a few
organisms can use it just as it
is. These organisms "fix" the
nitrogen for all other
organisms to use. They are
called nitrogen fixing
bacteria.

In the nitrogen
fixation part of the cycle,
nitrogen-fixing bacteria found
in the soils and in the roots of
certain plants, change (or
convert) free nitrogen into
substances that other
organisms can use. When the
fixing process is finished, free
nitrogen is converted into
nitrates, nitrites, and
ammonia. These substances can be used by plants. As the plants become food,
the
nitrogen can be used by Source: http://www.realtrees4kids.org/sixeight/cycles.htm animals. And
some bacteria take the nitrogen compounds and return them to nitrogen gas that is
released back into the atmosphere.

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 In another part of the cycle, animals eat plants containing usable nitrogen. That
nitrogen returns to the soil as organic material (animal waste, decaying plants and
animals) is decomposed by bacteria and other decomposers. And the denitrifying
bacteria keep the nitrogen level in the soil balanced.

The Water Cycle

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the movement of
water on, in, and above the planet Earth. It is a continuous movement of water
from the atmosphere to the earth back to the atmosphere. It involves the following
vital processes:
a. Precipitation. The process by which water molecules condense to form
drops heavy enough to fall to the earth's surface.
b. Evaporation. The movement of water in the form of water vapor from the
earth to the atmosphere or the changing of water from a liquid to a gas.
c. Condensation. The change in the state of water vapor to liquid water
when in contact with a liquid or solid surface or cloud condensation
nuclei within the atmosphere or the changing of water from a gas to
a liquid.
d. Transpiration. The water movement through a plant and its evaporation
from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers.
e. Sublimation. The changing of water from a solid to a gas.
f. Surface runoff-the flowing of water over the land from higher to lower
ground.
g. Infiltration-the process of water filling the porous spaces of soil.
h. Percolation-groundwater moving in the saturated zone below the earth's
surface.

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 What’s More

Activity 2: Water Cycle

Objective: Identify the important processes in water cycle that explain the
circulation of water in the environment.

Directions: Complete the diagram below by identifying the processes in Water

Cycle.

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 What I Have Learned
PART I.
Directions: Match column A with the correct answer on column B. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.
Column B
Column A

1. A diagram that shows the transfer of energy A. Primary Consumer

in one line.
B. Secondary Consumer
2. It makes its’ own food and begins the food
chain. C. Tertiary Consumer
3. They cannot make their own food so they eat
D. Food Chain
only plants to get the needed energy.
4. A type of consumer that eats second-order E. Food Web
consumer.
F. Producer
5. A graphical representation that consist of
interconnecting food chains.

PART II.
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct answer. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of paper.

cellular respiration decomposition photosynthesis

hydrologic cycle combustion Nitrogen
nitrogen fixation

6. There are two basic life processes in the oxygen-carbon life cycle; these are
the _____________ and the ______________.

7. Other minor processes involve in oxygen-carbon cycle are _______________

And ____________.

8. The water cycle, also known as the _____________________, describes the

movement of water on, in, and above the planet Earth.

9. ______________is a required nutrient for all living organisms to produce a

number of complex organic molecules like amino acids and proteins.

10. In the ________________ part of the cycle, nitrogen-fixing bacteria found in

the soils and in the roots of certain plants, change or convert free nitrogen
into substances that other organisms can use.

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 What I Can Do

Explain the importance of food chain and food web in maintaining the ecological
balance. And suggest some ways on how to minimize the human impact on the
environment?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Scoring Rubrics
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
The The The The discussion The discussion
discussion is discussion is discussion is is ample with is lacking any
comprehensive comprehensive ample with no minor detail.
with scientific with some misconception. misconception.
evidence. evidence.

Assessment
Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer and write it on a piece of paper.
1. Which is the correct sequence of how nitrogen is passed through its cycle?
A. Nitrate formation, fixation, denitrification
B. Fixation, nitrate formation, denitrification
C. Denitrification, nitrate formation, fixation
D. Fixation, denitrification, nitrate formation

2. When the Sun heats up the puddle of water in your backyard and turns it into
water vapour, this process is known as ________.
A. Condensation B. Evaporation C. Precipitation D. Run-off

3. When you look outside and it is raining, the water falling down is in what stage
of the water cycle?
A. Evaporation B. Percolation C. Condensation D. Precipitation

4. What most likely happen first if you remove a primary consumer from the
ecosystem?
A. There would be more food for secondary consumers.
B. The number of primary consumers would increase.
C. The number of plants would increase.
D. The number of secondary consumers would increase.

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5. When you see clouds forming in the sky, the water above you is forming
droplets in what stage of the water cycle?
A. Run-off B. Condensation C. Precipitation D. Evaporation
6. Which formula properly expresses the process of photosynthesis?
A. O2 + H2O (light →) =sugar+ CO2 C. CO2 + O2 (light →) = sugar + H2O B.
CO2 + H2O (light →) =sugar + O2 D. CO2 + H2O (sugar →) = light + O2

7. A bird stalks, kills, and then eats an insect. Based on its behavior, which
ecological terms describe the bird?
A. herbivore, decomposer C. carnivore, consumer
B. producer, heterotroph D. autotroph, herbivore

8. How decomposers obtained nutrients?

A. By breaking down dead and decaying plants and animals
B. By eating carnivores.
C. By getting nutrients directly from the sun.
D. By eating producers only.

9. The cycle of atoms between living and non-living things is known as?
A. Oxygen-Carbon cycle C. biogeochemical cycles
B. the water cycle D. the nitrogen cycle

10. One way of showing the transfer of energy in an ecosystem is the Energy
Pyramid. Which of the followings does energy pyramids show?
A. That the amount of available energy decreases down the food chain. Energy
pyramids show.
B. It takes a large number of producers to support a smaller number of primary
consumers.
C. It takes a large number of primary consumers to support a smaller number of
secondary consumer.
D. All of the above

11. In the nitrogen cycle, the transformation of gaseous nitrogen into

nitrogencontaining compounds is performed primarily by
A. plants B. animals C. humans D. bacteria

12. What is the end product of respiration?

A. Oxygen B. Nitrogen C. H2O D. CO2

13. Where can you find nitrogen fixing bacteria?

A. In the pores of rocks. C. In the soil.
B. In the roots of plants. D. In the leaves of plants.

14. Which of the following does NOT contribute to the disruption of oxygen-carbon
dioxide cycle?
A. Continuous cutting down of trees for lumber. C. Kaingin B. Burning of fossil
fuels on motor vehicles. D. Planting of trees.

15. Can oxygen exist in water?

A. Yes, it is used by much aquatic life
B. oxygen cannot be dissolved in water

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C. Yes but it is not used by living organisms
D. No, it is not needed by fishes

References:

Science 8 Learner’s Material

Science 8 Teacher’s Guide

Energy Pyramid Activity from

https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/science/food-chain/color/energy
pyramid.pdf
Food chain and Food Web from
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples -of-food-chains.html

Trophic Levels from https://www.britannica.com/science/trophic -level

Pictures/Cliparts from Creative Commons of Windows 10 MS Word

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