Observe Autotrophs Under a Microscope

• Introduce a science class to different types of protists, such as the paramecium, euglena, volvox and amoeba. Have the students observe the specimens on microscope slides to compare the differences in structures, locomotion and feeding. Use a compound microscope under both low and high power. Have the students create a table with four columns for each of the organisms observed and label the columns: "Method of locomotion," "Description," "Autotroph or Heterotroph" and "Additional Notes."
  
  

The Food Chain Activity

• Students can demonstrate the food chain to show the differences and importance of primary producers, or autotrophs. The food chain shows how each organism interacts with each other and its environment. The food chain is composed of different tropic levels. Students can complete this activity by cutting out pictures and gluing them into the food chain pyramid. The pyramid should be drawn on a 11 by 14 piece of paper and show the "Primary Producers" on the bottom, then "Producers," followed by "Primary," "Secondary" and "Tertiary Consumers." The students should also illustrate the energy loss increase as you go up the pyramid to the secondary and tertiary consumers.
  
  

Plant Photosynthesis Activity

• Autotrophs produce sugar from water, carbon dioxide and sunlight. Students can observe the sugar that the plants are self-producing by observing plant leaves. Sugar is converted to starch and stored in plant leaves. Have students gather up leaves and observe the amount of starch stored in them. Take a leaf placed in sunlight for 48 hours. Boil the leaf in water for two minutes. Remove the leaf from the water and place it in a beaker full of 95 percent ethyl alcohol for one minute. The alcohol will remove the photosynthetic pigments, such as chlorophyll, from the leaf. Place the leaf in a petri dish then pour in I2Kl solution for three minutes. Remove the leaf from the solution and observe the staining pattern. Any bluish black staining indicates starch. To get a clearer understanding of how the plants are autotrophic, compare the leaf placed in sunlight versus dark for 48 hours.
  
  

Effect of Fertilizer on the Growth of Algae

• Algae is an autotrophic organism that uses sunlight to produce food. An algal bloom, however, can be toxic to other organisms in an aquatic environment. Fertilizers and sunlight in one area can cause an algal bloom. Students can make this process occur. Get four glass jars and fill them with local pond or stream water. Place different amounts of fertilizer in three of the jars, such as 10, 15 and 25 milliliters. Do not place any fertilizer in one of the jars. This jar will serve as the control to compare algal growth. Place the jars in sunlight for one week. Observe the growth of algae. The jar with the most fertilizer should contain the most algae.