MS-LS2-3 | Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on describing the conservation of matter and flow of energy associated with ecosystem, and on defining the boundaries of the ecosystem.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include the use of chemical reactions to describe the processes.
Grade 8 Science Test Questions
Released New York State Grade 8 science test questions that assess MS-LS2-3 are listed here by test and question cluster. Each link opens the question with its answer key.
| Exam | Cluster | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Cowbirds | Question 3 |
Performance Level Descriptions
Every Grade 8 Science Test question on MS-LS2-3 is written to match one of the performance level descriptions (PLDs) below.
Resources
Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of MS-LS2-3.
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NGSS Dimensions
Performance expectation MS-LS2-3 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
- Developing and Using Models
- Develop a model to describe phenomena.
- LS2.B: Cycle of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
- Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
- Energy and Matter
- The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system.