Help students truly understand ecological succession with a vibrant, interactive PowerPoint and matching guided-notes set. Designed for AP Environmental Science 2.7 (Ecological Succession), it also works well in general environmental science or biology classes. In a 15-minute presentation, the slideshow explains the predictable progression of communities in both primary and secondary succession and closes by showing how some disturbances can increase ecosystem biodiversity. The paired student notes double as graphic organizers, keeping learners actively engaged and helping them retain key content as they follow along.

I highly suggest grabbing these resources in the Ecological Succession BUNDLE, which includes an aligned activity where they swap time for space and hop along a hotspot island chain as a way to observe ecological succession.

What You’ll Receive After Purchase:

• PowerPoint Presentation (Teacher Version)
  • Clean, modern, and ready for direct instruction
  • Works in PowerPoint 365 (recommended) or Google Slides
  • Fully editable text boxes
  • Background images are secured (non-editable for copyright), but you can easily add or delete slides
• Recorded Version of the Lesson
  • MP4 file + an unlisted YouTube link
  • Perfect for absent students, sub plans, or flipped classroom
• Student Version of the Slideshow
  • Available in both PPT and PDF formats with a watermark
  • Great for posting in a digital classroom for student access after instruction
  • (See Terms of Use below for sharing policies)
• Guided Notes
  • Includes both a fill-in-the-blank version and a completed version
  • Designed for focus, flexibility, and student success

Want the full experience?

This PowerPoint is also part of my Ecological Succession Lesson Bundle, which includes an aligned activity called "Island Hop Through Ecological Succession," where students are field ecologists hopping from island to island in a volcanic hotspot chain, swapping space for time as each island becomes a natural time machine from youngest to oldest. Along the way, they map how soil changes and how communities assemble from bare rock, and they examine how disturbances can shift that path.

Looking for EVERYTHING in one place?
Grab this resource—plus every AP Environmental Science product I’ve created—in my best-value Full Year APES Curriculum Bundle. It’s the easiest way to bring consistency, creativity, and high-impact learning to your classroom all year—while saving tons of prep time and stress.

Terms of Use:

• Sharing: This product is for single classroom use by the original purchaser only. If you wish to share with colleagues, please purchase additional licenses or refer them to my store.
• Editing: You may edit the text in this resource and add slides to fit your classroom needs.
  However, you may not:
  • Repackage, resell, or post the edited version
  • Remove the copyright footer or logo
  • Extract any images or visuals to create a new resource

• Posting: You may post the flattened, watermarked student version for your students to access. You may also record your own voice over the slideshow for private class use (Google Classroom, Canvas, etc.), but not for public or commercial platforms like YouTube, Outschool, etc.

Reviews

If this resource worked well for you and your students, I’d be so grateful for your review! Reviews help other teachers make confident choices—and you’ll earn credit toward future purchases. Have an issue? Please email me before leaving feedback—I’ll work with you until you’re 100% satisfied.

Contact Me

Got questions or custom requests? Reach out via the Q&A section above or email me directly at AshleyLGrapes@gmail.com — I usually respond within the hour!

Clipart Acknowledgments

A big thanks to The Biology Bar for the primary and secondary succession clipart. All images were either purchased with a commercial license or sourced from the public domain.