Who eats Who? (A Food Chain Story.)

Author(s): Jaime Cuello
Subject: Life Science
Grade Level(s): Grade 4
Big Idea(s): Students will learn that producers (create their own food), primary consumer eats the producer, secondary consumer eats primary consumer, and the top predator eats secondary consumer.

What you need: Teacher created model of oceanic and land food chains with red string demonstrating flow of energy.
3×5 cards with pictures of producers and consumers.
Pictures can be from the internet, magazines, old books, or student drawn.

Setting: Set up groups in the classroom.
Time Needed: Teacher instructions and rules will take approximately 10 minutes. Once children have cards in front of the activity could take 10-20 minutes.

Summary:

Students will create their own food chain diagram using cards provided in activity. It worked best for be to begin by having the children think of who eats who a concept the majority will understand. Then proceed forward with academic vocabulary and sequential order.

Learning Goals / Objectives:

2. All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow. As a basis for understand ing this concept:
a. Students know plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains.
b. Students know producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an ecosystem.

Background

Learn about various living things such as animals and plants, sort them into different categories and discover where they fit into the food chain.

Setup:

Students are group in teams of 4 making sure to place desks together to form one large group or table top in a regular classroom. Its best if materials are distributed by teacher or student team leader.

Anticipatory Set:

Explain to students that they will be learning how to create a food chain, and to think of who eats who as a big idea for the lesson. Show them video from youtube (there are various to choose from) simply find one you personally like and show that one in class. The video will student understand the big idea and academic vocabulary.

Instructions / Activities:

-Demonstrate teacher created food chain charts to group
-Pass out 3×5 cards with pictures to groups of 4-5 children per table/group.
-Ask them to create food chain, but I discovered that 3rd graders need to think of it as “Who eats who,” for them to gain a better understanding.
-Have academic vocabulary written on the board with definitions or pictures.

Assessment:

Formative Assessments:
Thumbs up if you agree or thumbs down if you disagree
Team with a partner and ask questions using sentence frame, for example, student A shows a card and asks “Is this a producer or consumer?” Student B responds with a complete sentence.
Summative Assessments include Teacher created:
Vocabulary Test
Multiple choice
Drawing/creating another food chain in science journal
Writing a paragraph describing the food chain created in activity

Wrap-up / Closure:

Have students discuss their food chain with a member from another group. Then have students design/create another food chain in science journal.

Attachments: https://ccsplibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/1-98399c595b52310e23a081ee652e5a53/2013/06/photo-1-19.JPG

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