Title: Energy Links: A Pond Food Chain. Grade: First. Site: Local pond, Shaker Lakes

Transcription

1 Title: Energy Links: A Pond Food Chain Grade: First Site: Local pond, Shaker Lakes State Science Content Standards: - Life Science (5) Investigate that animals eat plants or other animals for food* and may also use plants (or even other animals) for shelter and nesting. * The underlined portion of standard is covered in this unit - Physical Science (9) Demonstrate an understanding that energy can be obtained from many sources in many ways. Specific Lesson Objectives: The Students Will Be Able To - Create a food chain of a pond habitat or other habitat - Describe the flow of energy in a food chain - Explain that energy is obtained from the sun and through eating - Categorize pictures into groups of producers-consumersdecomposers and predator-prey - Participate in a role-play of a pond food chain - Compose or copy a report on a food chain incorporating unit vocabulary - Manipulate a multimedia presentation on the computer to review unit information Materials: - Pictures of plants and animals from a pond (see attached document) - Other plant and animal pictures - Blank diagram of food chain (see attached document, copy to LEGAL sized paper) - Crayons or markers - Pencils - String or skinny chain (can be bought at a hardware store) - Clothespins - Paper crown - Two chairs - Masking tape

2 Optional - Magazines with pictures of plants and animals or teacherdetermined plant and animal pictures - Scissors - Glue - Digital camera Vocabulary: producer- an organism that can make its own food i.e. plants consumer- an organism that eats plants or animals decomposer- an organism that eats dead matter predator- an animal that eats other animals prey- an animal that is eaten by another animal photosynthesis- the process through which plants make food, utilizing the energy from the sun energy- power gotten from food; needed to move, grow, reproduce food chain- pattern in which organisms eat or are eaten habitat- the natural area in which plants and animals are found Background Information: A pond is a still and shallow body of water that is smaller than a lake. It is a habitat, or home, for many different types of animals such as fish, frogs, birds, and insects. These animals co-exist in what is called a food chain. A food chain is a pattern of eating and being eaten. Energy is passed along the food chain from one organism to another as they are consumed. Energy is needed by living things in order to grow, move, and reproduce. Food chains start with plants.* Plants are known as producers because they can make their own food during photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, a plant uses the sun s energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates (food). Animals are known as consumers because they eat, or consume, plants and animals since they cannot make their own food. Animals that eat other animals are called predators. The animals that are eaten are their prey. When a plant or animal dies, organisms called decomposers break the dead matter into nutrients that plants can use, thus enabling the food chain to start again. *Note: Chemosynthetic bacteria do not need plants to start their food chain.

3 Procedures: * This unit is divided into several parts that are intended to be taught over the course of several days Part I - Begin by talking about a pond as a habitat or home for animals. What makes it a home? What makes a pond special/different from other habitats? - Brainstorm a list of animals that the students think would live in and around a pond. - Take the students to a local pond to record the animals they find in and around the water. If this is not possible, use pond books or the ExplorA- Pond website. - Compare the findings with their brainstorm list. What animals were different from their list? What animals didn t they find? Why? Were there any surprises? - Animals and plants can be documented with the digital camera for later use, if desired. Part II - Using the pond pictures from the attached sheet, talk about how these plants and animals live together in the pond. How do they interact? When students suggest one animal may eat another, talk about the food chain. Do they know what a food chain is? - Explain to the students that all animals belong to a food chain. A food chain is when one animal eats another animal or plant. Why do animals need to eat? (for energy) Why do we need energy? (to move, grow, and reproduce) - Attach the string or chain across the two chairs to form a clothesline. Secure to chairs with masking tape. Which picture do they think would come first in the pond food chain? Next? Construct the food chain in order (algae, snail, fish, bird, worm) with the clothespins attaching the pictures to the chain or string clothesline. (Do not add the sun) - Explain that all food chains start with plants. Plants are producers because they make their own food though photosynthesis. Where do plants get the energy to make their food?(sun) Add the sun picture to the clothesline.

4 - Where does the energy go next? (snail) How does the snail get the energy? (eats the plant) Can the snail make its own energy?(no) Since the snail cannot make its own energy, it is called a consumer. It has to eat something to get energy. What other things on the clothesline are consumers?(fish, bird, worm) How is a worm a different kind of consumer than the others? (it eats dead things) The worm is a decomposer because it eats dead matter. It then gives nutrients to the soil so the plants can use it. Part III - Using clothesline and pictures from Part II, review vocabulary words and information. Show students the crown and label it Energy. Ask them where energy comes from. Have a child stand behind the sun and wear the energy crown. Where does the energy go next?(plant) How? (through photosynthesis) Have child stand behind the snail picture and pass the crown to the next student. Continue passing the crown and discussing the flow of energy in a food chain. (Activity adapted from Baltimore Curriculum Project Lesson Plans website) - Ask children to think of other animals you could add to the pond food chain. Where would they go? Can they think of a food chain for a different habitat? (rainforest, ocean, savanna) - Break children into pairs or groups. Give them pictures of other plants and animals. Have them categorize the pictures into producers, consumers, and decomposers. Then they need to explain their choices for each category. - Have the students then make a food chain with their pictures. Have them explain the transfer of energy in their food chain. Have the students look at their food chains. Do they know what it is called when an animal eats another animal? (predator) What about the animal that is eaten?(prey) Explain the relationship of predator and prey. Collect the plant pictures. Have the students pair up the remaining pictures as a predator and its prey. Which is which? Why? Can they pair them up so the prey becomes the predator or vice versa? ( Larger groups or extra pictures may be necessary for this portion.)

5 Part IV - Utilizing their knowledge of habitats, food chains, and predator/ prey, the students will construct their own food chain picture. Distribute the blank food chain sheets. Have the children develop a pond food chain. (For children who need support, they can copy the food chain clothesline. For children who need an extra challenge, they can research or develop their own food chain for a different habitat). The students draw their plants and animals in the boxes (If extra boxes are needed, tape two sheets together) and then add details around the boxes to form the habitat. The sun is not intended to be drawn in the boxes, but as part of the scene. - Digital photos from the pond visit can also be used to develop the food chain. -Alternately, students can cut pictures of plants and animals from magazines and glue them in the boxes instead of drawing. Part V - Have students use the online review activity to review vocabulary or as a quiz. -Once the activity is done, the student is asked to write about the food chain. They can write about the pond food chain or their food chain from Part IV. Students can also compose a class description, or copy a predetermined explanation.