Activity 2: Food Webs
6th Grade PSI Science
Teacher Notes
In this activity, students will use predator/prey information about organisms in an ecosystem to
create a food web for that ecosystem. Use your judgment as to whether your students are able
to do this activity individually, with a partner/small group or together as a class. Regardless of
how the students create the food web, all students should complete the activity questions
individually.
For grading, review the food web as a class. All points for this activity will be earned by
answering the activity questions.
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6th Grade PSI
Ecosystem Dynamics
Activity 2: Food Webs
Name ___________________________________
6th Grade PSI Science
Score: _____ / 14 points
Food webs are diagrams that show all the feeding interactions in an ecosystem. They help us to
see how an ecosystem is organized. They can also help us to understand why certain events
happen, such as an increase or decrease in a population, and to predict future events.
Use the information in the chart below to draw a food web for this desert ecosystem.
Organism
Prey/Food
Predator
Badger
Snakes, Squirrels, small
reptiles
Coyote
Bat
Insects
__
Coyote
Pronghorn, small reptiles,
badger
__
Insects
Sagebrush, prickly pear
cactus
Bats, small reptiles
Prickly Pear Cactus
__
Pronghorn, insects, squirrels
Pronghorn
Sagebrush, prickly pear
cactus
Coyote
Raptor
Small reptiles, snakes,
squirrels
__
Sagebrush
__
Pronghorn, insects, squirrels
Small reptiles
Insects
Raptors, coyotes, badger
Snakes
Squirrels
Badger, raptor
Squirrels/rodents
Sagebrush, prickly pear
cactus
Badger, raptor, snakes
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6th Grade PSI
Ecosystem Dynamics
Desert Food Web
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6th Grade PSI
Ecosystem Dynamics
1. What important group is not shown in this ecosystem’s food web? What role does this
group usually play?
2. Using three organisms from your food web, draw a food chain below:
3. Write an example of one organisms that fits each category below:
a. Primary producer:
b. Secondary consumer:
c. Herbivore:
d. Carnivore:
4. Describe what would happen to the insect population if the following events occurred?
a. Disease destroys the sagebrush, wildflower and cactus populations.
b. Habitat destruction forces the bats to migrate to a neighboring ecosystem.
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6th Grade PSI
Ecosystem Dynamics