Food Chains &
Life Cycles
How Living Things Get Energy and
Grow
Let's Remember!
Last Time: Animal Skeletons
Vertebrates have bone or cartilage
skeletons for protection and movement.
The Five Vertebrate Groups
Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and
mammals — each with unique skeletons.
Frame vs Shell Structures
Humans: frame (internal bones). Turtles:
shell (external cover).
Quick Quiz
1.
2.
3.
Name the five groups.
What does the skull protect?
Frame vs shell?
Vertebrate Structures Quiz
Question 1:
List the five vertebrate groups.
Question 2:
Name one function of the skull.
Question 3:
Explain the difference between a frame and shell structure using a human and a
turtle as examples.
Answers on the next slide...
Vertebrate Structures Quiz
✅
Answer 1:
The five vertebrate groups are fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Answer 2:
The skull protects the brain.
Answer 3:
A frame structure has internal support, like the human skeleton, while a shell
structure has external support, like a turtle's shell.
All Living Things Need Food
Why Food Matters
All living things need food for energy to
grow and survive.
Plants Make Food
Plants use sunlight, water, and air to
make food via photosynthesis.
Animals Eat Others
Animals eat plants or other animals for
energy.
Think: What gives you energy each day?
What Do Animals Eat?
Herbivores
Plant-eating
animals, such as
zebras and
goats.
Carnivores
Scavengers
Carnivores:
meat-eaters like
lions and eagles.
Animals that eat
dead animals,
like vultures and
hyenas.
Omnivores
Animals eating
plants and
animals, like
humans,
Meet the Decomposers
Nature’s Recyclers
Decomposers break down dead plants
and animals, returning nutrients to the
soil for new growth.
Fungi, bacteria, and insects like dung
beetles are key decomposers.
Why They Matter
Without them, dead matter would
accumulate and plants would lack
nutrients.
Fun Fact: Dung beetles are vital
decomposers in South Africa!
Key Vocabulary
Food Chain
A path showing
energy transfer
from plants to
other living
Energy
Decomposer
Energy for
growth,
movement, and
life flows
through food
chains.
An organism
that breaks
down dead
matter and
returns nutrients
to the soil.
Life Cycle
Life stages from
birth to
reproduction.
What Is a Food Chain?
A food chain shows energy flow: producers (plants) → animals. Energy moves
one way: sun → plants → animals.
Notice how each living thing eats the one before it. The arrow means 'is eaten by'.
So: plant → grasshopper means 'plant is eaten by grasshopper'.
Building a Food Chain
Start with a
Plant
Add a
Herbivore
Add a
Carnivore
Plants are
producers — they
make their own
food using
sunlight.
A plant-eater,
like a
grasshopper or
antelope, eats
the plant.
A meat-eater,
like a frog or
bird, eats the
herbivore.
Top Predator
A larger
carnivore, like a
snake, eats the
smaller one.
Food Web vs Food Chain
Food Chain
Energy path: grass → zebra → lion.
Food Web
Linked food chains; shows animals
eat multiple things, like birds eating
insects and seeds.
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Producers (Plants)
Start the chain. Use sunlight to make
food.
Examples: grass, trees, flowers.
They give energy to the next level.
Consumers (Animals)
Eat other living things.
Herbivores: grasshopper, zebra.
Carnivores: lion, hawk.
Omnivores: human, baboon.
Whats the right order? 🥚��
Answers on the next slide...
Put these organisms in the correct order from producer to top consumer in a
South African food chain.
Locust
Lizard
Hawk
Grass
✅
Whats the right order? 🥚��
Put these organisms in the correct order from producer to top consumer in a
South African food chain.
Grass
1.
Locust
2.
Lizard
3.
Hawk
4.
Before and After Decomposition
How decomposers turn dead leaves into rich soil for new plants.
Life Cycle of a Flowering Plant
Stages of a Plant’s Life
Seed
Germination
Growth
Reproduction
A seed waits in
soil for water
and warmth.
Seed sprouts:
roots down,
shoot up.
Plant grows
taller with leaves
to catch
sunlight.
Plant flowers,
makes seeds to
restart cycle.
Frog Life Cycle
Frog Life Stages
1
2
3
4
Eggs
Tadpoles
Juvenile
Adult
Frogs lay
jelly-like eggs in
water.
Tiny tailed
swimmers that
breathe
underwater.
Legs grow, tail
shrinks — ready
to hop on land.
Adult frog living
on land and
water, lays eggs.
Watch: Life Cycles and Food Chains
Get creative 🖼
Build Your Own South African
Food Chain
Draw or cut out pictures to create a
food chain using producer, consumer,
and decomposer. Don’t forget to
include a decomposer at the end to
recycle nutrients!
What you'll need: 🎨 🖌
Paper, Crayons, Scissors, Glue
What We’ve Learned
Big Ideas
All living things need energy from food.
Food chains show how energy moves from
plants to animals.
● Plants and animals have life cycles with
clear stages.
● Decomposers help recycle nutrients in
nature.
Now you can trace energy through nature and
understand how life grows and changes!
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