PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS,
AND DECOMPOSERS
Science
Targets


I can tell whether an organism is a producer,
consumer or decomposer.
I can compare the roles of producers, consumers
and decomposers.
Do Now
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


Each table receives a bag with nine slips of paper
Each paper has the name of an organism
With your group members, decide a way to
organize them into three groups
Be prepared to share with the class
Organism

A form of life; a living thing
Categories
Producers
• Grass
• Flower
• Algae
•
•
•
•
Consumers
Decomposers
Cat
Cow
Fish
Bird
• Worm
• Mushroom
Procedure
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

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Choose one person from your group to gather materials
Gatherers each bring an organism back to your table
Every person receives a graphic organizer
You get 3 minutes to observe your organism
Complete your graphic organizer by writing the
organism name, what category it is, and your
observations of the organism
Rotate counterclockwise when 3 minutes is up
Brainstorm Definitions


Now that you have observed examples of
producers, consumers and decomposers, work with
your group to come up with a definition for each
category on the top of the backside of your
graphic organizer
Be prepared to share with the class
Define and Give Examples


On the bottom half of your graphic organizer copy
these definitions
Under each definition give one or two examples
other than the ones you observed in class
Define and Give Examples



Producers- an organism that produces food for
itself and other organisms
Consumer- an organism that gets its food from
eating other living things
Decomposer- an organism that breaks down other
living things to obtain nutrients and energy
Producer

An organism that produces its own food for itself
and others through photosynthesis
Consumer

An organism that gets its food from eating other
living things
Decomposer
Food Web



Everyone stands up in a big circle around the room
I will walk around and assign each of you an
organism
Your job is to tell me whether you think it is a
producer, consumer or decomposer
Final Worksheet


Please complete the Food Web worksheet and
hand it in to Miss Valerio
Great job!