Name: ___________________________
Building a Food Web Assignment
Procedure
1. You will need to find the following pictures (from the internet, clipart, etc.) to include in your food web:
 8 different producers
 6 different primary consumers
 4 different secondary consumers
 2 different tertiary consumers
2. Include the sun, the source of energy, in your food web.
3. Place your producer pictures close to the sun.
4. Place the consumer pictures so that the feeding relationships are shown.
5. When you have correctly placed all of your pictures, add the arrows to your diagram (electronic or hand
drawn). Remember that arrows represent the flow of energy from one organism to another therefore
must be drawn in the proper direction.
6. In brackets under each organism, write its niche. An ecological niche is an organism’s role/position in
an ecosystem, for example, producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, etc.
Discussion - Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Draw three different food chains from your food web beginning with the sun and with arrows in the
proper direction. Beneath each organism write its trophic level in brackets.
2. Describe where the decomposers would fit into this food web and why.
3. Which organisms are the least numerous? Why? Be sure to include your knowledge of energy
pyramids in your answer.
4. What would happen to your food web community if:
a. all of the producers died? Explain.
b. all of the tertiary consumers died? Explain.
5. Which organisms are the most important in your food web? Explain your answer.
6. Food webs with greater biodiversity are stronger and more sustainable than food webs with less
biodiversity. Explain what is meant by this statement.
Evaluation Rubric
Application
Thinking
Communication
Level 1
- food web includes some of
the necessary organisms and
the sun
- some food web arrows are
drawn in the proper
direction and demonstrate a
limited understanding of
feeding relationships
- some organism’s niches
are correct
- makes limited connections
and analyzes food webs with
a limited degree of
understanding
- food web is not displayed
in a neat and orderly fashion
- there are many spelling
and/or grammar mistakes
- assignment shows minimal
effort
Level 2
- food web includes some of
the necessary organisms and
the sun
- most food web arrows are
drawn in the proper direction
and demonstrate some
understanding of feeding
relationships
- some organism’s niches are
correct
- makes some connections
and analyzes food webs with
a moderate degree of
understanding
- food web is displayed, to
some extent, in a neat and
orderly fashion
- there are many spelling
and/or grammar mistakes
- assignment shows limited
effort
Level 3
- food web includes most of
the necessary organisms and
the sun
- food web arrows are drawn
in the proper direction and
demonstrate a good
understanding of feeding
relationships
- most niches are correct
Level 4
- food web includes all
necessary organisms and the
sun
- food web arrows are drawn
in the proper direction and
demonstrate a thorough
understanding of feeding
relationships
- all niches are correct
- makes good connections and
analyzes food webs with a
significant degree of
understanding
- food web is displayed, for
the most part, in a neat and
orderly fashion
- there are few spelling and/or
grammar mistakes
- assignment shows good
effort
- makes thorough
connections and analyzes
food webs with a high degree
of understanding
- food web is displayed in a
neat and orderly fashion
- there are no spelling or
grammar mistakes
- assignment shows excellent
effort