Biology
Name__________________________________________ Per___ Date__________
Transferring Energy through a Food Web
Introduction:
One of the most important factors in the ecosystem is the flow of energy. Plants get energy from
the Sun, animals get energy from the plants, and animals get energy from other animals. Food
is the means by which energy is transferred from one organism to the next through the food
chain. This activity will allow you to study, quantitatively, how energy moves through a food web
model.
Procedure
1. You will receive a role card and a cup with some beans in it. The role card will tell you
the type of organism you are and what you eat to survive.
2. You will approach another student and reveal the identity of your organism. You will
exchange beans with the student based on the summary provided.
Situation
One eats another
How Beans are Exchanged
1. Eating organism takes 5 beans
from eaten organism
2. Eating organism puts 2 in the
“losses” box
No organism can eat
1. Each student places 1 bean in the
“losses” box
Phytoplankton (Diatoms/ Algae)
An organism loses all beans
1. Remove 10 beans from “Supply”
after each meeting
2. Put 1 in the “Losses” box after each
meeting
1. Withdraw from the game
3. At several stations in the classroom you will find that a large “supply” container of beans and
a large “losses” container. Take or give the allotted beans at each exchange. Note: You can
only take out beans from the “supply” container! You must not take any from the “losses”
container, even if the “supply” runs out! “Lost” beans go in the “losses” container (this includes
any beans that you find on the ground…you must place them in the “losses” container).
4. When the game is stopped by the teacher, count the number of beans and enter this number
in Your Data.
5. When you are done, record Your Data with the class and copy the Class Data Table on your
paper.
Your Data:
Organism Name
# of Beans at Start
# of Beans at Finish
What do you eat? _________________________________________________
Who eats you? ___________________________________________________
Biology
Name__________________________________________ Per___ Date__________
Class Data Table:
Organism Name
Number of
organisms
Number of Beans/
Organism
Total Beans
at Start
Total Beans at Finish
Algae
Diatoms
Shrimp
Copepod
Anchovy
Duck
Striped Bass
Sea Lion
Heron
Shark
Questions:
1. Which organism population finished with the most beans? _______________________
2. Which organism population finished with the least beans? ________________________
3. What do the beans represent?
_____________________________________
4. Complete the graph using the class data of Total Beans at Finish.
Biology
Name__________________________________________ Per___ Date__________
5. After looking at your data table and your graph, as well as other examples, what patterns do
you see?
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6. What is something that is confusing about your data? This could be a question you have.
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7. What does the “Supply” box represent in the real ecosystem? ________________________
8. The phytoplankton (Diatoms and Algae) are the only organisms that get beans from the
“Supply” box. Why?
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9. Why were all the organisms in the simulation required to place beans in the “Losses” box
after every meeting?
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10. Now refer back to the Class Data Table and Bar graph. Based on the number of beans
(energy) and the organisms’ behavior, let’s create some groups of organisms that seem to
be at the same “trophic level” (feeding level, meaning that they eat similar things for energy).
Trophic Level Totals
Group
(aka: “Trophic Level”
Which organisms
are included?
Total Beans at Start
(add them up for all
organisms in the
trophic level)
Total Beans at End
(add them up for all
organisms in the
trophic level)
Biology
Name__________________________________________ Per___ Date__________
11. Based on our discussion and the information in the “Trophic Level Totals” box, write your own
definition of trophic levels.
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12. Based on our data tables and bar graph, what can you conclude about the number of producers
and consumers needed to survive in an ecosystem?
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13. About how much (in percentage) of the energy is lost from trophic level to trophic level? ________
14. About how much energy (in percentage) goes to “life processes” (things like using energy for
movement, reproduction, etc.)? _________
15. KWEL organizer
K- After doing the quick write, and reading the
introduction to the lab, write down at least 3
things you know about food chains/webs and
energy flow.
W- What questions do you want to answer about
food chains/webs and energy flow?
Our “driving question” is:
E- After playing the bean game and collecting
data, what is some evidence you have about
energy flow? Be specific.
L- What have you learned through doing this
lab?
Biology
Name__________________________________________ Per___ Date__________
Phenomena:
Driving Question:
Constructs
Relationships
Explanation of phenomena: (On back or a separate piece of paper)
In your own words explain the phenomena (answer the driving question)
Please use complete thoughts and base your reasoning on the data and patterns form our
activity. You may include drawings. Include all the relationships in your explanation.
Biology
Name__________________________________________ Per___ Date__________
Driving Question:
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Biology
Name__________________________________________ Per___ Date__________
Challenge Question:
Why do the shark and heron end up with fewer beans (energy)? Justify your answer
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