Lesson Code (Course - Master Objective # - Benchmark # - Lesson # - #)
 Biology – 5-5-2-1 food webs
Title - Author
 Food Chains and Food Webs – Rhonda Cook
Benchmark/Expectation/Concept/Process/Skill
 5.2 Investigate and explain the transfer of energy in an ecosystem including food chains, food
webs, and food pyramids.
Relevant Goals
Show-Me
Process
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1.6
1.8
Show-Me
Science Content
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Missouri
Science G(C)LE(s)
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3
4.2.A: a
4.2.A: b.
4.2.B: a
SJSD
6
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National
(5-8, 9-12)
 C
Learning Path
Previous Learning
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4.1.A.a. Identify the biotic
factors (populations of
organisms) and abiotic
factors (e.g., quantity of light
and water, range of
temperatures, soil
composition) that make up an
ecosystem
4.2.A.a Diagram and
describe the transfer of
energy in an aquatic food
web and a land food web
with reference to producers,
consumers, decomposers,
scavengers, and
predator/prey relationships
Possible Misconceptions
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Teacher Notes
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Targeted Learning
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4.2.A: a. Illustrate and
describe the flow of energy
within a food web
4.2.A: b. Explain why there
are generally more producers
than consumers in an energy
pyramid
4.2.B: a. Explain the
processes involved in the
recycling of nitrogen,
oxygen, and carbon through
an ecosystem
Future Learning
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Engage: Engages the learner’s mind in the concept, process, or skill to be learned, and makes
connections between prior experiences and the current learning goals.
 Ask students to write down what they had to eat for the past 2-3 meals. Once students have
finished their lists, have them start naming off the various foods and list them on the board.
Break down the basic elements for foods such as lasagna (tomato sauce, meat, pasta) or tacos
(meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, cheese, salsa, and shell). Next group the various
items into like categories (meats, vegetables, dairy, etc.).
 Ask students where the different food items originally come from. Discuss what each of these
items (animal, vegetable, grain) needs in order to grow and live. Lead this to a discussion of the
energy cycle.
 View the presentation on the energy pyramid on the following website:
http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
 Discuss the basic elements of the food chain
 Introduce and discuss producers, consumers and decomposers.
 Discuss differences between carnivore, herbivore, omnivore
 Discuss autotrophs, heterotrophs, predators
 Discuss the different types of consumers: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary
 View the presentation on decomposers on the following website:
http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
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Formative Assessment(s):
Food Chain Worksheet
Match Each Food Chain Word to its Definition
Explore: Provides or creates a common experience for all learners and helps the teacher
identify the prior knowledge of each learning to build on. This stage allows time for the learner
to explore their ideas. This stage should be concrete and meaningful to the learner.
 Food Chain Quizzes
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http://www.countrysidefoundation.org.uk/resources/activities/Foodchain/foodchainquiz1.htm
http://www.countrysidefoundation.org.uk/resources/activities/Foodchain/foodchainquiz2.htm
Fun with Food Webs website: http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html
Discuss the basic definition of a food web
Formative Assessment(s):
Food Chain Quiz #1
Food Chain Quiz #2 Use as an alternate or re-teaching tool.
Food Web Worksheet
Explain: Allows the learner to construct an explanation (claim  evidence  reasoning). The
teacher provides information in common terms to increase the accuracy of the explanation.
 Students will create an 8 1/2 x 10 inch food chain poster containing a minimum of four organisms.
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Each food chain poster should include pictures of each of the plants or animals with its name written
next to it. Also, show the order of the food chain (the flow of energy) by drawing a line with an arrow
pointing to the next drawing in the food chain.
Students will then present their individual food chains to the class and explain their reasoning and
their flow of energy.
Using the following website, students can organize selected species into a food web and print off a
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copy:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorer/ecosystems/be_an_explorer/map/form_wildcats.htm#
Formative Assessment(s):
Food Chain poster-see above
Printed copy of a Food Web – see above
Elaborate: Pushes learner understanding, building on current understanding to increase the
depth and breadth of understanding. Allow the learner to extend and apply the concepts,
processes, or skills. Allows learner to experience new situations to apply to their learning.
 Discuss the difference between a food chain and a food web.
 Divide students into small groups and give each one a scenario of a food web. Then have some
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organism which is depleted or increased and have the students determine how the rest of the
immediate environment will be affected. Have each of the groups report their suppositions to the
class.
Have students go to http://www.eduweb.com/portfolio/earthsystems/food/foodweb4.html. They can
experiment by increasing or decreasing species at a pond to see the impact on the other species. They
can record their findings using the “Food Web of a Pond” worksheet.
Formative Assessment(s):
Food Chain Scenarios discussions
Food Web of a Pond worksheet
Evaluate: Provides and opportunity for the learner to assess their own understanding and be
able to demonstrate the depth and breadth of that understanding to others. Teacher assesses the
learner’s level of understanding and mastery.
 Summative Assessment(s):
 Food Chain Trophic Levels Worksheet: Students are to write organisms for each trophic level. Could
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also be used as a template for each student or pair of students to create a poster-size presentation using
pictures of various organisms.
Go to interconnected food chains under section 2 “Most food chains have no more than four or five
links” on the following website: http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
Students can design a food web using various species. The teacher can specify the number of food
chains required for the food web and the number of species needed for each food chain.
Food Chain Cloze Activity
Additional Resources:
 Text: Science Explorer: pp. 42-47
 Websites:
 Video:
 Attachments:
Teacher Review: Include date, course, and name of teacher.
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