Dead Stuff: The Secret Ingredient In Our Food Chain

Here's a terrific video on "the brown food chain." Watch it and learn how pond scum and animal poop contribute enormous amounts of energy to our ecosystems.


Learn more by viewing the complete TED Ed lesson by John C. Moore.

What's Eating You? - Food Chains and Food Webs

A food chain shows the ways in which the organisms in an ecosystem interact with one another according to what they eat. When a series of food chains weave together in an ecosystem they are collectively known as a food web. While there are many good nonfiction books about food chains (just ask your school  librarian for some suggestions), I am partial to picture books and poetry on the subject. Here are some books and web resources that can support instruction in this area.

Books

Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Food Web. By Victoria Crenson. Illus. by Annie Cannon. 2009. 34p. Marshall Cavendish, (9780761455523). Gr. 2-5.
While mainly about a shoreline food web on the Delaware Bay, this book also does a fine job describing the life cycle of the horseshoe crab.  Horseshoe crab eggs serve as an important component of a web in which migrating shorebirds, fish, and other animals feed on the eggs. While these animals feed on the eggs, they are in turn eaten by predatory birds (herons and a falcon).

Pond Circle. By Besty Franco. Illus. by Stefano Vitale. 2009. 32p. Margaret K. McElderry, (9781416940210). Gr. 1-3.
Using a form that follows "The House that Jack Built," this rhyming text explores a food chain around the pond near a young girl's house. Here is an excerpt. "This is the frog / the loud bullfrog / that gobbled the beetle / that ate the nymph / that nibbled the algae / that grew in the water / that filled the pond / by Anna's house."

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard. By Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld. Illus. by Priscilla Lamont. 2012. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40p. (9780517709900). Gr. 2-5.

This book opens in the spring with a family of four (mom, dad, son, daughter) preparing to plant a garden. The soil is prepared, seeds are planted, and then watered. Narrated by Alice, the young girl in the story, readers are lead through the many stages of growth of in the garden. The two chickens, Maisy and Daisy, appear throughout the book and provide information on everything from composting, to the plant parts we eat, to food chains and food webs, and more.

The Story Goes On. By Aileen Fisher. Illus. by Mique Moriuchi. 2005. 32p. Roaring Brook Press, (9781596430372). Gr. preK-3.
This book begins with a seed, which sprouts and is then is eaten by a bug, which is grabbed by a frog, which is swallowed by a snake, and so on, and so on up the food chain. In the end, it's the decomposers that get to work on what remains.

Trout Are Made of Trees. By April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by Kate Endle. 2008. 32p. Charlesbridge Publishing, (9781580891370). Gr. 1-4.
What happens when leaves fall from a tree and land in a stream? "They ride in a rush above rocks and over rapids. They snag and settle soggily down." From here they become food for bacteria and a home for algae. They are further broken down by little critters, like crane flies, caddisflies, shrimp and stoneflies. These critters are eaten by predators. Guess where those leaves are now? When the predators are eaten by trout, the trout are made of trees.

Vulture View. By April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by Steve Jenkins. 2007. 32p. Henry Holt and Co., (9780805075571). Gr. K-3.
Scavengers and decomposers play a very important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. In helping to break down dead organisms, they are responsible for returning basic nutrients to the soil so that they may reenter the chain. In this book, we get a glimpse of the scavenging role that vultures play, along with some poetry and interesting facts about these oft maligned birds.

What's For Dinner?: Quirky, Squirmy Poems From the Animal World. By Katherine Hauth. Illus. by David Clark. 2011. 48p. Charlesbridge, (9781570914720). Gr. 2-5.
This collection of 29 poems examines what animals eat and are eaten by.  Not for the faint of heart, or squeamish, the poems provide a realistic, albeit humorous look at  the natural order of things. Included in the back matter is an explanation of some of the more difficult concepts and vocabulary (symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, etc.). Readers will also find includes information on the subjects of the poems.

Wolf Island. By Celia Godkin. Illus. by the author.  2006. 32p. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, (9781554550081). Gr. 3-6.
What happens when a top predator in well-balanced ecosystem disappears? This story highlights the changes that occur on an island after a family of wolves accidentally leave the island for the mainland. Without predators, there is nothing to keep the deer population in check. When it swells, the deer eat so much grass that rabbits and mice have fewer young. This results in less food for foxes and owls. This is a terrific resource for demonstrating how the balance of an ecosystem can easily be upset. It also does a fine job of explaining why the top predators in a food chain are so important.

Videos

Antarctic Ocean Food Web

This site contains a series of short videos that describe different organisms in an ocean food web. 

Energy Pyramid
This page includes a video that describes the energy pyramid in an ecosystem. It defines producers, herbivores, and carnivores. Once students review this information, they can learn more about energy pyramids of the forest, prairie, and ocean.

Scholastic StudyJams - Food Chains

Here's a video from Scholastic on food chains. Also includes links to key vocabulary and a "Test Yourself" feature.

Scholastic Study Jams - Food Webs

Here's a video from Scholastic on food webs. Also includes links to key vocabulary and a "Test Yourself" feature.

Wild Kratts: Up the Ocean Food Chain!

This short, entertaining video from PBS describes the organisms in a simple ocean food chain.

Web Sites
BBC Bitesize Science - Food Chains Activity

In this activity, kids try to discover the organism at the top of the food chain in a land and sea ecosystem. As the parts of the chain are filled in, information about the animals appears on the screen.

BrainPOP Jr. - Food Chain Lesson Ideas
This page includes background information on food chains and food webs, as well as ideas for teacher activities and family activities. Links to BrainPOP videos are included, but keep in mind that even though one video a day is free, these are generally available only to subscribers.

Chain Reaction - Build a Food Chain
After reading a bit about the organisms that make up the food chain, kids get to try building a chain that might be found in a forest or a northern ecosystem (think Arctic).

The Food Chain Game
Kids drag parts of the food chain into the correct position. Once the chain is complete (and correct), kids can watch it come to life and see the chain in action.

Food Chains
In this activity kids learn about various living things, sort them into different categories and discover where they fit into the food chain. Habitats explored include ocean, forest and desert.

My Science Box - Food Chains
In this food chain lesson, students review the concepts of food chains and the roles of organisms in a food chain through a sorting activity. Cards representing different organisms in a California ecosystem are first sorted by what they eat (herbivore, carnivore, etc.) and then are reordered to create several food chains.

Science NetLinks: Cycle of Life - Food Chain
This lesson focuses on the food chain by helping students understand that almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants and that the sun is the ultimate source of energy needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow.

For Teachers

Background Information from the VA SOL Curriculum Framework

Grade 3

• A food chain shows a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment.
• Terrestrial organisms are found on land habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and forests. Aquatic organisms are found in water habitats such as ponds, marshes, swamps, rivers, and oceans.
• A green plant makes its own food using sunlight, air, and water. Green plants are producers.
• A consumer is an animal that eats living organisms (plant or animal).
• Certain organisms break down decayed plants and animals into smaller pieces that can be used again by other living organisms. These organisms are decomposers.
• A food chain, which shows part of a food web, can have an animal that eats only plants (herbivore). It can have an animal that eats only other animals (carnivore). It can also have an animal that eats both plants and animals (omnivore).
• An animal can hunt other animals to get its food (predator). 
• An animal can be hunted by another animal for food (prey).

Grade 4

• Populations of species that live in the same place at the same time together make up a community.
• The organization of communities is based on the utilization of the energy from the sun within a given ecosystem. The greatest amount of energy in a community is in the producers.
• Within a community, organisms are dependent on the survival of other organisms. Energy is passed from one organism to another.
• All the populations and the nonliving components in an environment that interact with each other form an ecosystem.
• The sun’s energy cycles through ecosystems from producers through consumers and back into the nutrient pool through decomposers.

Grade 5

• Plankton are tiny free-floating organisms that live in water. Plankton may be animal-like or plant-like. Animal-like plankton are called zooplankton. Plant-like plankton (phytoplankton) carry out most of the photosynthesis on Earth. Therefore, they provide much of Earth’s oxygen. Phytoplankton form the base of the ocean food web. Plankton flourish in areas where nutrient-rich water upwells from the deep.
  

STEM Friday - Secrets of the Garden

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard, written by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont, is a fine example of informational picture book that works on many levels. It is gorgeously illustrated, interestingly told, and chock full of science.

Let's start with the actual story. It opens in the spring with a family of four (mom, dad, son, daughter)—five if you count the cat, and seven if you count their amazingly smart chickens—preparing to plant a garden. The soil is prepared, seeds are planted, and then watered. Narrated by Alice, the young girl in the story, her observations and wonderings immediately set the stage for the science that is to come. Here's an excerpt.

I try to imagine what's going on under that soil. Are our seeds alive and growing? Every morning we hurry out of bed and check to see if anything has sprouted. But days go by and still our garden looks like an empty patch of brown.

Alice leads readers through the many stages of growth of in the garden, spending time closely observing everything that unfolds. She spots a rabbit munching on the vegetables, a hawk swooping down and snatching an unsuspecting grasshopper, many insects eating plants or other insects, and a robin capturing and eating an earthworm. As fall arrives, the vegetables are harvested and many are put up for the winter.

Complementing the story are Lamont's beautifully rendered pen and watercolor illustrations. There is a tremendous amount of detail in them, giving readers much to look for. In addition to the main illustrations that support and help to tell the story, there are small boxes and bits of informational drawings and text scattered throughout. 

While the CIP data for the book indicate that this is fiction, there is a TON of information in it. First, there are two chickens, Maisy and Daisy, who appear throughout the book and provide information on everything from composting, to the plant parts we eat, to food chains and food webs, and more. There are also speech balloons where the characters describe what they are seeing. All the concepts in the text are explained in kid-friendly, highly accessible language. One of my favorite illustrations in the book is nothing more than a rendering of worm trails in the soil. However, the trails are filled with worms and information! Here's what you'll read and learn when you follow the trails and turn the book upside down and around.

Worms are a special part of the food chain. When plants die, they fall to the ground and begin to rot. The worms eat the rotting plants. As the worms tunnel around, they leave digested plant matter behind in the soil. The digested plant matter returns important nutrients to the soil. The worms also loosen up the soil as they tunnel. Then water and air get down to the plants' roots more easily. Worms help the plants grow.

Near the end of the book, Alice describes her home and compares it to their summer home, the garden.  She explains that while only their family lives in their wooden home (house), their garden home includes others, like rabbits, birds, spiders, and beetles. One the opposing page, one of the chickens reads from a book that defines ecology. In the speech bubble we read these words.

Ecology is the study of all the living things in one area, or environment, and how the relate to teach other. The word "ecology" comes from the Greek word oikos, which means "house" or "home." Any living thing's environment is its home.

There is so much to love in this book, from the simple story of a family living and working together to tend the garden, to thoughtfully integrated science, to the lovely illustrations. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Book: Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard

Author:  Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld 
Illustrator: Priscilla Lamont
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 2012
Pages: 40 pages
Grades: K-5
ISBN:  978-0517709900
Source of Book: Personal copy

This review was written for STEM Friday. 

Unit Resource Portfolio: Food Chains

A food chain shows how each living thing gets food, and how nutrients are passed from creature to creature. Food chain begin with plant-life, and end with animal-life.

Virginia Standards of Learning
Science SOL 3.5, The student will investigate and understand relationships among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include:
a) producer, consumer, decomposer;
b) herbivore, carnivore, omnivore; and
c) predator and prey.

Background Information

• A food chain shows a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment.
  
• Terrestrial organisms are found on land habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and forests. Aquatic organisms are found in water habitats such as ponds, marshes, rivers, and oceans.
• A green plant makes its own food using sunlight, air, and water. Green plants are producers.
• A consumer is an animal that eats living organisms (plant or animal).
• Certain organisms break down decayed plants and animals into smaller pieces that can be used again by other living organisms. These organisms are decomposers.
• A food chain, which shows part of a food web, can have an animal that eats only plants (herbivores). It can have an animal that eats only other animals (carnivore). It can also have an animal that eats both plants and animals (omnivore).
• An animal can hunt other animals to get its food (predator).
• An animal can be hunted by another animal for food (prey).

Vocabulary
In order to successfully complete this unit, students will need to have mastered the following vocabulary words: decomposer, producer, consumers, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, predator, and prey.

Day 1: Introduction to Food Chains

Objective
Students will: identify that a food chain shows a food relationship among plants and animals.

Introduce the concept of a food chain by asking students if they have ever heard of the term "food chain". As a class, fill out the "K" column of a KWL chart (both on the board and in student's Science notebook) by asking students what they already know about food chains. Next, read the book Trout Are Made of Trees by April Sayre. Follow up by asking questions such as: How are trout and trees connected? Do animals and plants depend on each other? Next, explain to students that we are going to learn how all animals and plants are connected through a process called a food chain. Have students watch the following food chain video. Once the video is over, fill out the "W" column on the KWL chart with the students. After students have listed several ideas, explain to students that we are going to be spending the next two weeks learning about food chains.

Day 2: Online Scavenger Hunt

Objective
Students will: identify and define the different terms associated with food chains.
create a foldable using the terms producer, consumer, decomposer.

Read the book Hey Diddle, Diddle: A Food Chain Tale by Pam Kapchinske. Have students recall yesterday's lesson by reviewing the KWL chart in their Science notebook. Explain to students that they are going to go on an "Online Scavenger Hunt". With the following sites, have students define the following terms in their Science notebooks: producer, consumer, decomposers, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, prey, predators, decomposers, producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers. Once students have finished the scavenger hunt, draw a pyramid on the board. Explain to students that we are going to fill out different levels of this pyramid by using the following site: Food Chains. As a class, fill out the pyramid. To close the lesson, return to the book Hey Diddle, Diddle: A Food Chain Tale. As a class, identify the different producers and consumers in the book. Using their notes from the scavenger hunt, follow up by having students create a producer, consumer, decomposer foldable.


Day 3: Test Your Knowledge!

Objective
Students will: test their knowledge on food chains by playing several food chain games.
create a foldable using the terms carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore.

As a class, review the terms from Day 2's scavenger hunt. Be sure to emphasize the different vocabulary words students identified yesterday. Create a shutter foldable using the terms carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore. Next, explain to students that they are going to test their knowledge on food chains by playing some food chains games with a partner. Have students partner up and play the following games: Chain Reaction, Food Chain Interactive Movie Game, and National Geographic Food Chain Quiz. As students play the games, remind them to keep notes and results in their Science notebook.

Day 4: Food Chain Snapshot

Objective
The student will: identify the different components that make up a food chain (decomposer, producer, consumer).

Read Pond Circle by Betsy Franco. Review the terms that relate to food chains. Make sure students identify who was at the "top" and "bottom" of the food chains. Next, have students play the interactive game Food Chain Snapshot. Remind students to takes notes of the game in their Science notebook. Once students have finished the game, have them return to their seats to review. Ask students what animals they took pictures of in the Food Chain Snapshot game. Write down the animals as student share. Be sure to include all eight different animals from the Food Chain Snapshot game. Once students have finished sharing, conduct an informal poll by asking students the following questions: What are the producers/consumers/decomposers. Conduct the poll and review results with the students. If the results are not unanimous, have students defend their answers.

Day 5: Different Animals Means Different Food Chains

Objective
The students will: create a foldable to understand the concept that different animals mean different food chains.

Ask students what kind of animals we find here in Virginia. List them on the board. Ask students if we have camels in Virginia? Lions (etc.)? Explain to students that there are different animals all over the world. To help enforce the idea create a hot dog booklet highlighting different food chains from a forest in Virginia, the Ocean, and a desert.



Day 6: Food Chains Around the World

Objective
The students will: identify different types of food chains in different biomes.

Remind students that there are different types of food chains, because there are different types of animals around the world. In pairs or groups, have students look at the following food chains from the following places, using the following sites: coniferous forest, deciduous forest, desert, ocean, and temperate. Have students take notes about each food chain in their Science notebook. One students are finished have them return to their seats. Next, ask students to list the five different food chains they looked at from around the world (students may use their notes). As students list the different food chain locations, write them on the board. Next, have individual students come up and write an animal that is located in one of the different food chain location. Once completed, ask students which living thing would be at the beginning of the food chain for each of the locations. Conduct an informal poll. Remind students that no matter where a food chain is located, it will most likely always begin with a green plant.

Day 7: Components of A Food Chain

Objective
The student will: create an accurate food chain using pictures.
label each component of the food chain.

On the SmartBoard, display the images of a mushroom, flower, grasshopper, raccoon, and a hawk. Together as a class, move the images around to create an accurate food chain (mess up a few times so students can correct you). Once you have completed an accurate food chain, as a class, label each component of the food chain (decomposer, producer, consumer, etc.) Once you have finished, explain to students that they are going to make their own food chain using the website Create A Food Chain. Have students pair up and create their own food chain using the site. Also, have students draw and label the food chain they create in their Science notebook.


Day 8: Make Your Own Food Chain!

Objective
The student will: apply their knowledge of food chains to create their own food chain.
physically create their own food chain using magazine images and yarn.

With a partner, have students share the food chain they created the day before with a partner. Next, explain to student that they are going to create their own food chain using magazines, markers, and crayons. Have students create their own food chain using pictures/drawings and yarn. As students create their food chains, make sure they label each component of their food chain. Once students have completed their food chain, individually call students up front to show their food chain to the class. While each child shows their food chain, call on the rest of the class to identify each component of the food chain.

Day 9: Let's Make A Food Web!

Objective
The student will: create a food web by combining food chains with other students.

Read to students Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Food Web by Pam Kapchinske. Follow up by asking students the following questions: What were some of the animal in the story? Was there just one food chain in this story? What is it called when many different food chains connect together? Explain to students that they are now going to see how they will use their food chain they made yesterday to create something even bigger, a food web! Have students meet with partners and pass out each group a poster board and some yarn. Explain to students how to connect their food chains together to make a food web. Have students work on creating their food web.

Day 10: Closure

Objective
The student will: identify and label different components of a food web.
apply knowledge of food chains to a formal assessment.

Have students add the finish touches to their food web. Make sure that students identify the different components of their food chain and food web. Once each group has finished, individually call each group to the front to display their food chain. Have each group identify which food chain was their own and explain how they connected it with their partner's food chains. As a pre-assessment quiz, have the rest of the class identify the different components of each web. Also, make sure students identify which animals are either prey or predators. Finish up the unit by having students complete the Food Chain Assessment. Answer Key.

Additional Resources

Butternut Hollow Pond. By Brian J. Heinz. Illus. by Bob Marshall. 2005. 32p. First Avenue Editions, (9780822559931). Gr. 2-6.
Using beautiful watercolors, this book illustrates to students how animals depend on each other. The book takes place during one full day at a pond.

Decomposers in the Food Chain. By Alice B. McGinty. Photo. by Dwight Kugn. 2002. 24p. PowerKids Press, (9780823957578). Gr. 1-4.
This is book is great because it focuses solely on the importance of decomposers in the food chain cycle.

Hey Diddle Diddle: A Food Chain Tale. By Pam Kapchinske. Illus. by Sherry Rogers. 2011. 32p. Sylvan Dell Publishing, (9781607181309). Gr. 2-5
Using the tune from the rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle”, this book gives numerous examples of different food chains in nature. With fun pictures and a catchy tune, this is a great book for children.

Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Food Web. By Victoria Crenson. Illus. by Annie Cannon. 2009. 34p. Marshall Cavendish Copr/Ccb, (9780761455523). Gr. 2-6.
This book discusses food chains and food webs on the coast. This book has great illustrations and is very useful for teaching about food chains and food webs.

The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book About Food Chains. By Pat Relf. Illus. by Carolyn Bracken. 1996. 32p. Scholastic Paperbacks, (9780590484145). Gr. 2-4.
In this book, Ms. Frizzle takes the students on a food chain adventure. Using their school bus as a vehicle, the class drives into the ocean in search of food chain knowledge.

The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets Behind What You Eat.
By Michael Pollan. 2009. 352p. Dial, (9780803725001). Gr. 3-6.
This is a great book to use when teaching about carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores because it makes a real life connection for students.

Pleased to Eat You. By Sydnie Meltzer Kleinhenz. Illustrated by Beth Griffis Johnson. 2003. 32p. Millbrook Press, (9780761318279). Gr. 1-3.
This easy reader is great for students to read themselves! Following a young girl, this book tells the stories of food chains. Better yet, this book also has great facts at the end to further educate students on food chains.

Pond Circle. By Betsy Franco. Illus. by Stefano Vitale. 2009. 32p. Margaret K. McElderry, (9781416940210). Gr. 2-5
With amazing illustrations and a rhythmic flow, this book is great to use when introducing the concept of food chains. This book is great in that it also provides additional information about each animal from the story.

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard. By Kathleen W. Zoehfeld. Illus. by Priscilla Lamont. 2012. 40p. Knopf Books for Young Readers, (9780517709902). Gr. 2-4.
A brand new book about food chain hitting shelves this spring! This book discusses food chains and food webs that we would find in our own backyards.

Trout Are Made of Trees. By April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by Kate Endle. 2008. 32p. Charlesbridge Publishing, (9781580891387). Gr. 2-4
This is a great book to use when teaching food chains because it shows students how plants are an extremely important component of food chains. Readers learn that leaves fall into streams and decompose into food for fish, beginning a food chain cycle.

Unit Resource Portfolio: Food Chains

This portfolio provides 10 instructional plans for 3rd graders based on the topic food chains. Primarily, it will focus on 3.5 of the SOL . Additionally, it will also make some connections with 3.4: animal adaptations and with 3.6: ecosystems. This project focuses on the types of relationships among living organisms and their dependence on each other for survival. The strand focuses on the life processes of plants and animals and the specific needs of each. The major topics developed in the strand include the basic needs and life processes of organisms, their physical characteristics, behavioral and physical adaptations, and survival and perpetuation of species.

The first section is the instructional plans where the unit is exposed. The unit is organized in chronological and logical order as a model or guide to teach these contents. Each day will first provide the objectives planned to be reached in that class and secondly, a sequence section where one can find the instructional procedure for that lesson plan. In this second section, an introduction activity to review content or to create background knowledge is given, followed by the activity of the day where students will actually learn new contents. Finally, a possible closure for that day is offered where the whole class is intended to revise the topic. Some of the resources suggested are going to be books, web sites, premade lesson plans and assessments with their assigned answer keys. All of them will have a link where one can visualize the information and download files if necessary.

On the other hand, the rest of the sections are mostly focused in providing sources where materials and ideas can be taken. The majority of these resources are included and used in the instructional plans. The second section is on foldables offering 3 different models with different contents used. Each model has its own instructions and photos to follow the step by step. The third section is on literature connections where a list of 10 tittles are provided. These books include both fiction and non fiction and have different reading levels. Most of them are also used in different lessons. The forth one, has web resources offering games, instructional contents and videos where students can learn and apply knowledge. Finally, the fifth section provides some sample assessments for testing the contents taught in this unit. Some of them are taken from internet, from the SOL or they where created and uploaded. All of them, provide answer keys.

Standards of Learning:

3.5 The student will investigate and understand relationships among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains.
Key concepts include:

• producer, consumer, decomposer;
  
• herbivore, carnivore, omnivore; and
  
• predator and prey.

Background information:

• A food chain shows a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment.
• Terrestrial organisms are found on land habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and forests. Aquatic organisms are found in water habitats such as ponds, marshes, swamps, rivers, and oceans.
• A green plant makes its own food using sunlight, air, and water. Green plants are producers.
• A consumer is an animal that eats living organisms (plant or animal).
• Certain organisms break down decayed plants and animals into smaller pieces that can be used again by other living organisms. These organisms are decomposers.
• A food chain, which shows part of a food web, can have an animal that eats only plants (herbivore). It can have an animal that eats only other animals (carnivore). It can also have an animal that eats both plants and animals (omnivore).
• An animal can hunt other animals to get its food (predator).
  
• An animal can be hunted by another animal for food (prey).
  

3.4 The student will investigate and understand that adaptations allow animals to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.

Key concepts include:

• behavioral adaptations; and
• physical adaptations.

Background Information:

• In order to survive, animals act in different ways to gather and store food, find shelter, defend themselves, and rear their young.
• Physical adaptations help animals survive in their environment (e.g., camouflage, mimicry).
• Various animals possess adaptations which help them blend into their environments to protect themselves from enemies (camouflage). Camouflage is the means by which animals escape the notice of predators, usually because of a resemblance to their surroundings using coloration or outer coverage patterns.
• Mimicry occurs when a species has features similar to another species. Either one or both are protected when a third species cannot tell them apart. (Mimicry happens in both animal and plant species.) Some animals look like other animals to avoid being eaten (mimicry). This adaptation helps protect them from their predators. (For example, the viceroy butterfly tastes good to birds, but the monarch butterfly tastes bad. Because the viceroy looks like the monarch butterfly, it is safer from predators.) Mimicry can also occur as mimicked behaviors, mimicked sounds, or mimicked scents.
• Some animals are born with natural behaviors that they need in order to survive in their environments (instincts). These behaviors are not learned but are instinctive, such as a beaver building a dam or a spider spinning a web.
• Some behaviors need to be taught in order for the animal to survive, such as a bear cub learning to hunt (learned behavior).
  

3.6 The student will investigate and understand that ecosystems support a diversity of plants and animals that share limited resources.

Key concepts include:

• aquatic ecosystems;
• terrestrial ecosystems;
• populations and communities; and
• the human role in conserving limited resources.

Background Information:

• Water-related ecosystems include those with fresh water or salt water. Examples include ponds, marshes, swamps, streams, rivers, and oceans.
• Dry-land ecosystems include deserts, grasslands, rain forests, and forests.
• A community is all of the populations that live together in the same place. An example of a dry-land community would be a forest made up of trees, squirrels, worms, rabbits, and hawks. An example of a water- related community would be an ocean made up of fish, crabs, and seaweed.
• Organisms compete for the limited resources in their specific ecosystem.
• Humans need to help conserve limited resources

Vocabulary:

3.5 Food Chain:

• Food Chain: shows a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment
• Producer: an organism that makes its own food, these organisms are green plants.
• Photosynthesis: the process by which plants produce their own food.
  
• Consumer: an animal that eats other organisms (plants or animals)
• Omnivore: an animal whose diet consists of both animals and plants.
• Carnivore: an animal whose diet consists of other animals
• Herbivore: an animal whose diet consists on plants
• Decomposer:an organism that decay plants and animals into smaller pieces that can be used again by other living organisms (plants)
• Prey: an animal that is hunted by another animal for food
  
• Predator: an animal that hunt other animals to get its food

3.4 Animal Adaptations:

• Adaptation: a physical or behavior that helps an animal meet its needs in its environment.
• Camouflage: an animal's color or pattern that helps it blend in with its surroundings.
  
• Mimicry: an adaptation in which an animal looks very much like another animal or object.
  

3.6 Ecosystems:

• Habitat: place where an animal or plant naturally lives or grows and that provides the food, shelter, moisture, light air and protection the plants and animals need to survive.
• Environment: the things, both living and nonliving, that surround a living thing.
• Ecosystem: groups of living things and the environment they live in.
  
• Community: all of the populations that live together in the same place.
• Population: a group of the same species living in the same place at the same time.
  

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN

Day 1: Introduction to food chain
Objectives:

• Incorporate the concept of food chain: a food chain shows a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment
• Identify sequence of feeding relationship in a food chain
• Identify some examples of food chains.

Sequence:
Prepare a food chain in index cards (each member of the food chain in a different card). Have students volunteer for the activity and give each one a selected card. To the whole class, ask: how do these things fit together? Brainstorm the ideas. Then, explain that these elements relate making a food chain. Introduce the concept of food chain as a chain that shows a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific environment. This is a sequence of organisms that give energy to one another.
To continue, give some examples of food chains for students to discuss and understand the idea of energy passing through the different elements of the food chain rather than eating one another. Exercise this by reading each example of food chain as this example: "the sun gives energy to the grass, which gives energy to the mouse, which gives energy to the owl" or " the owl gets energy from the mouse, which gets energy from the grass, which gets energy from the sun".
Activity: Divide students into groups and give each group an example of a food chain of the following list and ask them to make a drama that represents the food chain and how the energy flows from one organisms to another. Each group will act their drama in front of the class. Once the representations are finished, ask students to draw in their notebooks the food chains asking to draw arrows between organisms that show the relationship between them. Again, emphasize the idea that the arrows tells what organism give its energy to the next member of the food chain. Review the way they should read them.
Finally, explain that a food chain is formed by different elements: producer, consumer and decomposer. Ask the students to try to identify in their own food chains the function of each member. Tell them that through the unit they will be learning each part of the food chain.

Day 2: Producers

Objectives:

• Identify that a producer is an organism that makes its own food, these organisms are green plants.
• Identify that most food chains begin with a green plant
• Incorporate the idea that photosynthesis is the process by which plants make their own food.
• Identify the elements needed for photosynthesis.

Sequence:
For the introduction, share the answers from the previous class where they try to identify the function of each member of the food chain. Ask students what do they think is the function of a producer in the food chain. Also ask them: What do plants eat?
Read the book "Living Sunlight, how plants bring the earth to life". Share and discuss as a class the role and importance of plants. Explain simply how plants make their own food identifying the necessary ingredient for photosynthesis: water, sun, CO2. Show them that as a result of the combination of those ingredients, plants make sugar, plant's food, and give O2 to the environment which we need to breath. Infer that the sugar plants make is the energy that will flow from one organism to another through the food chain.
Activity: Complete the Photosynthesis recipe.


Day 3: Consumers
Objectives:

• Identify that a consumer is an animal that eats other organisms (plants or animals)
• Assimilate the concepts of herbivore, omnivore and carnivore
• Identify different types of consumers between herbivore, omnivore and carnivore.

Sequence:
Ask the students, what is a consumer? Depending on what is offered, complete explaining that a consumer is an animal that eats other organisms which can be other animals or plants. Emphasize the idea that a consumer need to look for their food and relay on other organisms to obtain food.
As an activity to introduce the difference between consumers, ask the students to share what they had for dinner the day before, the teacher should write in the blackboard what they offer. Then, make them classify the food into groups; the idea is to get a group of vegetables, a group of animals or meat and a combo. Tell the students there is a scientific word for these 3 groups: Herbivore, carnivore and omnivore. Explain that this classification is the same that we use to to to categorize the different types of consumers. Explain the 3 concepts: herbivore: an animal whose diet consists on plants, carnivore: an animal whose diet consists of other animals, and omnivore: an animal whose diet consists of both animals and plants.
Activity: go to the computer lab. Make students read the information on the consumer's diets. be sure they read the information in the 3 categories: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores Then, make them play the game "animal diet" where they will classify animals into the different 3 categories (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore).

Day 4: Consumers
Objectives:

• Assimilate the concepts of herbivore, omnivore and carnivore
• Identify different types of consumers between herbivore, omnivore and carnivore.
• Make a foldable that represent these concepts.
  

Sequence:
Revise the previous lessons by asking some of the following questions:

• what can a consumer eat? (plants, animals, both)
• what is a consumer? (an animal that eats other organisms plans or animals)
• what is the name for an animal that eat meat? (carnivore)
• what is the name for an animal that eat plants? (herbivore)
• what is the name for an animal that eat plants and meat? (omnivore)
• what kind of consumer is the human? (omnivore)

Activity: explain to the students that they will be making a foldable that shows the different types of diets that a consumer can have. For that, first they will have to make a research on the topic. Provide different materials such as magazines, books, websites etc on animals and its diets. Ask students then, to investigate each group (herbivore, carnivore and omnivore) by getting information and pictures of them in order to be able to make the foldable and use that data. The foldable will have to include images of animals, food they eat and inferences on similar characteristics they can find among animals that belong to the same category.
To conlude, share as a class their foldables and discuss as a class specifically the characteristics they find in common among the animals of each group. Some examples that should appear are:

• carnivores: are good hunters, move quickly, have strong limbs for grabbing and holding, strong sharp teeth for tearing.
• herbivores: have flatter teeth for chewing plants, they don't usually move as fast as carnivores because they don't hunt.
• omnivores: have some traits from both plant eaters and meat eaters.

Day 5 : Decomposer
Objectives:

• Identify that a decomposer is an organism that decay plants and animals into smaller pieces that can be used again by other living organisms (plants)
  
• Identify examples of decomposers.

Sequence:
Tell the students today they are going to learn about the last member of the food chain. Review information on the functions of producer and consumer. Then, ask, what is the 3rd member of a food chain? Ask students what they know about decomposers. To complete the discussion and to correct some misunderstandings or misconceptions read as a class "Rotten Logs and Forest Fogs". Ask students to say in a think per share thoughts and feelings the reading triggered. Conclude the explanation by defining decomposers as organisms that decay plants and animals into smaller pieces that can be used again by other living organisms (plants). Show them that they are considered to be a special class of consumers that are distinguished from other consumers because their food consists of dead bodies as well as the solid and liquid wastes from consumers. Emphasize should be in showing that decomposers return matter to the living world, this matter is what plants tale in as nutrients. For that reason, decomposers play a very important role in material cycles.
Activity: go to the computer lab and give time for students to search through this decomposer website. Ask them to investigate, find characteristics, their job and role. There is also an interesting interview to a worm they could read. They should make a deep research because the following day they will be exploring a decomposer habitat. They should take down notes in their notebooks about new facts they learn. Some of the following questions can be used to guide this web investigation:

• what new facts did you find about these kind of organisms, decomposers?
• what did you learn about decomposers?
• what surprised you most? why?
• what do you think now about decomposers? did you change your mind? If so, what did you previously think?

If not, you can use this KWLI chart to be completed. (NOTE: you will have to sign up but they will just ask you for you email, it's free)

To conclude, as a class review what they have learned by sharing their answers written in their notebooks.

Day 6: Explore Decomposer
Objectives:

• Identify that a decomposer is an organism that decay plants and animals into smaller pieces that can be used again by other living organisms (plants)
  
• Identify examples of decomposers.
• Make observation of a decomposer environment identifying examples of different types of them and relationships between them and their surroundings.

Sequence:
Tell the students that today they are going to explore a decomposer's environment. Explain the activity and safety rules before going outside. Divide the students into groups and give each group all the materials needed and the assigned worksheet.
Activity: The activity is called "Fallen Fog" and is found in page 6 of the PDF, the worksheet is after the activity. I personally, would add to this activity some drawings of the student's observations during the completion of the worksheet.
To conclude, when you return back to the class, share the answers of the assigned worksheet and ask the students to offer their experience as explorers in order to enrich one from another.

Day 7: Food Chain: predator and prey
Objectives:

• Differentiate between predators and prey.
  
• Incorporate the following concepts: prey: an animal that is hunted by another animal for food and Predator: an animal that hunt other animals to get its food
• Identify sequences of feeding relationships in a food chain.

Sequence:
Review the contents taught so far regarding consumers, producers and decomposers. For this, students can play a food chain game where they will have to categorize the different organisms according to the role they play. The difficulty between food chains will increase. They can first read the page on "bigger food chains" before start playing as a review. (the game is found in the left upside).
Once they had captured the idea of sequence of feeding relationships in a food chain introduce the concepts of predator and prey. For this, first make them realize that food chains can be really long, they may include a wide variety of organisms. So, we can find more than one consumer. As a consequence, make them infer that one animal eats another one by asking them: what happens then between consumers? Ask if they know the scientific name for the organism that is eaten and for the animal how actually eats another one. Finally explain the difference between both concepts.
Activity: After this explanation provide some books and material for students to investigate the topic. Divide the class into smaller groups and ask them to explore and examine the material given in order to complete a Predator-Prey Worksheet. To conclude, share the answers on the worksheet and ask students to offer some feelings and thoughts on the investigation they made.

Books suggested: How animals eat - Animal Camouflage in the Ocean - Where in the wild? - Counting in the Oceans - Counting in the tundra - Counting in the rain forest.


Day 8: Food Chain in Habitat
Objectives:

• Incorporate the concept Habitat as a place where an animal or plant naturally lives or grows which provides food, shelter, moisture, light, air and protection the plants or animals need to survive.
• Identify examples of food chains in an aquatic ecosystem and classify them.
  
• Infer how organisms interact with each other in their habitat by assimilating the concept of food chain as a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment

Sequence:
Ask the students to give a definition of Food chain from all what they have been learning so far. Brainstorm their ideas and conclude by giving the following definition: food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment. Make sure they get the idea that a food chain represent the a way in which animals and plant that live in a same place interact with each other. Ask the students some of the following question to introduce the concept habitat: What things do plants and animals need to live? ask and discuss what is an habitat and its elements and define habitat as a place where an animal or plant naturally lives or grows which provides food, shelter, moisture, light, air and protection the plants or animals need to survive. Make sure they understand and infer that a specific food chain will be created for every specific habitat.
Activity: Analyzing Food Chains in an Aquarium Habitat. Divide the students into groups and give each one an aquarium to analyze. The aquarium should have a sand ground, some aquatic plants such as elodeas or eel-grass, ans some fishes make sure you have some small ones and some bigger ones that can eat the smaller ones. Hand out the worksheet for this activity so students record their answers there. Help students to see and identify this aquarium as an habitat for the fishes and plants that live there. Give enough time for observations.
To finish, share the answers and revise the contents taught.

Day 9: Food Chain in Habitats Objectives:

• Incorporate the concept Habitat as a place where an animal or plant naturally lives or grows which provides food, shelter, moisture, light, air and protection the plants or animals need to survive.
• Identify examples of food chains in different ecosystem and classify them.
  
• Infer how organisms interact with each other in their habitat by assimilating the concept of food chain as a food relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment.
• Make a foldable that represent all of the above.
  

Sequence:
To continue with the contents taught the previous class go to the computer lab and make students play the following games in order to identify and build different food chains in different environments, incorporating the idea that in every specific place, there is a specific food chain. Talk about this after playing the games.
Activity: Foldable. Instruct students how to make the foldable. They should choose a specific environment and its food chain and represent it in the foldable. Teacher should offer materials and examples of food chains with books or internet sources. Each member of the food chain should be classified. To finish, ask students to explain the food chain they have made in a think per share to a classmate.

Day 10: Food chain awareness Objectives:

• Assimilate that a change in a part of a food chain might affect the rest of the food chain. Identify consequences.
• Review contents taught during the whole unit.

Sequence:
To review all the contents given through the unit and to make students aware of the importance of taking care of the environment make students watch this instructional video and make afterwards the quiz offered. Then, as a class discuss the importance of respecting each ecosystem trying not to break down or disturb the natural way it works and flows. Show students how animals and plants depend on each other. Talk and give examples of first, second and third level consumers. Then ask students if they would have to organize a food chain regarding producers and 1st, 2nd and 3rd consumers in a pyramid how they would do it, what they would put in the base and what at the top? Then, infer the importance of having more producers than consumers showing how we need more life forms in the lower levels than in the upper levels because without this delicate balance, the pyramid would collapse and fall. If you can, show this with an real pyramid build with legos or blocks. Give common examples of how a food chain can be disturb (extinction of an animal, taking a specie to another environment where it don't belong, pollution etc). Talk about possible consequences that may occur and possible ways to take care about the environment avoiding this.
Activity: divide the students into groups and ask them to represent in a bulletin board what the discussion, including reasons why we should take care of the environment, ideas on how we can look after and protect ecosystems, and consequences if we do not do it.
The following link can help instructing the contents of this lesson, it can be given to students.


FOLDABLE RESOURCES

These 3 different formats of foldables cover some information on contents taught during the unit and have been included in the instructional plans.

• Food Chain in Habitats: In this PDF you will find 2 different formats, one for a food chain in an aquatic habitat and another for a terrestrial habitat.
• Consumers: This foldable is on different types of consumers.
  

LITERATURE CONNECTIONS

These are some books suggested for this topic:

A Desert Scrapbook.
By Virginia Wright Frierson. Illus by the author. 2002. 40p. Aladdin (978-0689850554). Gr 3-5
This is a lovely book that tells the story of an artist who visits the Sonora Desert to explore it. During her trip she sketch, paint and write all what she sees in her notebook. So, you will find some wonderful drawings of landscapes and a diversity of animals interacting with each other. Her aim was to discover the precious ecosystem in this desert so she stayed enough time in order for the animals to get used to her presence, so that she can really watch and appreciate who life develops in the Sonora Desert.

Animal Camouflage in the Ocean.
By Martha E.H Rustad. 2009. 24p. Pebble Pluss (978-1429633253). Gr 1-4
This is a book of easy reading for all ages that explains in a simple way what is camouflage by showing different examples of animal camouflage in the ocean. For each example the book offers a brief explanation on how these adaptations help the specific animal and an image of the animal hiding in the ocean. Finally, a section of glossary and internet resources is offered.

A Rain Forest Food Chain.
By Rebecca Hougue Wojahn and Donald Wojahn. 2008. 64p. Lerner (978-0761341925). Gr 3-5.
This is a very interesting book with a lot of information for students on the topic of food chains. It talks specially about food chains and food webs in the rein forest in South America. At the beginning an introduction to the topic is exposed explaining what a food chain is and how it works. What is interesting is that this book has a code for each member of the food chain (producer, 1st, 2nd or 3rd consumer and decomposer). So, the book shows different in each page has a different animal with the assigned codification and an explanation on the animal's characteristics, what they eat, etc. As the aim of the book is to shows how a whole food web work, every page in every animal section has different possibilities to choose between whether if you want to connect this specific animal with other organisms and understand their relationship. Finally a section of glossary, further readings and web resources is offered.

Counting in the Tundra.
By Fredrick Jr. McKissack and Lisa Beringer McKissack. 2008. 32p. Enslow Elementary (978-0766029897). Gr 1-3
The book starts with a presentation of the tundra biomas and where they can be find. Through the rest of the book, children can count from one to ten as they read about the different animals and features of the ocean. This summary of each animal explains the main characteristics of it and their behavioral giving examples of different adaptations. It also gives information on their environment.

How Animals Eat.
By Pamela Hickman. Illus by Pat Stephens. 2007. 32p. Kids can read (978-1554530311). Gr 3
This book describe different behavioral adaptation on how animals eat. It shows how each animal is prepare to eat and capture their preys in a specific way which is an adaptation to their own nature and needs. What is interesting is that for many animals the book provides a brief information card that points out the animal's behavior and some physical characteristics of it according to the environment where the animal lives and the preys it has to capture. Finally, at the beginning there is a food chain that it has to be combine and at the end you can find the answers.

Living Sunlight, How plants bring the earth to life.
Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm. 2009. 40 p. The Blue Sky Press (978-0545044226). Gr 3-5
This book explains the importance of sunlight and plants on earth and for humans in a very simple and dynamic way. Specially explains the photosynthesis and the importance of this process to our planet. At the end there is a note section where the process of photosynthesis is explained in a deeper way, showing each step of the process.

Ocean Seasons.
By Ron Hirschi. Illus by Kirsten Carlson. 2007. 32p. Sylvan Dell Publishing (978-0977742325). Gr 2 1-3.
This book focuses in the relationship between animals and plants who live under water, in the oceans, through the different seasons of the years. It will show feeding relationships between animals and interactions between them and their environment. Some animals adaptations are explained by showing how animals migrate to other habitats in order to survive. At the end of the book, there is a great tool for teachers and students, some food web cards that specify the prey and predator of a specific specie. Also a brief summary on how seasons change and what happens in this ecosystem is explained. Finally an ocean food web is also offered.

Prowling the Seas.
By Pamela S. Turner. 2009. 40p. Walkers Children (978-0802797483). Gr 3-5.
This book is intended to talk and explain ocean wildlife regarding food chains, specifically presenting big predators of these habitats. Each chapter represents a different predator where a wide explanation and description on it and its environment is exposed. The whole book is thought to be an investigation as a scientist would do it, so, you will find photos and thoughts of scientists doing their job. Finally, a brief description of ocean predator populations is offered together with a resource section.

Rotten Logs and Forest Floors.
Sharon Katz Cooper. 2010. 30p. Raintree (978-1410935014). Gr 3-5.
This book is all about worms and decomposer's habitat. It has an easy reading and good pictures with some good facts notes in it. The way the contents are exposed is simple and dynamic for kids. Firstly, a definition of habitat is offered but, the whole book will explain how decomposers live on dead organisms and the importance of this for plants and for the environment. It will show different animals and explain main characteristics of them and how they interact with their habitat. Finally, the book invites the readers to make an activity and a section on glossary and resources is provided.

What's for Dinner?
By Katherine B. Hauth. Illus by David Clark. 2011. 48p. Charlesbridge (978-1570914720) Gr: 1-5.
This is a book that with poems explains how some animals eat and what they eat. Each poem will talk about a different animal. Finally a more narrative and brief description is given on each animal at the end of the book.

Where in the Wild?
By David M.Schwartz and Yael Schy. Illus by Dwight Kuhn. 2011. 44p. Trycyle Press (978-1582463995). Gr: 1-3.
The main topic of the book is camouflage. At the beginning there is an explanation about camouflage and how this adaptation is useful for animals. What is interesting about it is that kids will be challenge in finding the animal in the precise moment they are hiding by their camouflage. So, on the left side of the book there will be a poetic explanation on the animal and the situation and on the right side, they will be able to check if they have found the animal. They will have to unfold and lift the page in order to see the place where the animal is located. This is an interesting and fun way to teach this physical adaptation that will catch the student's attention.


WEB RESOURCES

These are some websites which can be useful when teaching this topic:

Decomposer's Information
This site, offers a lot of information on decomposers explaining the importance of their work for the rest of the environment. It also has an interview to a worm that is intended to change wrong
thoughts perceiving worms as a useless animal. Finally, there is a section where kids can explore different kind of worms.

Everything in Food Chains.
This is one of the best websites I've found on this topic. It has different sections that concisely explains concepts such us: producer, consumer, decomposer, omnivore, carnivore and herbivore. Additionally, the site offers a variety of games in each topic that are really instructional for kids where they will have to categorize organisms or make food chains. What I found interesting about this site is that has also big food chains that include lots of organisms and most importantly, that include decomposers.

Games in Food Chain
This section of this website offers a brief introduction to animal's diets describing the concept of omnivore, carnivore and herbivore, giving some examples of animals that belong to each category. Then, students can play a game building a food chain, choosing first between 2 different habitats. What I found interesting from this site is that they include in every food chain the sun as the first link of it and that after you build the food chain and submit you answer, if it is ok, they will offer a question on what would happen if one specific member of the food chain is taken out from it. The answer is really instructional and dynamic showing how this will affect all the other members. Finally, this website offers a section for teacher where one can get some ideas.

Habitats and Food Chains.
This site offers the possibility of making a food chain on 3 different habitats. What is special about this site is that while making the food chain, students will apply the concept of food web, understanding that one animal can eat and be eaten by various other organisms. So, students will have to figure out how to enter the different members in their assigned space, depending on how the arrows show the relationship between them. Finally, there is a hint where a small chart that explains from where each member gets energy from.

Instructional Video on Food Chains
This is a National Geographic video prepare to instruct students in what is a food chain and a food web, showing how living organisms interact and the importance of maintaining the natural way these organisms interact, explaining that breaking down this order will cause chaos. It also offers a quiz that may be used after watching the video that tests students in basic concepts such as the difference between consumers, producers, decomposers, omnivore, carnivore, herbivore, predator, prey and photosynthesis. Besides, some interesting facts appear between questions.


ASSESSMENT RESOURCES:

Here is a brief list of possible assessments that can be used during this unit:

• Food Chains in Habitat: This assessment is part of an exploring activity where students are asked to observe and aquarium trying to identify its elements and members. Some questions for inferences are asked in order to assess students in identifying the functions of these elements and the relationship among them. Additionally, knowledge is expected to be applied in the last two questions being able to identify examples of other aquatic environments and animals and by ordering a food chain. Answer keys are provided.
  
• Photosynthesis: this assessment is intended to test students understanding on the components needed for photosynthesis. This assessment also provides two questions for students to make inferences and one of them is a differentiation questions, depending on student's possibilities. Answer keys are included.
  
• Predator - Prey: this assessment is a chart with predator and prey characteristics to be completed by students asking them to apply knowledge. Answer keys are included.
• Review Quiz: and Crosswords: Both assessments are taken from the same website. The quiz is very complete covering all of the concepts and points of the unit. The crossword is better for testing vocabulary.
  
• SOL Test: This is a sample of the SOL Virginia as an example test for this unit. Answer keys are provided. Personally, I would add some questions or exercises different from a multiple choice such a fill in the blanks, ordering a food chain, etc.
  

Annotated Bib - Food Chains

A food chain shows how each living thing gets food, and how nutrients are passed from creature to creature. Food chain begin with plant-life, and end with animal-life.

Books

Butternut Hollow Pond. By Brian J. Heinz. Illus. by Bob Marshall. 2005. 32p. First Avenue Editions, (9780822559931). Gr. 2-5.

Using beautiful watercolors, this book illustrates to students how animals depend on each other. The book takes place during one full day at a pond.

Hey Diddle Diddle: A Food Chain Tale. By Pam Kapchinske. Illus. by Sherry Rogers. 2011. 32p. Sylvan Dell Publishing, (9781607181309). Gr. 2-5.

Using the tune from the rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle”, this book gives numerous examples of different food chains in nature. With fun pictures and a catchy tune, this is a great book for children.

The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book About Food Chains. By Pat Relf. Illus. by Carolyn Bracken. 1996. 32p. Scholastic Paperbacks, (9780590484145). Gr. 2-4.

In this book, Ms. Frizzle takes the students on a food chain adventure. Using their school bus as a vehicle, the class drives into the ocean in search of food chain knowledge.

Pond Circle. By Betsy Franco. Illus. by Stefano Vitale. 2009. 32p. Margaret K. McElderry, (9781416940210). Gr. 2-5.

With amazing illustrations and a rhythmic flow, this book is great to use when introducing the concept of food chains. This book is great in that it also provides additional information about each animal from the story.

Trout Are Made of Trees. By April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by Kate Endle. 2008. 32p. Charlesbridge Publishing, (9781580891387). Gr. 2-4.

This is a great book to use when teaching food chains because it shows students how plants are an extremely important component of food chains. Readers learn that leaves fall into streams and decompose into food for fish, beginning a food chain cycle.

Websites

Chain Reaction

This site offers a game where kids can create your own food chain. Kids are about to pick either a Northern or Forest food chain to create. This site also provides a great introduction about food chains and how they work.

Food Chain Snapshot

This interactive game first shows students a picture of a forest. Students then have to take pictures of all the living things in the forest. Once they have photographed each image, students are able to look at their snapshots and learn about the eating habits of each creature.

Food Chain Movie

This game has students drag images of producers and consumers to correctly create a food chain. This game also provides a hint button to help assist children.

National Geographic Food Chain Quiz

This site is helpful for kids because it provides students with both a movie and a quiz. Students can choose to just watch the movie, or just take the quiz. The digital movie also provides great images to help students understand the concepts of food chains.

For Teachers
VA Standards of Learning
3.5 The student will investigate and understand relationships among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include
a) producer, consumer, decomposer;
b) herbivore, carnivore, omnivore; and
c) predator and prey.

Background Information from the Curriculum Framework

• A food chain shows a relationship among plants and animals in a specific area or environment.
• Terrestrial organisms are found on land habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and forests. Aquatic organisms are found in water habitats such as ponds, marshes, swamps, rivers, and oceans.
• A green plan makes its own food using sunlight, air, and water. Green plants are producers.
• A consumer is an animal that eats living organisms (plant or animal).
• A food chain, which shows part of a food web, can have an animal that eats only plants (herbivore). It can have an animal that eats only other animals (carnivore). It can also have an animal that eats both plants and animals (omnivore).
• An animal can hunt other animals to get its food (predator).
• An animal can be hunted by another animal for food (prey).