Food  Chain  Unit  Plan  By  Matt  Teel  and  Melissa  Coates  

 Unit  Plan  Objectives    

Main  objective:  The  main  goal  of  this  unit  plan  is  for  the  students  to  gain  an  understanding  of  the  food  chain  and  what  it  looks  like  in  different  habitats.  The  students  will  also  be  able  to  differentiate  between  producer,  consumer  and  decomposers  as  well  as  carnivore,  omnivore,  and  herbivore.  They  will  also  understand  how  the  idea  of  predator  and  prey  fits  into  the  food  chain.  They  will  be  able  to  see  how  the  absence  of  different  parts  of  the  food  chain  can  affect  the  whole  process  and  the  habitat  itself.    Day  1:  Given  a  blank  piece  of  paper  and  five  cards  containing  the  words  “sunlight  energy,  water,  carbon  dioxide,  oxygen,  and  glucose/sugar,”  the  students  will  be  able  to  draw,  and  color,  the  process  of  photosynthesis  while  correctly  labeling  at  least  four  out  of  five  parts  of  photosynthesis.    Day  2:  On  a  worksheet,  given  eight  pictures  of  animals  such  as  “cow,  rabbit,  lion,  shark,  deer,  bear,  human,  and  cat,”  the  student  will  be  able  to  correctly  identify  at  least  6  out  of  8  pictures  as  either  herbivore,  omnivore,  or  carnivore.      Day  3:  Given  a  piece  of  paper  with  ten  pictures  of  different  animals,  the  students  will  be  able  to  correctly  identify  each  animal  as  being  a  predator  or  prey  with  80%  accuracy  (8  out  of  the  10  pictures).      Day  4:  The  students  will  correctly  answer  3  out  of  4  questions  about  decomposers  in  the  form  of  a  written  exit  slip.  The  students  will  be  placed  in  teams  and  participate  in  a  Jeopardy  game  where  they  will  correctly  answer  questions  to  earn  points.    Day  5:  The  student  will  draw  and/or  cut  and  paste  to  create  an  art  representation  of  a  food  chain,  accompanied  by  a  written  form  of  the  food  chain,  that  is  80%  accurate  to  show  his/her  understanding  of  the  different  stages  of  the  food  chain  and  it  will  be  informally  presented  at  the  end  of  the  lesson.    

   

 Unit  Plan  SOL’s    

Main  SOL:        

Science  3.5:  (Living  Systems)  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.  

   Supporting  SOLs:      1.  Science  3.10:  (Earth  Resources)  The  student  will  investigate  and  understand  that  natural  events  and  human  influences  can  affect  the  survival  of  species.  Key  concepts  include:  

a) The  interdependency  of  plants  and  animals;  b) The  effects  of  human  activity  on  the  quality  of  air,  water,  and  habitat;  c) The  effects  of  fire,  flood,  disease,  and  erosion  on  organisms;  and  d) Conservation  and  resource  renewal.  

   2.  English  3.9:  (Writing)  The  student  will  write  for  a  variety  of  purposes.  

a) Identify  the  intended  audience.  b) Use  a  variety  of  prewriting  strategies.  c) Write  a  clear  topic  sentence  focusing  on  the  main  idea.  d) Write  a  paragraph  on  the  same  topic.  e) Use  strategies  for  organization  of  information  and  elaboration  according  to  the  type  

of  writing.  f) Include  details  that  elaborate  the  main  idea.  g) Revise  writing  for  clarity  of  content  using  specific  vocabulary  and  information.  

   3.  Physical  Education  3.1:  (Skilled  Movement)  The  student  will  apply  locomotor,  non-­‐locomotor,  and  manipulative  skills  in  increasingly  complex  movement  activities.  

a) Demonstrate  most  of  the  critical  elements  (small,  isolated  parts  of  the  whole  skill  or  movement)  for  manipulative  skills  (e.g.,  throw  and  catch  a  variety  of  objects,  kick  to  stationary  and  moving  partners/objects,  dribble  with  dominant  hand/foot,  pass  a  ball  to  a  moving  partner).  

b) Use  manipulative  skills  in  movement  combinations  (e.g.,  perform  manipulative  tasks  while  dodging  and  moving  in  different  pathways;  catch  a  rolled  ball  while  moving,  and  throw  it  back  to  a  partner).  

c) Demonstrate  moving  to  a  rhythm  (e.g.,  perform  simple  dances  in  various  formations,  develop  and  refine  a  creative  educational  dance  sequence).  

d) Refine  individual  gymnastics  skills,  and  perform  educational  gymnastic  sequences  with  balance,  transfer  of  weight,  travel,  and  change  of  direction.  

   

4. Fine  Arts  3.9  (Visual  Communication  and  Production)  The  student  will  identify  and  use  foreground,  middleground,  and  background  in  two-­‐dimensional  works  of  art.  

                             5. Fine  Arts  3.2    The  student  will  describe  and  use  steps  of  the  art-­‐making  process,  

including  brainstorming,  preliminary  sketching,  and  planning,  to  create  works  of  art.                                          6. Computer  Technology  3-­‐5.1  (Basic  Operations  and  Concepts)  Demonstrate  an  

operational  knowledge  of  various  technologies.  a) Use  various  types  of  technology  devices  to  perform  learning  tasks.  

● Use  a  keyboard,  mouse,  touch  screen,  touchpad,  and  other  input  devices  to  interact  with  a  computer.  

● Demonstrate  the  ability  to  perform  a  wide  variety  of  basic  tasks  using  technology,  including  saving,  editing,  printing,  viewing,  and  graphing.  

b) Communicate  about  technology  with  appropriate  terminology.  ● Use  basic  technology  vocabulary  in  daily  practice.  

         

Day 1 Lesson Plan: Plants as Producers

Purpose: This is lesson one of the unit on the “food chain.” So far the students have learned about aquatic and terrestrial habitat. Now that the students have this prior knowledge I will introduce the food chain to build a better understanding of how the animals and plants interact within the habitat. This first day will focus mainly on the idea that most food chains begin with the sun and plants. We will review the steps of photosynthesis in order to discuss that plants are called producers, and how plants are able to produce their own food. After five days of this unit the students will learn what a food chain looks like and understand the importance of food chains in their own lives. Virginia SOL: Science 3.5: (Living Systems) 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. Computer Technology 3-5.1 (Basic Operations and Concepts) Demonstrate an operational knowledge of various technologies. a) Use various types of technology devices to perform learning tasks. ● Use a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, touchpad, and other input devices to interact with a

computer. ● Demonstrate the ability to perform a wide variety of basic tasks using technology,

including saving, editing, printing, viewing, and graphing. b) Communicate about technology with appropriate terminology. ● Use basic technology vocabulary in daily practice.

Objective: Given a blank piece of paper and five cards containing the words “sunlight energy, water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and glucose/sugar,” the students will be able to draw, and color, the process of photosynthesis while correctly labeling at least four out of five parts of photosynthesis. Procedure: Introduction ● While students sit in groups at their desks tell students that this week, we will be talking

about the food chain. Pass out scrap pieces of paper, and ask students to take 2 minutes to write anything that they know, or think they know to be true about food chains. After 2

minutes, ask for students to share things that wrote. Create a KWL chart to hang in the classroom and add to it throughout the unit (auditory & visual) ○ Possible questions if needed:

■ What are the different parts of a food chain? ■ Why do you think food chains are important? ■ Where are you on the food chain?

● Explain that .every living thing needs energy in order to live Every time animals do something, such as running or jumping, they use energy to do so.

● Animals get energy from the food that they eat. All living things get energy from food, including plants. Energy is necessary for living things to grow.

● Plants use sunlight, water and nutrients to get energy. This process is called “Photosynthesis.”

● A food chain shows how each living things get food, and how nutrients and energy are passed from one creature to another. Food chains begin with plant-life, and end with animal-life. Some animals eat plants, some animals eat other animals. ○ Using cut-out pictures, give an example of a simple food chain. Use magnets to

post pictures on the board. (pictures attached) Development ● Have students move to the carpet, in order to sit around the white board. Tell students to

bring their clipboards. ● Hand out Photosynthesis Vocabulary Worksheet:

(visual) ● Write on board, “Plants are called producers.” Explain that this is because they produce

their own food! They do this by using light energy from the Sun, carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil to produce food - in the form of glucouse/sugar. Note that glucose/sugar is the energy, or food, for the plant. (auditory)

● While students are seated with their photosynthesis worksheet, draw on the whiteboard, the steps of photosynthesis (beginning with the sun). As you draw, have students name out the different steps of photosynthesis. They can use their worksheets, and fill in the blanks as the steps are listed out. (auditory/visual) ○ Example drawing:

● Possible things to say while describing photosynthesis:

○ Photosynthesis is the cycle of plants and how they make energy! ○ The sun (light energy), water, minerals and carbon dioxide are all absorbed by the

plant. The plant then uses them to make glucose/sugar, which is the energy/food for the plant.

○ Oxygen is also produced by the plant in this cycle, which is then let off into the air!

○ Have you noticed how clean and pure the air feels when there are plants around? They are filling the air with oxygen!

Summary ● Have students move back to their seats. On the smartboard share the following game that

illustrates the process of photosynthesis: http://www.wonderville.ca/asset/photosynthesis

● Have a few students come up to the board and drag the items to complete the animation

of photosynthesis. (tactile, visual) ● Preview that within the food chain, some animals eat plants in order to have energy.

Materials:

● Photosynthesis Worksheet, found at: http://www.education.com/worksheet/article/photosynthesis/

● Animal Cutouts (Used in introduction) ● Many of the facts and information on food chains was adapted from various websites,

including: ○ http://www.wonderville.ca/asset/photosynthesis ○ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/produce

rsconsumers.htm ○ http://www.education.com/worksheet/article/photosynthesis/

Evaluation A: ● The students will demonstrate their understanding by drawing and labeling the process of

photosynthesis. ● The students must correctly label 4 out of the 5 parts of photosynthesis, and show the

order in which the cycle flows using arrows. ● For strugglers: Have the picture still up on the whiteboard but without the labels.

● For advanced students: Give them cards with more vocabulary words from the lesson so they have to choose the appropriate ones for their picture. Could also not give them cards at all and have them produce the terms on their own. Have these students label any other terms they remember from the lesson.

● The students will be given 5-10 minutes to complete this assignment and then it will be turned in to be graded by the teacher.

Evaluation B:

● Did the students meet your objectives? ● How do you know? ● Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners? ● What were the strengths of the lesson? ● What were the weaknesses? ● How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?

Name: __________________________________ Instructions: Label the following pictures as Herbivore, Omnivore, or Carnivore.

1. A cow is a __________________________________________.

2. A shark is a_________________________________________.

3. A rabbit is a _________________________________________.

4. A human is an________________________________________.

5. A lion is a ____________________________________________.

6. A deer is a ____________________________________________.

7. A cat is a _____________________________________________.

8. A bear is a ___________________________________________.

Day  2  Lesson  Plan    

Animals  as  Consumers  -­‐  Herbivore,  Omnivore,  Carnivore    

Purpose:    This  is  lesson  two  of  the  unit  on  the  “food  chain.”  The  focus  of  today’s  lesson  is  on  the  idea  that  in  the  food  chain,  animals  must  rely  on  plant  life,  and  other  animal  life,  in  order  to  survive.  Animals  are  called  “consumers”  because  they  cannot  make  their  own  food.  We  will  discuss  about  different  kinds  of  consumers  (herbivores,  carnivores,  and  omnivores),  why  they  are  called  consumers,  and  the  interdependency  of  plants  and  animals.      Virginia  SOL:  Science  3.5:  (Living  Systems)  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.    Science  3.10:  (Earth  Resources)  The  student  will  investigate  and  understand  that  natural  events  and  human  influences  can  affect  the  survival  of  species.  Key  concepts  include:  a)  The  interdependency  of  plants  and  animals;  b)  The  effects  of  human  activity  on  the  quality  of  air,  water,  and  habitat;  c)  The  effects  of  fire,  flood,  disease,  and  erosion  on  organisms;  and  d)  Conservation  and  resource  renewal.    Computer  Technology  3-­‐5.1  (Basic  Operations  and  Concepts)  Demonstrate  an  operational  knowledge  of  various  technologies.  a)  Use  various  types  of  technology  devices  to  perform  learning  tasks.  ● Use  a  keyboard,  mouse,  touchscreen,  touchpad,  and  other  input  devices  to  interact  

with  a  computer.  ● Demonstrate  the  ability  to  perform  a  wide  variety  of  basic  tasks  using  technology,  

including  saving,  editing,  printing,  viewing,  and  graphing.  b)  Communicate  about  technology  with  appropriate  terminology.  ● Use  basic  technology  vocabulary  in  daily  practice.  

   Objective:    On  a  worksheet,  given  eight  pictures  of  animals  such  as  “cow,  rabbit,  lion,  shark,  deer,  bear,  human,  and  cat,”  the  student  will  be  able  to  correctly  identify  at  least  6  out  of  8  pictures  as  either  herbivore,  omnivore,  or  carnivore.    

     Procedure:  Introduction  ● Have  the  students  meet  together  on  the  class  carpet,  around  the  class  bulletin  board.  

State  that  today  we  will  continue  to  talk  about  the  food  chain.  Remind  the  students  that  a  food  chain  shows  how  each  living  thing  gets  food,  and  how  nutrients  and  energy  are  passed  from  one  creature  to  another.  

● Remind  them  that  yesterday  we  were  talking  about  producers.  Ask  for  a  student  to  remind  the  class  what  a  producer  is,  and  why  they  are  called  producers.  Then,  ask  if  any  students  can  give  a  few  examples  of  producers.  (auditory)  

● Discuss  how  animals  and  plants  rely  on  one  another.  Some  animals  need  plants  to  get  energy.  But,  also  some  plants  need  animals  in  order  to  grow.  Give  example  of  how  flowers  rely  on  bees  to  carry  pollen  from  one  flower  to  another  in  order  to  be  pollinated.  

● Remind  students  that  every  living  thing  needs  energy  in  order  to  live,  and  that  animals  get  energy  from  the  food  they  eat.  Some  animals  eat  mainly  plants.  Some  animals  eat  mainly  meat.  And,  some  animals  eat  both  plants  and  meat.    

● Write  down  the  word  “Consumer”  on  the  bulletin  board.  State  that  animals  are  called  consumers  because  they  cannot  make  their  own  food,  so  they  need  to  consume,  or  eat,  plants  and  maybe  animals.  Write  definition  of  consumer  next  to  the  word  “consumer.”  (visual)  

 Development  ● Write  the  following  terms  on  the  board:  Herbivore,  Omnivore,  and  Carnivore.    

○ Ask  the  students  if  they  can  say  what  each  is.  If  accurate,  write  down  students’  responses  next  to  each  term.  (auditory)  

● For  the  teacher’s  use,  here  are  the  accurate  definitions.  Write  these  if  students  are  unable  to  generate  definitions.  (visual)  

○ Herbivores:  animals  that  eat  only  plants.  ○ Carnivores:  animals  that  eat  only  animals.  ○ Omnivores:  animals  that  eat  both  animals  AND  plants.  (Tell  students  that  

humans  are  also  omnivores!)  ● Have  students  copy  these  definitions  in  their  science  notebooks.    ● Under  each  category  write:    

○ Some  herbivores  are  deer,  horses,  rabbits,  cows,  bees,  and  sheep.  They  eat  plants  such  as  leaves,  grass,  seeds,  roots,  and  fruits.    

○ Some  carnivores  are  lions,  tigers,  other  cats,  eagles,  hawks,  sharks,  frogs  and  spiders.  They  eat  meat  such  as  insects  and  other  animals.  

○ Some  omnivores  are  bears,  raccoons,  some  monkeys  and  birds.  And  humans.  ● Read  the  book  Who  Eats  What  by  Patricia  Lauber.  (auditory)  

○ Before  reading,  have  students  look  at  the  cover  and  make  predictions  about  the  story.    

○ Ask  them  if  they  can  see  how  the  cover  illustrates  the  food  chain.  ○ During  reading,  stop  when  appropriate  to  discuss  the  terms  “Herbivore,  

Omnivore,  and  Carnivore.”    ● After  reading  the  book,  ask  students  to  take  a  few  minutes  to  write  2  examples  of    

herbivores,  omnivores,  and  carnivores  in  their  science  notebooks.  After  a  few  minutes,  ask  students  to  share  what  they  wrote.  (visual,  auditory)  

● For  advanced  students,  ask  them  to  draw  a  chain  connection  between  a  plant,  a  herbivore,  and  a  carnivore/omnivore.  

● For  strugglers,  ask  them  to  write  only  one  example  of  each  category.    Summary  ● Have  students  move  back  to  their  seats.  On  the  smartboard  share  the  following  

game  that  categorizes  herbivores,  omnivores,  and  carnivores:  http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/animaldietgame.htm  

 ● Have  a  few  students  come  up  to  the  board  and  drag  the  items  to  complete  the  

animation  of  photosynthesis.  (tactile,  visual)  ● Tell  students  that  tomorrow,  we  will  look  again  at  consumers  and  discuss  predators  

and  prey.    Materials:  ● Who  Eats  What  by  Patricia  Lauber.  

     

● Herbivore,  Omnivore,  Carnivore  Worksheet    ● Many  of  the  facts  and  information  on  food  chains  was  adapted  from  various  

websites,  including:  ○ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain

/producersconsumers.htm  ○ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain

/producersconsumers.htm    Evaluation  A:    ● The  students  will  demonstrate  their  understanding  by  labeling  pictures  as  

herbivore,  omnivore,  or  carnivore.  ● The  students  will  correctly  label  at  least  6  out  of  8  pictures.    ● The  students  will  be  given  5-­‐10  minutes  to  complete  this  assignment  and  then  it  will  

be  turned  in  to  be  graded  by  the  teacher.    Evaluation  B:    ● Did  the  students  meet  your  objectives?  ● How  do  you  know?  ● Did  your  lesson  accommodate/address  the  needs  of  all  your  learners?  ● What  were  the  strengths  of  the  lesson?  ● What  were  the  weaknesses?  ● How  would  you  change  the  lesson  if  you  could  teach  it  again?  

Day 3 Lesson Plan: Predators and Prey

Purpose: This is lesson three of the unit on the “food chain.” The focus of today’s lesson is on the idea that within the food chain, some animals must hunt and eat other animals in order to survive. Animals that hunt other animals to get food are called “predators.” Animals that are hunted and eaten as food are called “prey.” Students will learn about what animals are predators and what animals are prey. They will learn about ways in which prey attempt to escape their predators, and features that help predators catch prey. Also, students will also play a game in order to simulate the predator - prey relationship. Virginia SOL: Science 3.5: (Living Systems) 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. Physical Education 3.1: (Skilled Movement) The student will apply locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills in increasingly complex movement activities. a) Demonstrate most of the critical elements (small, isolated parts of the whole skill or movement) for manipulative skills (e.g., throw and catch a variety of objects, kick to stationary and moving partners/objects, dribble with dominant hand/foot, pass a ball to a moving partner). b) Use manipulative skills in movement combinations (e.g., perform manipulative tasks while dodging and moving in different pathways; catch a rolled ball while moving, and throw it back to a partner). c) Demonstrate moving to a rhythm (e.g., perform simple dances in various formations, develop and refine a creative educational dance sequence). d) Refine individual gymnastics skills, and perform educational gymnastic sequences with balance, transfer of weight, travel, and change of direction. Objective: Given a piece of paper with ten pictures of different animals, the students will be able to correctly identify each animal as being a predator or prey with 80% accuracy (8 out of the 10 pictures). Procedure: Introduction ● Have students join one another at the carpet.

● Remind students that yesterday we read a book about the food chain. Remind students of the following terms: herbivore, omnivore, carnivore. Ask students to say each term means.

● State that today we will talk about predators and prey within the food chain. Ask a few students the following questions: (auditory) ○ What is a predator? ○ What is a prey? ○ Are predators bad? Why or why not? ○ What physical features help predators catch prey? ○ What behaviors help predators catch prey? ○ What physical features, and behaviors, help prey escape predators?

● Record students’ responses on the white board. But, note the following: (visual) ○ Predators are animals that hunt other animals for food.

■ These animals can be both carnivores and omnivores. ○ The animals that are hunted and eaten by predators are called prey.

■ These animals can be herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. ○ Physical features such as speed, sharp claws, sharp teeth, and strong senses of

vision, hearing and smell help predators catch prey. ○ Running fast, or moving quietly are examples of behaviors that help predators

catch prey. ○ Being fast helps some prey avoid predators. Also, moving in packs/groups helps

some animals escape predators. Having a heightened sense of smell, vision and hearing also helps some prey escape predators.

Development ● Read the Scholastic’s book Predator vs. Prey, by Lee Marten. (auditory/visual)

○ While reading have students identify the different animals that are examples of predators and prey. ■ Great horned owl (predator), Skunk (prey) ■ Shark (predator), Seal (prey) ■ Arctic Wolf (predator), Musk Ox (prey) ■ Tiger (predator), Muntjac (prey) ■ Grizzly Bear (predator), Salmon (prey)

○ While reading, stop at times to discuss the before mentioned characteristics that help predators hunt, and the characteristics that help prey survive.

● Have the students move back to their desks, and discuss the game Predator vs. Prey. ● Rules to Predator vs. Prey: (to be played outside) (tactile)

○ Predators: the job of the predator in the game is to leave the “predator zone” and keep the prey from reaching their “safe zones” by tagging them. Note: students should not shove, or push, another student.

○ Prey: the job of the prey is to leave the “prey zone”, and make it safely to a “safe zone” before being tagged by a predator. Note: Depending on the class size, only 3 or 4 prey can be in each safe zone.

○ Here is a picture of the game layout:

○ Divide the students into two groups (predators and prey). ○ Have students begin the game by standing in either the predator zone or the prey

zone. ○ When the teacher blows the whistle, the prey must leave the prey zone and run to

a safe zone. However, only 3 or 4 students (depending on class size) can fit into each safe zone.

○ While the prey are running to the safe zone, the predators must run and hunt (tag) members of the prey team. The game is over when all prey have made it to the safe zone, or have been caught.

● Take students outside to play the game a few times. Make sure that all students have been able to be both predators and prey.

Summary ● Bring students back inside to the classroom. ● Review that the game showed how certain features, such as speed and vision, help

predators and prey either hunt or avoid being hunted. (auditory) ○ Before stating features, ask students if they can name the features that helped

them either hunt, or escape from being hunted. ● To review before the evaluation, ask a few students to name some predator and prey

groups that were mentioned during the book reading. (auditory) Materials: ● Predator vs. Prey, by Lee Marten.

● Predator/Prey Worksheet

● Many of the facts and information on food chains was adapted from various websites,

including: ○ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/produce

rsconsumers.htm ○ http://sites.stedwards.edu/educationportfolios-jsvobod/files/2012/11/Predator-v-

Prey-Instructional-powerpoint-2d86ovp.pdf Evaluation A: ● The students will demonstrate their understanding by correctly labeling pictures as either

predator or prey. ● The students will correctly label at least 8 out of 10 pictures. ● The students will be given 5-10 minutes to complete this assignment and then it will be

turned in to be graded by the teacher. Evaluation B: ● Did the students meet your objectives? ● How do you know? ● Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners? ● What were the strengths of the lesson? ● What were the weaknesses? ● How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?

Name:  __________________________________________    Instructions:  Look  at  each  pair  of  animals.  Next  to  each  picture,  identify  which  one  is  the  predator  and  which  one  is  the  prey.  Write  down  predator  or  prey  next  to  each  picture.      

1.            (Great  Horned  Owl)  :  ________________________________________  

(Skunk)  :  ______________________________________________________      

2.    (Musk  Ox)  :  _____________________________________________  

                   (Arctic  Wolf)  :  __________________________________________                

3.    (Grizzly  Bear)  :  __________________________________  

 (Salmon)  :  ________________________________________    

4.    (Tiger)  :  ____________________________________________  

                       (Muntjac)  :  __________________________________________    

5.                (Seal)  :  ________________________________________________  

(Great  White  Shark)  :  ____________________________  

Day 4: Decomposers and the Food Chain

Purpose: On day 4 the students will explore the final stage of the food chain: decomposers. The students will also spend time reviewing all the facts they have learned throughout the unit on the food chain. Virginia SOL: Science 3.5: (Living Systems) 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. Objective: - The students will correctly answer 3 out of 4 questions about decomposers in the form of a written exit slip. - Students will be placed in teams and participate in a Jeopardy game where they will correctly answer questions to earn points.

Procedure Introduction

-­‐ Bring  in  live  worms  in  an  aquarium  to  show  the  children.  Put  the  Aquarium  on  a  table  with  enough  space  around  it  for  the  students  to  surround.  Begin  by  covering  the  aquarium  with  a  sheet  so  the  students  cannot  see  what  is  beneath  it.    

-­‐ Once  all  of  the  children  are  paying  attention  and  surrounding  the  table  with  the  aquarium  on  it  reveal  the  worms!  (visual)  

-­‐ Explain  that  worms  are  considered  decomposers  and  that  they  are  a  vital  part  of  the  food  chain  

-­‐ Then  have  the  students  return  to  their  seats.     Development

-­‐ While  the  students  are  moving  back  to  their  seats  recover  the  aquarium    -­‐ Before  starting  the  presentation  do  a  read  aloud  with  the  book  Nature’s  Cleaners  -­‐ Pull  up  PowerPoint  presentation  about  decomposers  on  the  Smart  Board.  (auditory,  

visual)  -­‐  Have  the  children  to  get  out  their  science  notebooks  to  take  notes.    -­‐ Conduct  presentation    -­‐ Have  children  put  away  their  binders  and  clear  their  desks  -­‐ Have  children  count  off  in  4’s.  Tell  the  children  what  part  of  the  room  they  should  go  

to  according  to  the  number  they  were.    -­‐ Pull  up  the  Jeopardy  game  on  the  Smart  Board.    -­‐ Give  directions  of  how  to  play  the  game:  

o To  answer  the  question  the  students  must  raise  their  hands.  The  teacher  will  choose  which  hand  went  up  first.    

o Students  must  wait  until  the  entire  question  is  read  before  raising  a  hand.  This  will  help  to  keep  children  from  raising  their  hands  immediately  and  all  at  once    

o The  student  will  have  5  seconds  to  answer  the  question  o A  correct  answer  will  give  the  group  the  corresponding  point  value  and  the  

option  to  pick  the  next  category.    o Incorrect  answers  will  result  in  the  loss  of  points  o The  teacher  will  write  the  points  for  each  team  on  the  white  board  for  

everyone  to  see    o The  winning  team  is  the  team  who  was  awarded  the  most  points  after  all  of  

the  questions  on  the  board  have  been  chosen.    -­‐ Play  the  Game    -­‐ Congratulate  the  winners  and  inform  them  they  have  received  an  extra  bonus  point  

on  their  test!  Summary

-­‐ After  the  game  is  over,  hand  out  notecards  and  have  the  children  write  their  name,  two  facts  about  decomposers  and  2  examples  of  a  decomposer  to  be  turned  in  as  an  exit  slip.  Pull  up  last  slide  of  PowerPoint  on  the  Smart  Board  with  instructions.    

-­‐ Have  children  line  up  for  their  next  class  with  exit  slip  in  hand  to  be  given  to  the  teacher  as  they  exit  the  classroom.    

Materials: -­‐ Live  worms  in  a  medium  sized  glass  aquarium  with  cover.  Include  habitat  (dirt,  

leaves,  lettuce,  spray  bottle  full  of  water)  -­‐ Sheet    -­‐ PowerPoint  on  decomposers  (see  attached)  -­‐ Nature’s  Cleaners  by  Bobbie  Kalman  

 -­‐ Jeopardy  Review  Game  (template  from  

http://www.edtechnetwork.com/powerpoint.html)  -­‐ Blank,  lined  notecards    

Evaluation A:

-­‐ The  students  will  fill  out  an  exit  slip.  The  exit  slip  questions  will  be  on  the  last  slide  of  the  PowerPoint  asking  for  2  facts  and  2  examples  of  decomposers.  Students  should  be  able  to  get  3  out  of  4  correct.      

-­‐ The  Jeopardy  game  will  be  used  as  a  review  of  the  material.  To  show  knowledge  of  the  different  parts  of  the  food  chain  the  students  will  correctly  answer  questions.  This  knowledge  is  shown  in  the  form  of  points  a  team  accumulates  during  the  game.  The  hope  is  for  each  team  to  have  points/answered  a  question  correctly.  

Evaluation Part B: Did the students meet your objectives? And how do you know? Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners? What were the strengths of the lesson? What were the weaknesses? How would you change the lesson if you could do it again?

Day 5: Food Chain Review/conclusion/Art Activity

Purpose: So far the students have explored the different parts of the food chain. For this lesson the students will use the knowledge they received from the four previous lessons to create their own food chain while reviewing terms. The students will also play a review game to prepare them for a test on food chains. Objective

-­‐ The  student  will  draw  and/or  cut  and  paste  to  create  an  art  representation  of  a  food  chain,  accompanied  by  a  written  form  of  the  food  chain,  that  is  80%  accurate  to  show  his/her  understanding  of  the  different  stages  of  the  food  chain  and  it  will  be  informally  presented  at  the  end  of  the  lesson.      

Virginia SOL: Science 3.5: (Living Systems) 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.  

Fine Arts 3.2 The student will describe and use steps of the art-making process, including brainstorming, preliminary sketching, and planning, to create works of art. Fine Arts 3.9 (Visual Communication and Production) The student will identify and use foreground, middleground, and background in two-dimensional works of art.

Procedure

Introduction

-­‐ Begin  by  introducing  the  activity  and  passing  out  the  instructions.    -­‐ Go  through  the  instructions  with  the  class    -­‐ Have  a  brief  review/brainstorm  of  what  the  different  habitats  and  food  chains  

include  and  would  look  like.     Development

-­‐ Talk  about  how  to  go  about  planning  and  brainstorming  for  the  project,  draw  example  on  the  board  (auditory,  visual)  

-­‐ Give  students  5-­‐10  minutes  to  think  of  what  they  would  want  to  do  and  have  them  sketch  and  plan  it  out  on  a  piece  of  paper  

-­‐ Instruct  each  table  to  pick  one  student  to  retrieve  a  bucket  of  supplies:  prepare  buckets  for  each  table  ahead  of  time  with  the  poster  boards,  construction  paper  and  magazines  

-­‐ Have  children  start  the  process.  Walk  around  the  classroom  to  make  sure  the  children  are  on  task  and  to  be  available  for  any  questions.    

-­‐ Give  the  students  time  reminders  when  there  are  15,10,  5  and  1  minutes  left  to  work  on  their  artwork.    

-­‐ Have  the  students  clean  up  and  return  bins  of  materials.  Have  them  clear  the  tables  to  prepare  for  the  presentations.    

Summary -­‐ Presentations:  instruct  the  children  to  stand  at  their  seats  to  tell  the  class  about  

their  artwork.  Randomly  choose  students  to  share  by  picking  name  sticks  (kinesthetic)  

-­‐ After  every  child  has  presented,  instruct  the  students  (call  them  table  by  table)  to  place  their  finished  products  on  the  counter  by  the  window  to  finish  drying.    

-­‐ Ask  the  children  to  share  what  they  learned  by  doing  this  project.    Materials

-­‐ Printed  out  directions  and  requirements  for  each  student  (see  attached)  -­‐ Tubs,  one  for  each  table    -­‐ Construction  paper  in  many  different  colors  -­‐ Magazines    -­‐ 11”  x  14”  poster  boards,  one  for  each  student  

Evaluation A

-­‐ Check  to  see  if  all  the  steps  were  followed  by  the  student  -­‐ Check  to  see  if  the  student  has  included  all  the  requirements  listed  in  the  directions  -­‐ Take  brief  notes  on  the  short  presentations  given  by  the  students.  Did  he/she  show  

understanding  of  what  they  created  and  how  it  connects  to  the  food  chain?  -­‐ For  strugglers:  Presentation  skills  and  artistic  skill  will  not  be  taken  into  

consideration  for  anyone,  unless  it  seems  to  be  the  product  of  a  child’s  poor  effort  (can  only  be  determined  by  observation).  

-­‐ For  advanced  students:  Encourage  these  students  and  any  other  students  who  finish  early  to  write  about  their  artwork.  They  can  create  a  narrative  story  or  explain  their  food  chain  in  paragraph  form.    

Evaluation Part B: Did the students meet your objectives? And how do you know? Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners?

What were the strengths of the lesson? What were the weaknesses? How would you change the lesson if you could do it again?

Food Chain Collage Directions **Read through directions before beginning this assignment Step 1: Choose a food chain and habitat Step 2: On a separate piece of paper, plan how you will create your artwork. Step 3: Create your collage and write out the food chain and which habitat you choose (on a separate piece of paper). You will create a scene of a food chain within its habitat. In your artwork and written assignment you must include:

-­‐ The  name  of  the  animal/plant  -­‐ Label  each  part  of  the  cycle  (producer,  consumer,  decomposer)  -­‐ Label  each  animal/plant  as  a  carnivore,  omnivore  or  herbivore  -­‐ Label  ONE  example  of  predator  and  prey    

Step 4: Share your project with the class

Name: __________________________________

Food Chain Test

Use the “Word Bank” words to fill in the blanks to the following questions. Answer all questions. Word Bank Words: Consumer, Producer, Sun, Carnivore, Prey, Decomposer, Food chain, Omnivore, Herbivore, Predator, Photosynthesis

1. A plant is called a ________________ because it is able to make its own food.

2. Plants produce their own food through the process of ___________________.

3. A living thing that eats other living things in order to survive is called a (an)

_______________.

4. All food chains start with the ______________________.

5. An animal that eats both animals and plants is called a (an) ____________________.

6. An animal that eats only plants is called a (an) _____________________________.

7. A living thing that breaks down and feeds on the remains of dead things is called a

____________________.

8. An animal that is hunted for food by another animal is called ___________________.

9. When one animal eats another animal, or plant, they both become part of a

____________________.

10. An animal that only eats other animals is called a ____________________________.

11. An animal that hunts other animals for food is called a (an) ____________________.

Resources    Day  1  Lesson  Plan  Resources:  Materials:  ● Photosynthesis  Worksheet,  found  at:  

http://www.education.com/worksheet/article/photosynthesis/  ● Animal  Cutouts  (Used  in  introduction)  ● Many  of  the  facts  and  information  on  food  chains  was  adapted  from  various  

websites,  including:  ○ http://www.wonderville.ca/asset/photosynthesis  ○ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain

/producersconsumers.htm  ○ http://www.education.com/worksheet/article/photosynthesis/  

 Day  2  Lesson  Plan  Resources:  Materials:  ● Who  Eats  What  by  Patricia  Lauber.  

     ● Herbivore,  Omnivore,  Carnivore  Worksheet  

 ● Many  of  the  facts  and  information  on  food  chains  were  adapted  from  various  

websites,  including:  ○ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain

/producersconsumers.htm  ○ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain

/producersconsumers.htm  Day  3  Lesson  Plan  Resources:  

Materials:  ● Predator  vs.  Prey,  by  Lee  Marten.  

   ● Predator/Prey  Worksheet  

 ● Many  of  the  facts  and  information  on  food  chains  was  adapted  from  various  

websites,  including:  ○ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain

/producersconsumers.htm  ○ http://sites.stedwards.edu/educationportfolios-­‐

jsvobod/files/2012/11/Predator-­‐v-­‐Prey-­‐Instructional-­‐powerpoint-­‐2d86ovp.pdf  

 Day  4  Lesson  Plan  Resources:  ●  Nature’s  Cleaners  by  Bobbie  Kalman  

 

● PowerPoint  presentation  retrieved  from  piers.wikispaces.com/file/view/Decomposers.ppt  (made  some  changes)  

● Jeopardy  Review  Game  (template  from  http://www.edtechnetwork.com/powerpoint.html)  

   

 Day  6:  Final  Test  Questions  for  this  test  were  adapted  from  the  following  website:  

   http://www.quia.com/rr/53234.html