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Now that you’ve explored how organisms obtain energy in an ecosystem, it’s time to create your own food chain model! Choose an ecosystem you find interesting—whether it's a forest, ocean, desert, or even a savanna. On a piece of paper, in Canva, Google Slides, or Google Docs, draw or insert pictures to represent at least five different organisms within that ecosystem. Label each part of the food chain, starting with the primary source of energy (usually the Sun) and working your way through the producers (like plants or algae), then the primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores or omnivores), and if you like, even the decomposers (fungi, bacteria, etc.). Be sure to show how energy flows from one organism to another, using arrows to connect them. Remember, a food chain shows the path of energy from one organism to the next—so think about how each part gets its energy!

Upload this to the padlet from Step 1 with your name and ecosystem as the title and add a written reflection. Continue reading for guidance:

Written Reflection:
After creating your food web, write a brief response (1 paragraph) to answer these three questions:

How does energy move through your ecosystem?

What would happen if one organism was removed from your food web?

How do humans impact energy flow in ecosystems?

Rubric:

Criteria for Success:

1. Food Web Accuracy:

Excellent (4): All organisms are correctly identified and placed with accurate energy flow.

Good (3): Most organisms are correctly identified and placed, with minor errors in energy flow.

Needs Improvement (2): Some errors in identifying organisms or energy flow.

Unsatisfactory (1): Significant errors in identifying organisms, placement, or missing key components.

2. Food Web Presentation:

Excellent (4): The food web is neat, well-organized, and easy to follow.

Good (3): The food web is organized but may have minor clutter or confusion.

Needs Improvement (2): The food web is somewhat disorganized or difficult to follow.

Unsatisfactory (1): The food web is disorganized and unclear.

3. Written Reflection:

Excellent (4): Clear, detailed, and concise response to all questions, demonstrating strong understanding of energy flow and ecosystem dynamics.

Good (3): Clear response, but may lack some depth or important details.

Needs Improvement (2): Response is vague or lacks clarity on some concepts.

Unsatisfactory (1): Response is incomplete, unclear, or missing key points.

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After practicing with the card sorting activity, you will now apply your knowledge by using an online tool to create a food web. This will allow you to visually organize the organisms and energy flow in your chosen ecosystem. Follow the steps below to complete your food web:

1. Access the Online Tool: Go to the provided website for the food web simulation. Make sure you have logged in (if needed) and are ready to start.

2. Create Your Food Web:

Drag and Drop: Using the simulation tool, select organisms from the available list (e.g., producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers) and drag them onto the workspace. You’ll need to select and place each organism in the correct order, starting with producers at the bottom.

Connect the Organisms: Use arrows to show the flow of energy between the organisms. Remember, energy flows from producers to primary consumers, then to secondary consumers, and so on. Be sure to make the connections clear and logical.

Organize the Web: Arrange your organisms so that the food web is easy to read. Producers should be at the base, with consumers and decomposers placed higher in the web.

3. Review and Edit: Double-check that all organisms are correctly placed and connected. Make sure the arrows are pointing in the correct direction to show the energy flow. Feel free to make adjustments as needed.

4. Export Your Work: Once you are happy with your food web, use the export function to save or download your work. You may need to submit the file or screenshot according to the assignment instructions.

This activity is perfect for practicing your understanding of food webs and ecosystems. It's also a great option for students who enjoy working with technology or need extra time to process the information. If you need help at any point, don't hesitate to ask for assistance!

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Activity: Build Food Chains & Food Webs | Platte Basin Education | PBS LearningMedia

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The interrelationship between species in the river, wetland, grassland, and woodland habitats of the Platte River prairie ecosystem is a complex, dynamic food system. By exploring food chains and food webs, you will discover how energy is transferred from one organism to another. All living things are connected.

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This engaging video clearly explains energy flow in ecosystems. It's captioned and includes visual diagrams that really help students understand the concepts. Duration: 8 minutes

Use this Google Document as Fill in the blank notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_1D7ROivSp2Q9sBA2zvmktDsXNC9baMsxA-OmHxHTbE/edit?usp=sharing

Teacher notes:

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Energy flow in an ecosystem  | Trophic Levels |

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Lesson Question: How is energy transferred through an ecosystem?

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Lesson Question: How is energy transferred through an ecosystem?

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By the end of the lesson, students can construct a food chain diagram that accurately represents at least three organisms, labeling each as a producer, primary consumer, or secondary consumer, and explaining their roles in energy transfer.

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Here's a set of high-contrast, clear diagrams showing different ecosystems (forest, grassland, ocean). This is a great diagram to look at when seeing how energy is lost from each trophic level. Use this as a reference diagram going forward in this lesson.

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Hello Students! I have created this Google Form as a pre-lesson survey.

Online and in-person folks, please complete this before moving on to the lesson.

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Google Forms - create and analyze surveys, for free.

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First, let's close our eyes and imagine we are in an ecosystem.

You can be anywhere in the world! Some examples are a forest, a lake, and even a savannah.

How are organisms interacting?

How are plants and animals obtaining energy?

Are they consuming food or do they produce their food?

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For today's activity, you will be working in small groups of 3-4 students. Each group will be assigned one ecosystem to study: either a forest, grassland, or ocean. Your task is to identify and categorize organisms in your ecosystem into four main groups: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers. Producers are plants or organisms that create their own food; primary consumers are herbivores that feed on producers; secondary consumers are carnivores or omnivores that eat primary consumers; and decomposers break down dead material and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

As a group, divide up the work based on each person’s strengths. One person might take on the role of identifying producers, another might research primary consumers, while others focus on secondary consumers or decomposers. Use the provided materials to find examples for each category in your assigned ecosystem, and create a visual chart or diagram that clearly shows the relationships between these organisms. Be sure to label each organism correctly and demonstrate how they interact in the food web. Once your chart is complete, discuss your findings and be ready to share your ecosystem with the class!

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Using colored index cards to represent different trophic levels:
Green = Producers (100% energy)
Yellow = Primary Consumers (10% energy)
Red = Secondary Consumers (1% energy)
Students physically arrange cards to show energy transfer.

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After completing your food web using the online simulation, you will participate in a group discussion to reflect on what you've learned and explore the impact of changes in the ecosystem. Use the following questions to guide your conversation:

1. What would happen if we removed one organism/level of the food chain?

Think about what would happen if one organism or group of organisms (like a producer, primary consumer, or secondary consumer) was removed from your food web. How might the other organisms be affected? What would happen to the flow of energy? Discuss the potential consequences of this change.

2. Do you think this would alter the food web the food chain interconnects to?

Ecosystems are often interconnected. If one organism or level is removed, it might not only affect your food web but could have ripple effects on other nearby ecosystems. Do you think this change would influence the way food webs in other ecosystems are structured or function? How?

3. Do you think this would positively or negatively affect the entire ecosystem?

Consider the overall impact on the ecosystem if one organism or level were removed. Would the ecosystem be able to adapt and maintain balance, or would it face disruptions? Discuss whether the removal of this organism would have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on the ecosystem as a whole.

Instructions:

Discuss as a Group: Share your thoughts and listen to your peers' ideas. Build on each other's answers and try to think critically about the consequences of changes to the ecosystem.

Take Notes: As you discuss, make sure to jot down key points from your conversation. You may need to reference these notes when writing your reflection or answering any additional questions.

Be Ready to Share: After the discussion, be prepared to share your group's thoughts with the class or submit a brief summary of your discussion.

This reflection and discussion will help deepen your understanding of how interconnected organisms are within an ecosystem and how removing even a single element can impact the whole system.

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After completing the food web activity and discussion, take some time to reflect on the concepts you’ve learned. Answer the following questions both verbally in your group and in writing individually.

1. How does energy move through your chosen ecosystem?

Think about the flow of energy in your food web. How does energy travel from one organism to another, starting with the producers? How do different levels of consumers interact with producers and with each other to maintain energy flow in the ecosystem?

2. What would happen if one organism was removed?

Consider the impact of removing an organism (whether it's a producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, or decomposer) from the food web. How would this disruption affect the other organisms in the system? What might happen to the flow of energy?

3. How do humans impact energy flow in ecosystems?

Reflect on how human activities (like deforestation, pollution, or hunting) might affect the balance of energy flow in ecosystems. What role do humans play in altering food webs and ecosystems? Do our actions tend to disrupt or maintain the natural flow of energy?

Instructions:

Verbal Reflection: Discuss these questions with your group. Share your thoughts and listen to others' ideas. Work together to deepen your understanding of the concepts.

Written Reflection: After the group discussion, write down your answers to these questions in your own words. Your written reflection should demonstrate your understanding of the flow of energy in ecosystems and the impact of changes within them.

These reflection prompts will help you synthesize what you’ve learned and make connections between the food web activity, ecosystem dynamics, and human influence on the environment. Be thoughtful in your responses and use examples where possible.

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For students who finish early or want an extra challenge:<br>Document the food chain in their backyard or local park. They can take photos, draw diagrams, or write descriptions of the organisms they observe and how energy flows between them.

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Group discussion -

Let's now all imagine a Michigan forest.

1.What is a plant that I would see in this ecosystem?

2.What is something that might eat that plant?

3.Does the plant eat anything?

4.How does the plant get energy to grow?

Make a post in this padlet answering those 4 questions and attempt making a list of how animals obtain energy starting with a producer like grass. It is okay to be wrong we want to work through this learning process together.