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the act or fact of living or continuing longer than another person or thing. b. : the continuation of life or existence.

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to become adjusted to new conditions

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a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g. forest or tundra.

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the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

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a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.

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the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

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a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

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a luxuriant, dense forest rich in biodiversity, found typically in tropical areas with consistently heavy rainfall.

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land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated land.

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a large open area of country covered with grass, especially one used for grazing.

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describes the role an organism plays in a community. A species' niche encompasses both the physical and environmental conditions it requires (like temperature or terrain) and the interactions it has with other species (like predation or competition).

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a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.

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refers to the largest of all groups in the classification of life.

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a stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical features.

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the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.

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an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other plants and/or animals to get energy.

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All living things need food to be able to survive. Food chains are one way to demonstrate how energy is transferred between plants and animals.

Food chains show the way in which energy is passed from the sun to plants which are then eaten by animals, who are then eaten by other animals, until you get to the top of the food chain. All energy comes from the sun, plants use sunlight to make their own food by a process called photosynthesis.

Plants are called producers as they make their own food and are the start of the food chain.

Animals are called consumers as they eat plants and other animals and are further up the food chain.

If one part of a food chain is reduced or changes, the whole food chain is affected. For example if there was a shortage of fish for penguins to eat, penguins would survive less well reducing the food supply for animals further up the food chain.

Marine Food Chain

Example Food Chains

sun - pondweed - tadpole - duck

grass - rabbit -fox

grass - rabbit - owl -snake - fox

grass - cow - human

carrot - rabbit - fox - lion

Fish - penguin - shark

Easy Food Chains for Kids

Build a food chain

Collect small toy animals and create a food chain with arrows.

Stack them up

Choose a food chain and print out images for each part.

Attach each image to a different sized tube. The tubes should fit inside each other with the widest at the bottom.

Fit the tubes together to make a food chain.

Make a paper food chain

Make a paper chain food chain!

We also love these food chain collages!

Food chain questions to ask

What is a herbivore?

A herbivore is an animal that eats plants. In a food chain we call the herbivore the primary consumer. It is the first consumer.

What is a carnivore?

A carnivore is an animal which eats other animals, in a food chain carnivores ( predators ) are known as secondary or tertiary consumers.

What is a predator?

A predator is an animal which kills another animal to eat.

What is a food web?

A food web is similar to a food chain, but shows a more complicated feeding relationship.

More Easy Science for Kids!

Learn about photosynthesis with a cress caterpillar.

Try one of our easy activities for science at home!

Learning Outcomes

Key Stage 1

Understand that all living things need food to be able to survive.

Key Stage 2

Understand the meaning of producers, predators and prey.

Construct and interpret food chains.

Understand that if one part of a food chain is altered it affects the whole chain.

Last Updated on April 28, 2020 by Emma Vanstone

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Simple food chain activity perfect for key stage 1 and key stage 2.

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an organism that creates its own food or energy.

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a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment.

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Of, pertaining to, or produced by life or living organisms (of an ecosystem). (2) Pertains to a living thing (such as plant, animal, fungus, etc.)

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An organism, often a bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem.

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Example of a Food Web Card given to a group of students to engage in this activity. 

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Disciplinary Core Idea(s)

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

There are many different kinds of living things in any area, and they exist in different places on land and in water. (2-LS4-1)

Students will pick a habitat and be given cards containing plants and animals that live in the habitat and practice identifying organisms of plants and animals, and what they need to survive. Students will create a weaved web with connections from an animal or plant to their food supply inside of their specific habitat.

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Compare differences among living things from different areas and discuss why those differences exist.

This is an example of investigations for students to do in the classroom by constructing models and evaluating adaptations of these models of organisms. This will allow students to gain knowledge about organisms and the environments they thrive in, and find out differences.

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1. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

2. Developing and using models

3. Examine connections between parts of habitats and how those connections contribute to survival - also examine percentages of habitats around the world to make a pie chart that includes all habitats.

Instructions for students to create their own food web poster of animals in a specific habitat. This includes content of labeling producers, consumers, and decomposers, living and non living things in a specific environment. This allows students to identify a biome, environment, and the organisms that live in it, and construct a model to demonstrate these findings through a rubric that NGSS standards apply to.

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Students representations of their habitat dioramas for their research project with identifiable labels of organisms in their habitat. Students include the climate of their habitat, land terrain, and plants and animals that adapt and survive in the habitat.

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Families can work with students to draw a picture of their habitat and who they share it with 

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Families can work with students to draw a picture of their habitat and who they share it with 

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This is a productive at home activity that students can work on with their families practice defining characteristics of a habitat, and how they survive in their habitat.

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At home videos to explore with families for accommodating students 

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At home videos to explore with families for accommodating students 

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https://youtu.be/p15IrEuhYmo

These are videos for student viewing at home that can be accommodated for students with learning disabilities, and non English speaking students with translation options. These videos cover characteristics of animal habitats, and where organisms live and thrive.

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Animal Habitats | Animal Homes | Animals video for kids |

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Students can be encouraged to go on a nature walk with their families to find outdoor habitats connected to their surroundings.

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Student Comparing Habitat Diversity with their surroundings 

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Student Comparing Habitat Diversity with their surroundings 

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With the right accommodations of weather and student needs, students will be given the opportunity to observe their surrounding and local habitats and observe the livings things that survive and live there, as well as analyze and make observations about the environment of the habitat.

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Example Science and Engineering Activity

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Example Science and Engineering Activity