16 Objective: Examine how food chains and food webs model the flow of energy in an ecosystem.

Read the passage and study the pictures. Use the information to

answer the questions.

Everytimeyourun,jump,orthrowaball,youareusingupenergyinyourbody.Afoodchainshowshoweachlivingthinggetsitsenergy.Forexample,asimplefoodchainlinksgrassplants,cows(thateatthegrass),andpeople(whoeatthecows).Eachlinkinthefoodchainisfoodforthenextlink.Afoodchainalwaysstartswithaplantandendswithananimal.

energy energy

Nowit’syourturntomakeasimplefoodchainusinganimalsandplantsthatliveinthesea.

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Box1 Box2 Box3

Food Chains: Who Eats Whom?

1 WhichofthesemightgoinBox1?

2 WhichofthesemightgoinBox2?

3 WhichofthesemightgoinBox3?

PlantsusetheSun’senergytoproducefood,sotheyarecalledproducers.Animalshavetoconsume(eat)foodtogetenergy,sotheyarecalledconsumers.Thelastanimalinafoodchainiscalledthetopconsumer.

4 Whichoftheseisaproducer? rosebush chipmunk monkey

5 Whichoftheseisaconsumer? owl mapletree appletree

6 Whichofthesemightbetopconsumer? human chicken grass

17

Study the diagram. Find the word that correctly completes each sentence.

7 TrueorFalse?Thewolfisatopconsumerinthisfoodweb.

8 Inthisfoodweb,theplantisthe■.

9 Inthisfoodweb,thesnakeisa■.

0 Thefoodwebshowsthatrabbitsandmicegettheirenergyfrom■.

- Thefoodwebshowsthatowlsgetenergyfromfrogs,mice,and■.

= TrueorFalse?Rabbitsareconsumers.Theygetenergybyeatingwolvesandowls.

Use library books or the Internet to learn about the types of plants and animals in your area. Make a poster of a possible food web using photographs and drawings.

Digging Deeper

producer False rosebush rabbits owl

human True plants consumer

Innature,differentfoodchainsareconnected.Thisiscalledafoodweb.Thedrawingbelowshowsafoodwebinaforestcommunity. Remember! The

arrows in the food chain and food web diagrams show the direction in which energy moves.