Food Webs
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to describe the flow of energy through food webs, beginning with the Sun, and predict how changes in the ecosystem affect the food web such as a fire in a forest.
Essential Understanding
The student knows and understands that living organisms within an ecosystem interact with one another and with their environment.
Science Background
Food Web Background: NY Sea Grant (website) - Within an ecosystem, there are many food chains that create food webs. Download the “Background” PDF files on this page to learn much more about different aquatic ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them.
Food Web Background
NY Sea Grant, www.seagrant.sunysb.edu
The Flow of Energy through Plants and Animals: FT Explorer (website) – Explanation of how the flow of energy through living organisms starts with the sun, and travels through food webs. Check out the links to pages about Energy pyramids and Photosynthesis Basics.
The Flow of Energy through Plants and Animals
FT Explorer, www.ftexploring.com
Signature Lesson
Food Webs: BioEd Online (website) - Students construct and describe possible food webs for six different ecosystems.
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Weaving the Web: US Department of Agriculture (PDF) - Students use pictures to construct food webs, which they use to describe the flow of energy through food webs and investigate the interconnectedness of food chains.
Weaving the Web
US Department of Agriculture
Food Chains: My Science Box (website) - By sorting cards representing herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, students review the concept of food chains and the roles of organisms in a food chain. Teacher background, setup information, assessments and resources are provided.
Food Chains
My Science Box, www.mysciencebox.org
Got Energy? Spinning a Food Web: TeachEngineering (website) - Interactive activity in which students model food webs by tossing a ball of string from one person to another.
Got Energy? Spinning a Food Web
TeachEngineering, www.teachengineering.org
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Food Webs: Science NetLinks (website) - Students examine the survival needs of different organisms, consider how the conditions in various habitats can limit what kinds of living things can survive there.
Food Webs
Science NetLinks, www.sciencenetlinks.com
Food Webs & Interaction Webs: University of Hawaii (PDF) - Helpful information, along with a related classroom activity about food webs and energy transfer.
Food Webs & Interaction Webs
University of Hawaii, www.hawaii.edu
Energy! From Food to Forces: Hawaii Coral Reef Institute (PDF) - Use Activity 5 (Web of Life) on pages 34-48 to create a food chain link that enables students to investigate the transfer of energy within an ecosystem. Includes student pages, assessment and extensions.
Energy! From Food to Forces
Hawaii Coral Reef Institute, www.hcri.ssri.hawaii.edu
Assessment Ideas
Food Chain Card Games: Virtual Teacher Aide (website) - Print out Food Chain cards for the different habitats. Ask students to use the detailed information provided on each card to build a food web including all components of one or more habitats.
Food Chain Card Games
Virtual Teacher's Aide, www.vtaide.com
Literature Connections
Food Chains and Webs. Delta Education (ISBN-13: 978-1592422579)
Exploring Ecosystems with Max Axiom, Super Scientist. Biskup, Agnieszka (ISBN-13: 978-1429611565)
Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs. Lauber, P. and Keller, H. (ISBN-13: 978-0064451307)
The World of Food Chains with Max Axion, Super Scientist. O’Donnell, Liam (ISBN-13: 978-0736868396)
Food Webs: Interconnecting Food Chains. Gray, Susan (ISBN-13: 978-0756532611)
Pass the Energy, Please! Shaw McKinney, Barbara (ISBN-13: 978-1584690016)
What Are Food Chains and Food Webs? Vogel, Julia (ISBN-13: 978-1602707962)
The Food Web of a Tropical Rain Forest. Reagan D.P. and Waide R.B. (ISBN-13: 978-0226706009)
Additional Resources
Create A Food Web: Virtual Teacher Aide (website) - General information about food webs, with links to information and illustrations that show how energy flows from producers to consumers in a variety of environments (desert, coniferous forest, temperate rainforest, etc.). Additional worksheets and activities are available through a subscription.
Create A Food Web
Virtual Teacher Aide, www.vtaide.com
Food Webs: Gould League (website) - Interactive site on which students choose, and create a food web for one of four different ecosystems, and then view an illustration showing the relationships among the organisms in the food webs they have created.
Food Webs
Gould League, www.gould.edu.au
Food Chains: BBC (website) - Interactive online activity in which students sort organisms in different ecosystems into food chains.
TEKS Navigation
Grade 4
Need Assistance?
If you need help or have a question please use the links below to help resolve your problem.
Comments