IOWA 4-9 SCIENCE PROJECT

TEACHERS GUIDE for: Food Chains Reta Lemon
ECOLOGY.463 Grades 4-6

CONCEPT OBJECTIVES:
Through this activity students will understand the components, and the vocabulary of a food chain and be able to create a food chain for a variety of "critters." The vocabulary will include: Producer, 1st, 2nd, 3rd order Consumer, Herbivore, Carnivore, Omnivore and Decomposer.

PROCESS OBJECTIVES:
Students will develop observing, classifying and recording skills.

TEACHER NOTES:
This is the third in a series of cycles, Ecology.461 Sun, Air, Water, and Soil (S.A.W.S.), Ecology.462 Food Webs, Ecology.463 Food Chains and Ecology.464 Habitats.
Collect and post a large variety of pictures of "critters" (any living organisms that the students are familiar with from insects to birds). The National Wildlife week packets contain 16 picture posters that can be separated and used for this purpose. Over a number of years a wide variety of pictures can be collected from this one source. Laminate them for extending their life.
Old Ranger Rick, World, and old National Geographic are also good sources of many varieties of animal pictures.
Take at least one class period and discuss how these critters are alike, different, similar, and what their basic needs are.
Compare teeth, beaks, feet, claws, eyes, and discuss what each eats and who eats them.
Introduce the words, producer, and consumer, and remind the students of herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and decomposers and the role of each in the environment. (The last four words would have been introduced most likely in 2nd or 3rd grades.
Have students classify animal pictures that would fit into each of these groups and determine if the animal was then a producer or consumer or both.

MATERIALS:
Each group of two students.
Clip and clipboard or hard writing surface
1 sheet of typing paper
1 pencil

EXPLORATION:
Direct the students to turn the paper sideways and fold it into four long parts. Label 1. Critter, 2. Evidence, 3. Herb., Carn., Omn., Decom. 4. Producer, Consumer. Then attach to clipboard.
Take the students for an investigative walk through an area not generally used for playgrounds. They are find as much evidence as possible of the "critters" that have visited the area. The walk should include a variety of habitats, including but not limited to:
1. An open sandy area where there could be bird and or deer prints.
2. Stream bank for evidence of birds, raccoon, frogs and fish.
3. Woodland for woodpeckers, insects, squirrel, beetles.
4. Edge of the woods for spiders, woodchuck, turtles.
5. Open meadow for ground squirrels, butterflies, robins.

The students recording sheet would look like this:

1. Critter 2. Evidence 3. Herb, Omn, Carn, Decom. 4. Pro, Con.
Robin Saw it. Carn., Omn. Con.
Deer Tracks Herb. Both
Beetle Watched Decom. Both

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT:
Bring the students together and discuss the findings from the investigative walk.
List their critters in a column on the board, overhead, or large tag board attached to the wall.
After the column of critters list its part in the food chain Producer, Herbivore, Carnivore, Omnivore, or Decomposer.
Next determine if it a consumer or producer or both and what level of consumer it is. (all living things which eat others are consumers. The level is determined by how far from the green plant the critter is. You are a first level consumer if you eat the plant, a second level if you eat the animal that eats the plant, a third level if you eat the critter that eats the critter that eats the plant.)
Students must be able to defend their judgments for kind of animal, whether it is a producer or consumer and the level of consumer.
Discuss further with them their own role in a food chain and determine what kind of critter they are, what their role is, and what level consumer they are.
Discuss the results if one part of the food chain is destroyed.

APPLICATION:
Before starting this part of the cycle have the following materials available for the students to use:
1. Scissors, pencils, and crayons.
2. 1 tagboard oval shape, 6" x9" x1" with the center cut out for each student to use for a pattern for the chain link.
3. 5 pieces of tagboard cut 6" x 9' for each student.
4. Hole punch and yarn

Each student will create a food chain mobile. Each chain will contain the five basic links, S.A.W.S.(Sun, Air, Water, Soil) as discussed in Cycle 1, Producer, Herbivore, Carnivore/Omnivore, and Decomposer.
The order of the links must be as listed above.
First, the students trace around the link pattern on both sides of their tagboard.
Cut around the outside edge but do not cut out the center of the link.
Label each of the links in felt tip fine line marker.
They:
1. decide what "critter" they want to be."
2. decide what role they play (what link they are)."
3. draw themselves in the correct link."
4. then draw the other links of their food chain, on both sides of the tagboard." (Mobiles can be seen from both sides.)
Punch holes in the links so that they can be tied to each other with the S.A.W.S. coming first and the Decomposer as number five.
Hang with yarn to a paper clip to the ceiling when finished.

EVALUATION:
Teacher observations, recording sheets from the exploration activity and the results of the application activity are all valid ways of evaluating the students.