Science: Food Chains and Food Webs
Tracing how energy moves through living things
Science: Food Chains and Food Webs
Tracing how energy moves through living things
Science - Grade 2-3
- 1
A simple food chain is grass -> rabbit -> fox. Which living thing is the producer, and how do you know?
A producer is usually a plant.
The grass is the producer because it makes its own food using sunlight. - 2
In the food chain leaves -> caterpillar -> bird, what does the caterpillar eat?
The caterpillar eats the leaves in this food chain. - 3
In the food chain corn -> mouse -> owl, which animal is the predator of the mouse?
A predator is an animal that eats another animal.
The owl is the predator of the mouse because it hunts and eats the mouse. - 4
What is the main source of energy for most food chains on Earth?
The Sun is the main source of energy for most food chains on Earth. - 5
A deer eats grass. A wolf eats the deer. Write this food chain in the correct order using arrows.
Arrows show where the energy goes.
The food chain is grass -> deer -> wolf because energy moves from the grass to the deer and then to the wolf. - 6
Look at this food chain: berries -> bird -> snake. Is the bird a consumer? Explain your answer.
The bird is a consumer because it gets energy by eating berries instead of making its own food. - 7
A cow eats grass. Is the cow an herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore?
An herbivore eats plants.
The cow is an herbivore because it eats plants. - 8
A bear eats berries, fish, and insects. Is the bear an herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore?
The bear is an omnivore because it eats both plants and animals. - 9
In a pond food chain, algae -> small fish -> heron, what might happen to the heron if there are far fewer small fish?
Think about what the heron eats in the food chain.
The heron might have less food to eat, so it may need to find another place to hunt or another food source. - 10
True or false: The arrows in a food chain point from the eater to the food it eats. Explain your answer.
Energy moves from what is eaten to the animal that eats it.
This is false. The arrows point from the food to the eater because they show the direction energy moves. - 11
A food web shows grass being eaten by rabbits, grasshoppers, and deer. What does this tell you about grass?
This tells us that grass is an important producer that gives energy to many different consumers. - 12
In a food web, a snake eats mice and frogs. An owl eats snakes and mice. Name one food chain from this food web.
Choose one path that shows who is eaten by whom.
One possible food chain is mouse -> snake -> owl. Another possible food chain is mouse -> owl. - 13
A grasshopper eats grass. A frog eats the grasshopper. A snake eats the frog. Which animal is prey for the frog?
The grasshopper is prey for the frog because the frog eats the grasshopper. - 14
Why are plants important in many food chains?
Think about what starts many food chains.
Plants are important because they are producers that make food using sunlight and provide energy for animals. - 15
Look at the food web: grass -> rabbit, grass -> grasshopper, grasshopper -> frog, rabbit -> fox, frog -> fox. Which animal eats both rabbits and frogs?
Find the arrows that point to the same animal.
The fox eats both rabbits and frogs in this food web.