Food Chains
Construct and interpret a variety of food chains in different areas of the world. Use games to help identify the producers, predators and prey.
This topic is included in the Year 4 programme of study within animals, including humans but could be taught when learning about living things. When looking at changing environments and the impact this may have on one of the links within a food chain.
Dinner at the Reef: Food Chains (Age 7 to 11)
A game which explores food chains in a marine environment, and highlights the fine balance of an ecosystem. The resources include teachers notes and students activity sheets. They could be used as an introduction to foood chains or as a game to consolidate learning
BBC Schools Food Chains
An interactive activity where Deadly 60's Steve shows children about food chains. There are many other interactive activities on this website which children will find stimulating and which help consolidate learning about food chains and habitats.
Web of Wildlife (Age 7 to 11)
Work in small groups to identify and construct food chains within five different habitats. These are British woodland, British coastal waters and the less familiar habitats of African savannah, Arctic tundra and Antarctic. There is also a key words activity in which children become familiar with the key scientific vocabulary used in the topic.
Whilst teaching about food chains it may be confusing to say that energy is passed along food chains, as it is biomass (biological material). At each level most of the biomass is used by the animal as fuel, and some is used to build the cells of the animal. Food has to be respired (with oxygen) to transfer energy.
Habitats and Food Chains - Fox and Hedgehog
A short video clip which is a useful starter when teaching foodchains. A fox, a caterpillar and a carrot talk about what they eat, showing how animals and plant life are reliant on one another to survive.The video ends with a question designed to provoke a Key Stage Two classroom discussion on the food chain.
