Ecosystems, Food Chains and Food Webs

Dear Educators,

Helping our students deepen their understanding of ecosystems and food chains will allow for an enriching learning experience. This topic can be engaging for our students, as it provides an opportunity to make connections with the world around them. This book is aimed for students of the fifth grade, however, it is important to note that other grades can benefit from this content as well. In this book, students will explore how ecosystems work, including the roles of food chains and food webs within an ecosystem. 

Objectives:

After exploring this book, students will be able to:

-Identify what an ecosystem is.

-Describe the two main components of an ecosystem.

-Explain the process of photosynthesis.

-Define food chain, decomposer, predator and prey.

 What is an Ecosystem?

What is a Food Chain?

What is a Food Web?

What is Photosynthesis?

What are Decomposers?

Predator vs. Prey

Lets Review:

Ecosystem- a group of living organisms within a habitat along with non-living components of their environment. There are two major components in an ecosystem, the first being abiotic and the second being biotic. Abiotic components are the elements of a system that are non-living (i.e. Air, water, sunlight, nutrients, and temperature.). Biotic components are the living organisms within a system (i.e. Plants, animals, fungi, micro-organisms.)

Food Chain- A model that explains how energy flows between living things.

Food Webs- Is all food chains in an ecosystem.

Photosynthesis- Is a process in which organisms take energy from the sun and turn it into chemical energy. Photosynthesis relies on three things: carbon dioxide, water, sunlight.

Decomposer- Living organism that breaks down the remains of dead plants and animals to get energy.

Predator- An organism that is consuming another.

Prey- An organism that is being consumed.

With a peer, discuss the following questions:

What is an ecosystem?

What are some examples of an ecosystem?

What are the two major components of an ecosystem?

What is a food chain?

What is a habitat?

How does a food chain work?

What is a food web?

What is the process of photosynthesis?

What is a decomposer?

Where are decomposers in the food chain?

What is the difference between a predator and its prey?