Daily TAKS Connection: Food Chains, Food Webs, and Food Pyramids

6.L.2 Understand the flow of energy through ecosystems and the response of the populations to the biotic and abiotic factors in their environment 6.L.2.3 SUMMARIZE how the abiotic factors (such as temperature, water, sunlight, and soil quality) of biomes affect the ability of organisms to grow, survive and/or create their own food through photosynthesis

(E) Investigate and explain the interactions in an ecosystem including food chains, food webs, and food pyramids.

Day 1
Construct a 3 door foldable

Instructions:

Food Chains, Food Webs, Food Pyramids

Materials:

1 sheet paper Scissors Pen Colored pencils/crayons Food web illustration Glue/tape

Hotdog fold a sheet of paper Hamburger fold the paper 2 times to evenly divide the paper into thirds Cut along the fold lines from the edge to the valley. Label the bottom of the flaps from left to right Food Chain, Food Web, and Food Pyramid Paste the picture of a food web provided onto the center flap

Day 2
Under the Food Chain flap, record the following: route for the transfer of matter and energy through an ecosystem arrows ALWAYS point to the organisms receiving the energy (food). Example:

Producer -> primary consumer -> secondary consumer ->tertiary consumer

Day 2 continued.
Under the Food Web flap, record the following:

shows all possible feeding relationships in a community at each trophic level. a network of interconnected food chains. The arrows ALWAYS point to the organisms receiving the energy (food). Under the Food Pyramid flap, record the following: Shows the relationship between food energy available at the trophic levels from bottom to top: producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer Less energy available at higher trophic level; most energy at producer level More pollutants at higher trophic levels

Question
In a typical forest community, plants are producers, rabbits are

primary consumers, and wolves are secondary consumers. Which diagram correctly represents these relationships?

Question

The difference in the size of each layer of this food pyramid is

primarily the result of the difference in

a. food choices of individual niches b. the amount of food energy at each trophic level c. oceanic zones of habitat d. the relative heights of the organisms

Question

Which of these groups of organisms would most likely have accumulated

the largest concentration of a long-lasting chemical pollutant in their bodies?

a. Phytoplankton b. Lake trout c. Zooplankton d. Gulls

Day 3
On the flap labeled Food Chain, draw a

food chain from the food web provided on the center flap. Be sure the arrows are pointing in the correct direction. On the flap labeled Food Pyramid, draw a food pyramid from the food web provided, placing the organisms at the correct trophic level

Day 3
For the food web provided,

name the: 3 producers 3 primary consumers 7 secondary consumers 5 tertiary consumers Note: Organisms may appear in more than one trophic level. Bonus: Which organism(s) is/are also a 4th level consumer?

Day 4
Construct a 3 door foldable

Instructions:

Herbivores, Omnivores, Carnivores

Materials:

Foldable handout Scissors Pen Colored pencils/crayons

Hotdog fold the handout along the fold line Cut the flap along the dotted lines Color the terms on the flaps, each a different color

Day 4 notes
Under the herbivore flap, record the following: Primary consumers only Consume plants (producers) Under the omnivore flap, record the following: 2nd level or higher consumers Consume both plants and animals Under the carnivore flap, record the following: 2nd level or higher consumers Consume animals

Day 5
For the food web provided,

name the: 3 herbivores 1 omnivore 10 carnivores Note: omnivores are also herbivores and carnivores Record the consumers under the appropriate flap of your foldable as examples of herbivores, omnivores, and/or carnivores

Question
According to this food

web, which of these is an omnivore?

a. Caterpillar b. Ant c. Deer d. Bird

Day 6
Construct a 3 door foldable

Parasites, Scavengers, Decomposers

Materials:

Foldable handout Scissors Pen Colored pencils/crayons

Instructions: Hotdog fold the handout along the fold line Cut the flap along the dotted lines Color the terms on the flaps, each a different color

Day 6 continued

Under the parasites flap, record the following: animals that live off other organism by harming it Under the scavengers flap, record the following: animals that eat dead animal carcasses Under the decomposers flap, record the following: mainly bacteria and fungi that break down and obtain energy from dead organic matter essential to the environment

recycle nutrients fix unusable nitrogen gas into a usable form which will be picked up by plants

Question
The picture shows a piece of

rotting wood. Which of these does the picture demonstrate?

a. Photosynthesis occurring b. Decomposers growing

c. Wood regenerating
d. Genes transforming

Day 7
Construct a 2 door foldable

Instructions:

Biotic vs, Abiotic Factors

Materials:

1 sheet paper Scissors Pen Colored pencils/crayons

Hamburger fold handout along fold line Cut foldable along dashed line

Day 7 continued
Classify the following ecosystems factors as

either Biotic or Abiotic

Soil Producers Air

Light Rainfall

Primary Consumers Water

Secondary consumers

Record the factors under the appropriate flap of

your foldable

Question

The table lists four groups of factors found in a particular

ecosystem. Which group consists of only abiotic factors?

a. Group 1 b. Group 2 c. Group 3 d. Group 4