Target Level: Use models of food chains/webs to identify producers and consumers in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Precursor Level: Classify animals based on what they eat (e.g., herbivore, omnivore, carnivore).
Initial Level: Identify food that animals eat.
Vocabulary
producers
consumers
herbivore
omnivore
carnivore
food chain
Books Related to Topic
Reading A-Z Food Chains and Food Webs "The book Food Chains and Food Webs helps readers explore how living things are interconnected. It classifies organisms in several ways based on how they receive the matter and energy they need to grow, live, and perform activities. Organisms can be described as producers, consumers, or decomposers. Special species such as scavengers and parasites also play an important role in ecosystems. The book introduces food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids as graphical devices that can be used to demonstrate connections within an ecosystem. By visualizing the interconnectedness of species within an ecosystem, one can observe and understand population patterns, competition, and why each species has the adaptations it does. Finally, the book explains natural and human-caused ways that ecosystems can change."
Some animals eat both plants and other animals. They’re called omnivores. Red foxes eat some fruits, like berries and apples, but they also eat amphibians and fish. Blue jays eat seeds and acorns, but they also eat worms and even baby birds!
Aquatic Ecosystem
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water.
Terrestrial Ecosystem
A terrestrial ecosystem is a type of ecosystem found only on land forms. Six primary terrestrial ecosystems exist: 1. tundra 2. taiga 3. temperate deciduous forest 5. tropical rain forest 5. grassland 6. deserts