Grade level 

4^th through 8^th grades 

(Note:  grades 4^th through 6^th will give a poster presentation; 7^th and 8^th grades will give a multi-media presentation)

Time frame  

One day (if no student presentations given)

Two days (if students give a poster presentation)

Three days (if students give a multi-media presentation)

Introduction

Imagine what life would be like without supermarkets.  You would have to hunt or search in the wild for your own food.  What would you look for?  What would you hunt?  What if you were being hunted?!  You are part of an ecological system called a food web.  Food webs are made up of food chains, which show what eats what.  Understanding food chains and food webs is a very important part of understanding the relationships between living organisms.  When one element of a food chain changes, for example, a decrease in a population because of pollution, all other members of the food chain are impacted.  Your job as an ecologist is to construct a food web made of three food chains (at least three organisms in length), and discuss a problem of and potential solutions for one of the food web’s players.  When you are finished, your group will present your food web to and share your analysis with the class.

Task

Whole group tasks:  Choose an environment (woodland, aquatic/marine, or African savanna), choose individual student roles, design and give a presentation

Individual Ecologist’s Roles:

Researcher:  Identify what the food chain players are (producers, primary and secondary consumers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers, predators, and prey)

Organism Expert:  Work with Researcher to select organisms for food chain and then compose biographies for each organism.  Be sure to indicate which type of player each organism is (for example, a consumer or producer, predator or prey).

Synthesizer:  Piece together the food chains.  Show the interrelationships among them and how their food web is formed.  (Use pictures if possible.)

Problem/Solution Guru:  Work with synthesizer to choose a “trouble spot” in the food web.  Describe the problem and offer possible solutions.  Work with Researcher to show how this problem affects other players.

 Resources

For an example of a food chain, click on:

http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Yupik/lessons/ecology/alaskachain.html

http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-16

http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/single_image/0,5716,71+asmbly%5Fid,00.html

For some additional definitions of food chains and food webs, click on:

Madsci.wustl.edu/posts/archives/mar98/889129527.En.r.html

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9034795/food-chain

Woodland Environment

Aquatic Environment (Marine)

African Savanna Environment

The Process

1.    You will be assigned to ecology groups of four students.

2.    Decide which environment you ecologists will examine.

3.    Once your roles have been chosen, use the resources provided to find information you will need to complete your task(s).  (For example, the Researcher will look at the suggested links and gather information on food chain players.)

4.       The Organism Expert’s job of choosing players is high priority, which must be done before the Synthesizer and Problem/Solution Guru can do their work.  (Note:  Doing the biographies can be done while the others work, but picking the players is to be done as soon as possible.)

5.       Once the players of the food web for your environment have been chosen, each ecologist can complete her/his task.  (For example, the Synthesizer can begin putting the food chains together.)

6.       Check with other group members to make sure your work helps them and that all your work fits together.  (Note:  if you are finished with your portion of the project, you should help other group members finish their tasks.)

7.       When each ecologist has completed her/his task, combine your work into a group presentation.  You will be expected to show your food web to the class using a multimedia slide show or poster presentation.  Each member will describe her/his findings to the class.

§         The Researcher will tell the class the differences between players in food chains.

§         The Organism Expert will tell the class about the animals in the group’s food web.

§         The Synthesizer will explain the web to the class.

§         The Problem/Solution Guru will explain a problem experienced by the food web, and give the best solution to the problem.

Evaluation

Your grade will be based on four things:  Teacher evaluation of individual work, group member evaluation of other members’ work, self-evaluations, and group presentation evaluation.                     

Questions that will be considered when calculating individual points:

Did the student participate and cooperate in group activities and discussions?

Did the student share her/his ideas and allow others to share their ideas in an open manner?

Did the student do her/his part of the project well?  Were all the tasks of her/his role completed?

Group presentation grading criteria:

Completeness of tasks

Neatness of presentation

Does each member contribute?

Rubric

Conclusion

Now you have learned the fundamentals of food chains and food webs.  You have seen how living organisms are connected and affected by environmental factors, such as pollution.  You knowledge of the ecological niche your group chose was demonstrated by your thorough research and organized presentation.

Teacher Resources

Handouts

The Process

Reseacher Worksheet

Organism Expert Worksheet

Synthesizer Worksheet

Problem/Solution Guru Worksheet

Equipment/Materials

Computers

Computer projector

Multi-media software (for 7^th and 8^th grades)

Poster-making materials

     Poster board

      Markers

      Tape/glue

      Pictures of animals (printouts or magazine cutouts)