Jennifer Doering

Grade Level: 4

I.
Academic Content Standards
Science 4.2, all organisms need energy and matter to live and grow
Science 4.2.b, producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers)
are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an
ecosystem
Language Arts RI 4.4, Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or
phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Prior Learning
Students know how to play Connections, the board game.
II.
Unit of Study
Food Chains and Webs - Students learn about the function and purpose of food chains, including
the role of different organisms as producers, consumers, and decomposers. Students learn the
interrelatedness of life in food chains and webs and the effects that organisms can have on each
other.
III.
Academic Learning Goals (outcome(s)/objective(s))
Students identify the role of a variety of organisms in a food chain.
Students demonstrate knowledge of the meaning of producer, consumer, decomposer, herbivore,
carnivore, and omnivore.
Students use subject-specific vocabulary words when describing new material.
IV.

Implementation
1. Introduction to Lesson + Motivation
Are you guys ready to add some more cards and questions to our board game? (Wait for positive
response. Question further if necessary) I have them right here! Theyre green today because
they have questions about science. Have you ever thought about where energy comes from? We
eat food to have energy and that energy comes from the sun. Today were going to learn how that
is possible by learning about the steps of the food chain and the function of producers,
consumers, and decomposers. Were going to read a short article about Food Chains and then I
have a worksheet for you to do while you wait for a turn to play Connections. Can I have a
volunteer to start us off?
2. Instructional Strategies
1. Introduce lesson (see above)
a. Add new cards to board game (questions focusing on new material)
2. Read Discovery File: Food Chains and Food Webs (attached) together as class (popcorn
reading), focusing on new vocabulary terms, herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore
3. Discuss the eating habits and roles of different organisms in a food chain as a class, focusing
on herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores

a. Producers (e.g. grass, grain) - create own food, provide energy for consumers (herbivores
and omnivores)
b. Consumer - Herbivores (e.g. caterpillar, cow, elephant, hummingbird) - eat plants, provide
energy for consumers (carnivores and omnivores)
c. Consumer - Carnivores (e.g. cheetah, frog, lion, snake) - eat animals
d. Consumer - Omnivores (e.g. ant, bear, human, pig) - eat plants and animals
e. Decomposer (e.g. earthworm, bacteria) - decompose dead plant and animal material, create
nutrients for producers
4. Dismiss students to play board game in groups of 4-6.
a. Instruct students to play 3 turns for each player, in the interest of time
5. Distribute worksheet (attached) for students to complete while waiting to play board game
6. Instruct students to work on other work if necessary
3. Closure
1. Have students return to their desks
2. Ask students what they noticed about the new cards for the board game (2/3 volunteers)
3. Ask students to share with a partner if they think common household pets (dogs, cats, birds,
etc.) are herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores. Ask for a few (2/3) pairs to share their answers
with the class
4. Ask students what they think would happen if one part of the food chain didnt function
correctly, such as a bear eating more than his fair share of fish, or if a large number of plants
suddenly died (in preparation for next lesson).
V.
Assessment
Review written worksheet to see if students can identify producers, consumers, and
decomposers.
Listen to student responses to questions for board game.
VI.
Materials
Article - Discovery File: Food Chains and Food Webs (taken from the Peabody Museum at
Yale University online database), one per student
Worksheet Food Chain Worksheet 1A (taken from The Food Chain Instruction Plan,
University of Maryland, 2005), one per student
Board Game

DISCOVERY FILE: Food Chains and Food Webs

A food chain shows a single, connected path of energy flow through an
ecosystem. Some animals only eat plants while some animals eat other animals.
A food chain shows the different levels of eating within an ecosystem. The
arrows show the flow of energy from one organism to the next. Most food
chains begin with the sun at the bottom. Lets examine the example on the
right.
There are three types of organisms in a food chain:
producers, consumers and decomposers.
1. Producers. These organisms absorb the suns energy
and convert the energy into food for themselves, allowing
them to grow larger, make flowers and fruit, etc. An
example of a producer is a plant, such as the flower in the
picture.
2. Consumers. These organisms, mostly animals, can be
split into a few categories:
Primary consumers only eat plants, so they are
called herbivores. The primary consumers in the
picture are the bee and grasshopper.
Secondary consumers eat primary consumers.
Many secondary consumers also eat plants, which
makes them omnivores (meat and plant eaters).
The secondary consumers in the picture are the
wasp and beetle.
Tertiary consumers eat the secondary consumers
and are usually carnivores (meat eaters). The
tertiary consumers in the picture are the frog and
snake.
Quaternary consumers eat the tertiary consumers
and are carnivores. The quaternary consumer in
the picture is the hawk. In this picture, the food
chain ends with the hawk, which claims the title as
the top carnivore.
3. Decomposers. These organisms turn dead material
(such as a fallen tree, or a dead hawk) into soil and recycle nutrients so they can
be re-used by producers to create food. Decomposers are not shown in this
picture, but they live underground where the flowers roots are. Decomposers
include earthworms, small soil beetles, fungi, and bacteria.