Lesson Plan # 1

Food Chain Lesson Plan

Students Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Explain what a food chain is

 Differentiate a food chain from a food web
 Discuss key factors, processes, and components involved in a food chain
 Identify trophic levels of a food chain

Length
30 minutes to 1 hour

Materials
 White board or chalk board
 Dry erase markers or chalk
 Notebook or plain paper
 Pens or pencils
 Tablets, computers or projector to access lesson

Curriculum Standards
 flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table

Methodology:
 food chain
 primary producer
 primary consumer
 secondary consumer
 photosynthesis
  trophic levels

Presentation
 A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms and
ending at an apex predator species, detritivores, or decomposer species. A food chain also
shows how organisms are related to each other by the food they eat. Each level of a food
chain represents a different trophic level.

Begin by asking students to read the introduction, Food Chains and Food Webs, and Sources
of Energy sections from the study.com text lesson What is a Food Chain?- Examples,
Overview

 Ask students to stop reading when they reach the Trophic Levels section.
 Using a white board or chalk board, demonstrate for the class how what they eat is part of a
food chain by sketching out the following pattern on the board:

Sun>grass>Rabbit>Snake>Hawk> Decomposers
 Explain to students how the food chain transfers energy.
 Using notebook paper and pens or pencils, have students sketch out a personal food chain
based on what they have eaten today.
 Now have the students read the Trophic Levels section and the Examples of Food Chains
sections of the lesson.
 Using the diagram on the board, ask the students to help you identify the primary producer,
primary consumer, the instance of photosynthesis, and the secondary consumer.
 Now ask students to label the trophic levels of their personal food chains.
 Upon completion of labeling the trophic levels, students should complete the quiz
associated with the lesson.

. Home Work:

Describe food chain with examples.