FOOD CHAINS

S C I E N C E WOR KS H E E T

Food Chains: Understanding the Flow of Energy in Ecosystems

In any ecosystem, all living things are interconnected in one way or another. Food chains show the flow of
energy from one organism to another. Plants, which are the primary producers, form the base of the food
chain, followed by herbivores, then carnivores and, finally, top predators.

Let’s start with the primary producers. Plants are essential to all food
chains. They use energy from the sun to create their own food through
a process called photosynthesis. Without plants, there would be no food
chain, and life as we know it would not exist.

Herbivores are animals that eat plants. They rely on the primary
producers for food. Examples of herbivores include rabbits, deer, and
cows.

Carnivores are animals that eat other animals. They are the secondary
consumers in a food chain. Examples of carnivores include lions, wolves,
and snakes.

Top predators are the animals that sit at the top of the food chain. They are at the highest trophic level,
and they don’t have any natural predators. Examples of top predators include sharks, eagles, and
crocodiles.

Food chains can be simple or complex, depending on the number of

organisms involved. For example, a simple food chain might consist of
grass, a grasshopper, and a bird. The grasshopper eats the grass, and the
bird eats the grasshopper. In this case, the grass is the primary producer,
the grasshopper is the primary consumer, and the bird is the secondary
consumer.

A more complex food chain might involve several trophic levels. For
example, in a forest ecosystem, the food chain might start with trees as
primary producers, followed by insects, then small mammals like
squirrels, and finally, larger predators like owls or hawks.

One thing to keep in mind is that the energy in a food chain is not always
efficiently transferred from one level to the next. Only a small amount of the
energy in a plant is transferred to the herbivores that eat it, and even less is
transferred to the carnivores that eat the herbivores. This is why there are
usually fewer top predators than primary producers.

In conclusion, understanding food chains is crucial to understanding how energy flows through an
ecosystem. It also helps us appreciate the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of
protecting our natural resources.
Comprehension questions

1. What is a food chain?

a. A group of people eating together.
b. A sequence of organisms in which each feeds on the one below it.
c. A chain made of food items.

2. Which of the following is a primary producer in a food chain?

a. A rabbit
b. A lion
c. A plant

3. What is a carnivore in a food chain?

a. An animal that eats plants
b. An animal that eats other animals
c. An animal that eats both plants and animals

4. What is the role of top predators in a food chain?

a. To supply food for other organisms.
b. To regulate the population of other organisms.
c. To create new organisms.

5. How is energy transferred in a food chain?

a. From primary consumers to primary producers
b. From secondary consumers to primary consumers
c. From primary producers to primary consumers to secondary consumers to top predators

Activity: Make a food chain

Materials:
• Half of a colored paper
• Markers, colored pencils or crayons
• Scissors
• Glue
• Worksheet with pictures of organisms

Procedure:
• Work with your partner sitting next to you.
• Color the organisms in your worksheet.
• Cut out the pictures of the organisms.
• Rearrange the pictures to make 2 different food
chains.
• Fold the colored paper in half and paste the
pictures of the animals on each side (as shown).
• Add the arrows to show the flow of energy to
complete your food chains!
Falcon Sunflower Sparrow Caterpillar

Sardine Zooplankton Phytoplankton Dolphin

Falcon Sunflower Sparrow Caterpillar

Sardine Zooplankton Phytoplankton Dolphin