Grade4Science:LifeSciencesHabitats

FoodChaininaWetland

NBCurriculumOutcomes
3023
classifyorganismsaccordingtotheirroleinafoodchain
1046
demonstratethatspecificterminologyisusedinscienceandtechnologycontexts
20510
constructandusedevicesforaspecificpurpose
2061
classifyaccordingtoseveralattributesandcreateachartordiagramthatshows
themethodofclassification
2072
communicateproceduresandresults,usinglists,notesinpointform,sentences,
charts,graphs,drawings,andorallanguage

Technologyused:

ThestudentswillusetheclassiPadstoplayanonlinegame.Thestudentswillalso,in
theirtablegroupsplayasecondsimulationcomputergame.

Time
:2hours

Childrenspriorknowledgeandmisconceptions:
Studentsshouldbeawareofthebasicneedsofanimalsregardlessofthehabitat,food,
water,andshelter.Childrenmayunderstandafoodchaintobealinearrelationshipand
maynotviewitasaninterconnectedweb.Studentsmayalsobeunawarethatthefood
chainislinked(circle)throughdecomposersandproducers.Specificterminologywillbe
introduced:producers,consumers,decomposers,predator,prey.

EngagingQuestion:
Whatorganismsarefoundinawetland?
Whatisafoodchain?
Materials:Wetlandsbulletinboard,iPad,chart/posterpaper,markers

Procedure:

Studentswilldiscusswhatorganismsarefoundinawetland,theycanrefertothe
bulletinboardforspecificexamples.Theyshouldclassifytheirorganismsintoplantsand
animals.
Createalistasanentireclassofthepossibilities.

Reviewterminology:
Producer:
Plantsthatcancreatetheirownfoodthroughphotosynthesis.
PrimaryConsumer:Animalsthatcannotmaketheirownfoodsotheyneedtoconsume
otherplants/animals.
SecondaryConsumer:
Animalsthatconsumetheprimaryconsumer,etc.
Consumersincludeherbivores,carnivores,andomnivores.
Decomposer:
Bacteriaandfungithateatdecayingmatterreleasenutrientsandmineral
saltsbackintothesoilandisusedbyplants.

Modelanexampleofafoodchainusingthecorrectterminologyratherthanspecific
examples.Seeexamplebelow.
Havestudentsintheirtablegroupscreatetheirownmodelchartonchart/posterpaper.

Toensurestudentsunderstandtheproperterminologyhavestudentsworkattheirtable
groupsontheclassiPadstoplayanonlinegame.Thegamewillensurethatstudents
candifferentiatebetweenproducers,consumers,anddecomposers.
Game1:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/producersconsu
mers.htm

Exploration:
MakingFoodChains/Webs
Materials:Yarn,chat/posterpaper,markers,iPads

Procedure:
1) Havestudentschooseananimalorplantfromthewetlandsbulletinboard.
Studentscanalsoselectanorganismthatisnotonthebulletinboardbutwould
fitintoawetlandhabitat.
2) Havestudentsstandupandformacirclearoundtheclassroom.
3) Teacherholdstheballofyarnsaysthattheyarethesunandthattheyaregiving
thenecessaryenergyfortheplantstogrowandproduceenergy.Askwhich
studentswouldbethenextonthefoodchainbasedontheirneedforthesun
(producers).Throwtheballofyarntothatstudentandtheysaywhattheir
organismis.Theythenthrowtheyarntoallthestudentsthatareproducers.

4) Oncealltheproducersareholdingtheirpieceofyarntheythenaskwhowould
betheprimaryconsumers.Andtheactivitygoesonuntilallthestudentsare
holdingapieceoftheyarn.
5) Ifnostudentsaystheyareadecomposer,theteachercanpromptthemorfitinto
thisrole.
6) Havestudentslookattheweb,reflectandmakecommentsabouthowitisnot
justalinearrelationshipbutratheraninterdependentweb.

Intheirtablegroupsstudentswillplayasecondsimulationcomputergame:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/foodchain.htm

Afterpracticingtheonlinegamestudents(ingroups)cancreateaposterthatfitswith
themodelproducedintheengagingactivityusingspecificexamplesoforganismsfound
inawetland,theseorganismswouldbetheirchoiceandtheycouldrefertothewetlands
bulletinboard.
Theseposterswillbedisplayedintheclassroom.

Explanation:
Studentswillgiveashortpresentationoftheirtwopostersandexplaintheconnection
betweenthetwo(i.e.whatorganismtheychosetobeproducers/
consumers/decomposers)..Thiswillbeaninformalpresentationjustsothatstudentsare
communicatingtheirchartsinwordstotheirclassmates.Thisshowswhethertheyhave
anunderstandingofthetopicornot.

Elaboration:
Studentscanelaborateontheirlearningbycreatingfoodwebsratherthanjustfood
chainsintheircharts.Theycanalsolookuptheorganismsonlineandbecomemore
familiarwithdefiningattributesabouttheorganisms.Theycanalsousetheenrichment
centretoexpandtheiroverallunderstandingofawetland.

Evaluation
Theassessmentwilltakeplacethroughoutthelesson,theteacherwillobserveandtake
notesofcommonmisconceptionsandanymaterialthatneedstoberetaught.The
teacherwillmakenotesbasedonunderstandingoftheconceptsputontheposters.

Figure1:Anchorflowchartonpartsonafoodchain