TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

Teachers:
Subject:
Rachael Mack
7th Grade Science
Common Core State Standards:
Strand 4-Concept 3PO1. Compare the food chains in a specified ecosystem and
their corresponding food web.
Objective (Explicit):
ECOSYSTEM UNIT: FOOD WEB OBJECTIVES
Day 1:
SWBAT identify abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem
SO1- SW describe an ecosystem
AA- SW share out components of the desert environment that we live in
SO2- SW define biotic and abiotic factors
AA- SW observe a pond ecosystem and identify abiotic and biotic components
Day 2: SWBAT create a food web consisting of 5+ animals
SO1- SW define food chain and food web
AA- SW take notes in their journal from a presentation
SO2- SW illustrate energy transfer in a food chain
AA- SW draw an energy pyramid in their journals
SO3- SW create a food web by combining 2 or more food chains
AA- SW add organisms to a given food web
Day 3: SWBAT explain how food chains come together to make a food web
SO1- SW construct a food web
AA- SW use yarn to construct a classroom food web
SO2- SW identify different food chains that exist in the food web
AA- SW record 3 food chains that were part of the food web
Day 4/5: SWBAT differentiate a food chain from a food web
SO1- SW locate information on a particular ecosystem
AA- SW record abiotic and biotic factors of a particular ecosystem
SO2- SW identify a food web within a particular ecosystem
AA- SW illustrate a food web that exists within an ecosystem
Assessment Description: The students will complete an organism poster. They will
be assigned an animal and will research the ecosystem in which that animal
resides. They will have to identify the abiotic and biotic elements of the ecosystem,
a food web in which their animal exists in, and an energy pyramid of a food chain
within the food web.
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TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

Level of
Achievement

Description of Student Work

Exceeds

Students completed the meets requirements in

addition to explaining how their organism fits
into the ecosystem.

Meets

Students have identified the ecosystem, 5

abiotic factors, 5 biotic factors, a food web with
at least 5 organisms, and an energy pyramid.

Approaches

Student are missing one component of the

meets category

Falls Far Below

Students are missing 2 or more components of

the meets category

Sub-Objectives
SW define key vocabulary
SW identify abiotic and biotic factors of an
SW construct a food web
Key vocabulary:
EcosystemAll the living populations in
an area along with the nonliving parts of
that environment
AbioticNon-living component
BioticLiving component
Trophic level-- the position an organism
occupies in a food chain
ProducersOrganisms that make their
own food/energy

ecosystem
Materials:
-Vocabulary Presentation
-Yarn
-Organism necklaces
-Poster paper
-Markers/Colored Pencils
-Journals
-Pencils
-Computers/Cell Phones
-Smart Board
-Wildlife book
-Number cards (1 for each page number
of the book)
-Poster board/Construction Paper

ConsumersGet their energy by eating

other organisms (Producers and other
consumers)
DecomposersOrganisms that get their
energy by feeding on the remains or
waste of other organisms
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TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

Food ChainPath of food energy from
the sun to the producer to a series on
consumers in an ecosystem

Instructional Input

Food WebIn an ecosystem,

arrangement of several overlapping food
chains
Opening
Teacher will introduce the new unit. Ask the students to describe where we live
(desert).

Teacher

Student

Sub-Objective # 1) SW define
vocabulary terms (Ecosystem,
producer, consumer, decomposer,
food chain, and food web)

*Sub-Objective # 1) SW define
vocabulary terms (Ecosystem, producer,
consumer, decomposer, food chain, and
food web)

*Direct Instruction:
Open your journals to the next
blank page. Write the title
Ecosystems and Food Chains
Can anyone tell me what an
ecosystem is?
An ecosystem is all the living
populations in an area along
with the nonliving parts of that
environment.
This pond is an ecosystem. As
you can see, there are living
and nonliving components. For
example, the turtles are a
living component of the
ecosystem
Subobjective 2: SW identify abiotic
and biotic components of an
ecosystem
We call the living
components, biotic
components because bio
means life. We call the nonliving components abiotic.

*Student Expectations
Write title in journal
Write definition of ecosystem in
journal
Discuss components of an
ecosystem
Share out components of the
ecosystem
Write producer definition in journal
with examples
Write consumer definition in
journal with examples
Write decomposer definition in
journal with examples
Draw pyramid in journal and fill in
examples

*Sub-Objective # 3 SW construct a food

web

*Student Expectations
Write definition of food chain in
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TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

At your tables, try and name

10 components of the
ecosystem.
I want to hear one abiotic
component and one biotic
component from each table.
(Have student write them on
boardAbiotic= Air, sunlight,
rocks, water, log, dirt. Biotic=
Deer, turtles, frog, insects,
raccoon, plants, etc.)
Perfect. For today, we are
going to focus mainly on the
living components of the
ecosystem. We are particularly
focusing on how the living
components obtain their
energy. Organisms are able to
convert the food they eat into
energy. The way that the
organisms obtain their food
though can vary.
Within every ecosystem, there
are different rankings of how
the organisms obtain their
food. The first one is a
producer. Producers are
organism that make their own
food. Producers include plants,
algae, and bacteria. They
obtain their food by converting
sunlight into food energy.
The next ranking is a
consumer. Consumers are
organisms that consume other
organisms in order to obtain
energy. This can include eating
plants and/or animals. Some
examples of consumers are
bears, deer, bugs, sharks, and
humans.
There is also a third ranking
that is not as common. This

journal
Draw a food chain
Write definition of food web in
journal
Draw food web
Discuss difference between food
chain and web at table
Share out difference

TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

ranking is known as a
decomposer. Decomposers
feed on the waste or remains
of other organisms. While
some decomposers can also be
classified as consumers such
as a hawk eating a dead
rabbit. Some cannot, such as
earth worms, slugs, and fungi.
All of these rankings are
known as trophic levels.
Trophic levels are the hierarchy
of positions in a food chain.
The producer is the bottom
level, or starting point, and the
decomposer is the top.
I want you to draw this
pyramid in your journal and
provide examples at each
layer.
*T- Models:
Have open the presentation:
should be on slide with the title
Ecosystems and Food Chains
The slide has the written
definition on it
Provides visual of ecosystem.
Provides example of turtles
being a component
Provides definition and
examples of producers
Provides definition and
examples of consumers
Provides definition and
examples of decomposers
*Check for Understanding:
Students name the
components at their tables
teacher should circulate and
then call on groups for
examples
Students draw pyramid and
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TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

provide examples
Sub-Objective #3SW construct a
food web
*Direct Instruction:
These rankings are used to
compose food chains. Food
chains are the path of food
energy from the sun to the
producer to a series on
consumers in an ecosystem. Or
in more simple terms, the
order in which animals
consume one another.
Here are a couple examples of
food chains. As you can see,
there is not always one
consumer in a food chain.
There can be multiple
consumers.
As you know, some animals
eat more than one thing. As
shown here, there are many
different options shown. For
example, the mouse could be
eaten by the snake or the
hawk.
These variations compose
food webs which is shown
here. A food web is the
arrangement of overlapping
food chains that can occur in
an ecosystem.
At your tables, I want you to
quickly discuss the difference
between a food web and a food
chain.
What is the difference
between a food web and food
chain?
(Call on student to share)
Yes, the difference is that a
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TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

food chain only shows one
path of energy, and a food web
shows multiple options.
*T- Models:
Provides examples of food
chains
Show and explain food web
Provide definition of food web
*Check for Understanding:
Students discuss at tables the
difference between food web
and food chains

Differentiation Strategy
The definitions are provided visually and are accompanied with examples
Teacher Will:
Now that you know what food
chains are, we are going to work to
create our own food web. I am going
to give each of you a necklace with
an animal card on it. You will either
be a producer, consumer, or
decomposer. If you are unsure what
you are, ask the person standing
next to you. So, we are going to
stand in a circle and the producers
are going to each have a ball of yarn.
They will then toss the ball of yarn to
one of the organisms that consumes
it. Then that consumer can toss the
yarn to a consumer that eats it or a
decomposer. For example, the grass
can toss the yarn to the mouse and
the mouse can either toss the yarn
to another consumer such as the
snake or hawk OR it can toss it to a
decomposer. But, the yarn needs to
continue to be tossed until the chain
cannot continue. Then, the yarn

Student Will
Follow all classroom rules and
expectations
Listen to directions
Ask questions for clarification
Form a circle
Participate in creating the food
web.

TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

needs to go back to a producer and
the process will start over again.
When all the food chains have been
made, you will see how they overlap
to create the food web.
Teacher should assist in activity and
provide academic feedback.
Differentiation Strategy
The class will all work together, the cards also have pictures on them,
and they can ask the person next to them if they are unsure who the yarn
goes to next.
Teacher Will:
Student Will:
Now that you all have worked
Follow all classroom rules and
together to identify abiotic and biotic
expectations
factors and to create a food web, you
Listen to directions
are going to work in pairs to create a
Research ecosystems
Create a colorful and detailed
poster. You will first be assigned an
animal. I have a book of animals that
poster
reside in ecosystems within North
America. I have a bag of numbers;
each number represents a page
number within the book. You will pick
a number and the animal that is on
that page will be the animal that you
will research. On your poster, you
will have the animal name, the
ecosystem it lives in, at least one
characteristic of that ecosystem, 5
abiotic factors that exist in that
ecosystem, 5 biotic factors within
that ecosystem, a food web that
includes your animal, and an energy
pyramid from that food web.
I have created an example that you
can use for reference.
-Have students pick numbers and
assign animal
-Circulate and provide academic
feedback

TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

Differentiation Strategy
Students will be able to use their devices if they are unsure what animals
are able to be a part of their food web.
Closing/Student Reflection/Real-life connections:
Teacher will ask students to reflect on what they learned. They will need to
think of the food chain that occurred in the dinner they ate last night. For
example, if they ate a burger (Grass CowHuman)
Agenda: This lesson covers a span of 5 days
Day 1 and 2: Cover noteshave students identify biotic and abiotic components (Direct)
Day 3: Have students construct a food web out of yarn as a class (Guided)
Day 4 and 5: Students work on their posters (Independent)

Materials need for each day are below

TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

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TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

Animals used for yarn activityThis is the key for the teachercreate animal card necklaces as well (Can be
picture of animal or animal name)

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TROPHIC STRUCTURES: ECOSYSTEM UNIT WEEK 1

Assessment Example: Hippopotamus

Students can do electronic or paper (At teacher discretion)

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