DAY 1: Mini Unit

Mary Brennan

Dr. Scott Reilly

Field II Spring 2017

Mini Unit Assignment: Day 1 of 3

Title DAY 1: Direct Instruction Food Web

Subject Area(s) Biology
Grade Level 10th Grade
Summary of the Lesson Students will learn about energy
transfers within an ecosystem by
means of a food web.
Standards: (as applicable) Standard - BIO.B.4.2.1:
Describe how energy flows
International Standards through an ecosystem (e.g. food
National Standards chains, food webs, energy
Professional Organization pyramids)
Standards Standard - 4.1.10.C
PA Academic Standards Evaluate the efficiency of energy
PA Core Standards flow within a food web.
Describe how energy is
converted from one form to
another as it moves through a
food web (photosynthetic,
geothermal).
Essential Questions How does energy flow through
an ecosystem?
What are the trophic levels?
What is a food chain?
How does the ecosystem
affected if we alter the food
chain?
Objectives Students will be able to identify
how energy flows through the
DAY 1: Mini Unit

ecosystem by using appropriate

terminology.
Students will be able to classify
organisms in an ecosystem in
their correct trophic levels.
Students will be able to interpret
a food web.
Vocabulary: Trophic levels
Producers
o Autotrophs
Consumers
o Heterotrophs
Food Chain
Food Web
Estimated Time 50 minutes
Materials Required PowerPoint, Computer, projector, Food
chain worksheet, pens, pencils,
chalkboard/white board, whiteboard
markers/chalk
Procedure BEFORE:
Each professor may Ask someone to tell you what
choose to align this they had for dinner last night
section to his/her o Write human on the board
content areas. and then put a branch out
for each thing that the
This section will person ate at dinner.
include anticipated Emphasis that although we or
areas of differentiated our parents made the dinner, we
instruction. had to go out and get our food
Ask if anyone knows the word
used for an organism that looks
for their own food ( look for the
word heterotrophs or consumers
Ask if anyone knows the word for
an organism that can make its
DAY 1: Mini Unit

own food (look for producer or

autotroph)
Explain that the ecosystem is
made up of autotrophs and
heterotrophs and that our
interactions are how we receive
our energy to survive. say
what we will be learning
(objectives)
DURING:
Powerpoint
o Producers/Autotrophs
o Consumers/Heterotrophs
o We live in a self-sustained
ecosystem
o Types of Heterotrophs
o Trophic levels
Energy transfer
o Food Webs
Throughout PowerPoint, prompt
students to tell you examples of
autotrophs, heterotrophs, what
they think a self-sustained
ecosystem means
Ask students to think about
trophic levels Give a list of the
following organisms: Bear, deer,
grass, rabbit, cricket Have
students determine what level
each would fall into.
Use same organisms above to
construct a food web as an
example.
AFTER:
Distribute a premade worksheet
DAY 1: Mini Unit

on food webs for homework. (Will

have 5 scenarios)
o if have time, do the first
one together (modeling)
o Worksheet will have a list of
organisms and will ask
students to state whether
each organism is an
producer/consumer, what
trophic level they are in,
have them construct a food
web complete with
appropriate labeling arrows,
ask the students to write a
brief explanation as to why
they made the food web
like that.
o Explain that the work sheet
will be reviewed in class for
the next day.
Show them where to find the
Amoeba Sisters video Food
Webs and Energy Pyramids:
Bedrocks of Biodiversity on
YouTube Tell them that it is a
good resource in case they are
confused while doing the
assignment. Tell them that a link
can be found on the class
website.
Formative Assessment Formative assessment will be
measured by the means of in-class
questioning and answers by both the
teacher and students. It will also
occur by the means of the homework
DAY 1: Mini Unit

worksheet which will be evaluated at

the beginning of the next class.
Student Resources In-class PowerPoint will be
available for download online.
Class notes.
Food web Homework Worksheet.
Amoeba Sisters video Food
Webs and Energy Pyramids:
Bedrocks of Biodiversity on
YouTube.