Food Chains and Food Webs - Balance within Natural Systems

What's in the water? Encourage your class to further explore this question and learn about pond ecosystems, food chains, and food webs as they complete this hands-on activity. They view the environment from a new perspective...

You are what you eat, as they say! Are you more starch or more protein? Young scholars use their knowledge of each component to test different foods for their content. Using multiple indicators, individuals describe the protein and...

The sustainability of an ecosystem depends on many factors and changes constantly. Young scholars consider these factors as they use a set of cards to create food webs. They review key scientific vocabulary such as predator, prey,...

It's a jungle out there! Young biologists journey to Darien, Panama to examine the intricate relationships between the organisms that inhabit the jungle. Groups begin by demonstrating an understanding of energy flow in ecosystems, then...

In spring, the Bering Sea turns green due to phytoplankton, which live at the surface, experiencing a population explosion. Groups of scholars play a food chain game, writing down food chains as the game is played. After five to six...

When a minnow eats a piece of plastic, that garbage often tracks through multiple animals, causing harm to each as it passes through the food chain. Scholars learn about food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids with a presentation. It...

Don't be rude to food! Scholars see the startling truth about food waste in a disturbing video. The series of statements from individuals around the country paints a picture of good intentions followed by wasteful habits like cooking too...

How come we don't eat worms, but we eat fish that eat worms? A video features the food chain and explains why a food web is a better explanation for biodiversity. It includes explanations of producers, autotrophs, consumers,...

Who eats who in the savannas of Africa? Explore trophic levels with part four of an eight-part series of lessons focused around Gorongosa National Park. After young explorers identify animals using trailcam images, they construct a food...

Food storage matters! Scholars learn how the amount of water in corn can affect its rate of spoilage. They create a control group, then test three corn samples stored in three different locations for water activity. As a result of the...