A food chain shows how living things depend on each other for food.

A producer in a food chain makes its own food.

A  predator is an animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals.

An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal is called prey.

Secondary sources are texts, images or objects created using information gathered by others.

Creating food chains

Science

In this More about food chains unit, pupils learn to identify producers, predator and prey in a food chain. In the Why we group and classify living things unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn that living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences

In the Introduction to food chains unit, pupils learnt to use the idea of a simple food chain to identify and name different sources of food. In this More about food chains unit, pupils will build on this knowledge to construct and interpret a variety of food chains

This unit involves constructing and interpreting food chains and identifying producers, predators, and prey. It focuses on asking questions, gathering and presenting data, recording findings with diagrams and charts, and using scientific evidence to answer questions and support findings.

More about food chains

Physical activity and equipment requiring safe use

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

How living things reproduce and have babies.

Where living things live in different parts of the world.

How living things depend on each other for food. 

What information can be used to create a food chain?

Which part of a food chain represents: "is food for"?

What do we call the living thing at the start of a food chain?

An animal that eats other animals or plants.

An animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals.

An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.

Match the type of animal in a food chain with its definition.

Laura carries out some research to create this food chain: mouse is food for a badger, badger is food for a bobcat. What is missing from her food chain?

We can research what food different animals eat to survive using {{}} sources of information.

Which living thing is the producer in this food chain? Tree → giraffe → lion.

Which living thing is a predator in this food chain? Rose plant → aphid → ladybird.

Which living thing is prey in this food chain? Plant → caterpillar → blackbird.

Which living things are consumers in this food chain?

carry out your own fair test investigation

Which of these could you do to use secondary sources of information?

Content guidance

Exploration of objects

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Adult supervision required

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Creating food chains

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.