Consumers in a food chain
I can identify and name consumers in different food chains.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A food chain shows how living things depend on each other for food. The arrows in a food chain represent 'is food for'.
- Animals do not make their own food. They need to hunt or find plants or other animals to eat to survive.
- Animals are called consumers in a food chain because they eat plants or other animals.
- The first consumer in a food chain (primary consumer) can be a herbivore or an omnivore.
- Consumers are not arranged in order of importance, rather they all depend on each other for survival.
Keywords
Food chain - A food chain shows how living things depend on each other for food.
Producer - A producer in a food chain makes its own food.
Consumer - A consumer in a food chain is an animal which eats other animals or plants.
Herbivore - A herbivore is an animal which eats only plants.
Omnivore - An omnivore is an animal which eats both plants and other animals.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that the consumers in a food chain are organised in order of importance.
This lesson focuses on food chains showing how living things depend on each other for food. Individual living things in a food chain are just as important as each other.
Equipment
Pupils may wish to draw their food chains so will need access to pens, pencils, rulers and paper.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What do we use in a food chain that represents 'is food for'?
Q2.Which of these living things would be food for a fox?
Q3.Which of these living things would be food for a cat?
Q4.Food chains start with ...
Q5.A plant is known as a in a food chain.
Q6.Match the type of animal with what food it eats.
eats only other animals
eats only plants
eats other animals or plants
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does a food chain show?
Q2.What does the arrows in this food chain show?
Q3.Which of the statements below are correct?
Q4.Animals in a food chain are called because they eat plants or other animals.
Q5.The first consumer (primary consumer) in a food chain can be ...
Q6.True or false? Consumers are arranged in a food chain in order of how important they are.
