Introduction to food chains
I can order different plants and animals in a simple food chain.
Introduction to food chains
I can order different plants and animals in a simple food chain.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Animals need food from plants and other animals to stay alive.
- A food chain is used to show the order in which living things depend on each other for food.
- A food chain begins with a plant.
Keywords
Animal - An animal is a living thing which moves and eats other animals or plants.
Plant - A plant is a living thing that often has roots, stem and leaves.
Living - Something that is living is alive. It can grow, reproduce, move, feed and get rid of waste material.
Food chain - Animals eat plants or other animals. The way this happens is shown in a food chain.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that the arrows in the food chain mean \"eats\".
Explain that the arrows in a food chain mean \"is food for\". Provide pupils with lots of opportunities to use this language.
To help you plan your year 2 science lesson on: Introduction to food chains, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 2 science lesson on: Introduction to food chains, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 science lessons from the Introduction to food chains unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - equipment
- Exploration of objects
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
An excellent climber that eats leaves.
Has great senses of hearing and smell to hunt for its food.
Often looked after by people who give it food.
Is carnivorous, eating mainly fish.
Exit quiz
6 Questions
