Roles within food chains
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create food chains and talk about different roles played by plants and animals.
Key learning points
- A food chain is used to show the order in which living things depend on each other for food.
- Each plant and animal has an important part, or role, to play in a food chain.
- Observations, books, the internet and experts provide information about what animals eat.
Keywords
Animals - An animal is a living thing which moves and eats other animals or plants.
Plants - A plant is a living thing that often has roots, stem and leaves.
Food chain - Animals eat plants or other animals. The way this happens is shown in a food chain.
Role - The part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.
Research - To research something is to find out about it, or investigate it carefully.
Common misconception
Food chains put living things in order of importance.
Explanation of interdependence of each living thing within a food chain.
Teacher tip
Children do not always know what different animals eat. Provide opportunities for them to research for themselves and discuss why different animals may or may not be suitable in each food chain.
Equipment
Access to appropriate secondary sources such as books, the internet, and experts to ask.
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - equipment
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A food chain always starts with a ...
Q2.Manatees eat plants on the seabed around them. This is known as ...
Q3.True or false. Animals can survive without food.
Q4.In this food chain the greenfly is food for the ...
Q5.Put this food chain in the correct order.
Q6.Put this food chain in the correct order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Put this food chain in order.
Q2.Food chains are made up of plants and ...
Q3.Izzy is making a food chain and wants to research what lions eat. What could she use to help her?
Q4.A food chain is used to show
Q5.Plants and animals play in an important role in food chains. What is a role?
Q6.Look at this food chain. What could happen if there were not enough cabbages for the greenfly to eat?
To help you plan your 2 science lesson on: Roles within food chains, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 2 science lesson on: Roles within 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 primary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.