Changes in food chains (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why a change to the population of one living thing can affect the population of other living things in the same food chain.
Key learning points
- The name or picture of each living thing in a food chain represents the whole population of that plant or animal.
- A change to one living thing can affect other living things in the same food chain.
- An increase or decrease in the population of a plant or animal can have an effect on the food chain.
- Changes in food chains may lead to animals and plants becoming endangered or even extinct.
Keywords
Food chain - A food chain shows how living things depend on each other for food.
Population - The population is the total number of something living in a particular area in a particular period of time.
Habitat - The place where a plant or animal lives is called its habitat.
Extinct - Animals or plants that have died out completely are extinct.
Endangered - An endangered plant or animal is one that is at risk of becoming extinct.
Common misconception
Pupils often think that the words and pictures in a food chain represent an individual plant or animal rather than populations of living things within a habitat.
It is made explicit within the examples in this lesson that each living thing named in a food chain represents a population of that type, or species, of plant or animal within a habitat.
Teacher tip
A walk in the local environment could be organised so that pupils can look for examples of real food chains.
Equipment
Pupils may wish to use age-appropriate secondary sources of information to find out more about changes in food chains, including endangered animals.
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.A caterpillar eating a plant is an example of ...
Q2.A blue tit eating a caterpillar is an example of ...
Q3.Which living thing in this food chain is both a predator and prey?
Q4.What is an environment?
Q5.The place where a plant or animal lives is called its .
Q6.What does it mean if a plant or animal has become extinct?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.True or false? This food chain means that one cabbage is food for one greenfly, which is food for one ladybird.
Q2.Which statement is correct?
Q3.True or false? A dramatic decrease in the population of a plant or animal can have a negative effect on the food chain.
Q4.True or false? A dramatic increase in the population of a plant or animal can have a negative effect on the food chain.
Q5.The population size of orangutans is becoming very small. How would we describe this population?
Q6.Changes in food chains may lead to animals and plants dying out completely and becoming .
To help you plan your 4 science lesson on: Changes in food chains (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 science lesson on: Changes in food chains (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability), 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 2 science lessons from the More about food chains unit, dive into the full primary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.