Consumers in a food chain
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify and name consumers in different food chains.
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.
Teacher tip
Pupils often do not know what plant or animal is food for another animal. It will be useful to have books / access to the internet so that children may carry out simple research to extend the food chains provided in the examples.
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.
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.
To help you plan your 4 science lesson on: Consumers in a food chain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 science lesson on: Consumers in a food chain, 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.