Dangers to food chains (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the impact on food chains when humans cause habitats to change.
Key learning points
- Some plants and animals in different food chains are in danger.
- Humans can cause the habitats of plants and animals to change by cutting down trees or hunting.
- When habitats change, the number of plants and animals living there may also change.
Keywords
Danger - Danger is the possibility of death or harm to something.
Extinct - Animals or plants that have died out completely are extinct.
Habitat - The place where a plant or animal lives is called its habitat.
Impact - The impact of something is the effect it has.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that different parts of a food chain are independent of each other and are not impacted by changes elsewhere in the food chain.
Clear explanation of how each part of a food chain is linked to other parts of the chain and how even small changes can have a big impact throughout a food chain.
Teacher tip
Observing food chains in the school grounds or local area will give pupils an insight into how small changes to a habitat can have a big impact.
Equipment
Pupils may wish to use age-appropriate secondary sources of information to find out more about dangers to 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.What is a habitat?
Q2.Which of these statements is true?
Q3.A robin eating a worm is an example of ...
Q4.A sheep eating some grass is an example of ...
Q5.Changes in food chains can lead to plants and animals dying out completely. This is known as becoming ...
Q6.Red pandas are at risk of becoming extinct. Which word do we use to describe plants or animals that are at risk of becoming extinct?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.If a plant or animal in a food chain is in danger ...
Q2.If an animal or plant is extinct ...
Q3.What is the name for the place where a plant or animal lives?
Q4.How can humans cause the habitats of plants and animals to change?
Q5.When habitats change ...
Q6.Izzy's mum collects snails and removes them from the garden. What impact could this have on a food chain in this habitat?
To help you plan your 4 science lesson on: Dangers to 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: Dangers to 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.