Presenting food chains
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can present food chains in different ways.
Key learning points
- We can compare the producers and consumers, including predators and prey, in different food chains.
- A predator is not always larger in size when compared to its prey.
- Most food chains are presented with an arrow in between each living thing to represent ‘is food for’.
- A food chain can be presented in different ways, including using writing, pictures, or both.
Keywords
Food chain - Food chains show how living things depend on each other for food.
Predators - Predators are animals that hunt, kill and eat other animals.
Prey - An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal is called prey.
Consumers - Consumers in a food chain are animals that eat other animals or plants.
Present - To present information is to show or share it with others.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that a predator can always be identified by its size and ferocity in comparison to its prey.
This lesson gives examples of some predators that are smaller in size than their prey.
Teacher tip
Some pupils may need to carry out research using secondary sources to create their food chains. This lesson contains a diagnostic question on slide 16 - see additional materials for further guidance.
Equipment
Access to non-fiction books and the internet as secondary sources of information on what animals eat.
Content guidance
Exploration of objects
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these statements are true about producers in a food chain?
Q2.True or false? A bird is a producer in a food chain.
Q3.Jacob creates a food chain including a fish as a predator. Why can a fish be a predator?
Q4.Which food chain represents this information: toads eat water snails, water snails eat algae.
Q5.Izzy creates a food chain: cabbage leaves -> caterpillar -> bird -> cat. How many predators are in this food chain?
Q6.Sam creates a food chain: seaweed -> starfish -> crab -> octopus. Which living things are prey in this food chain?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What are we doing when we look for the similarities and differences between living things?
Q2.True or false? A predator is always bigger in size when compared to its prey.
Q3.The arrows in a food chain represents ...
Q4.Where should we draw the arrows in a food chain?
Q5.Which of these statements are true about presenting food chains?
Q6.Lucas has presented his food chain below. Match the living things with the correct roles in Lucas' food chain.
To help you plan your 4 science lesson on: Presenting food chains, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 science lesson on: Presenting 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 2 science lessons from the More about food chains unit, dive into the full primary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.