Flow of Energy through Trophic Levels
Flow of Energy through Trophic Levels
Objectives
In this lesson, students identify the roles of organisms in food chains and create food chains. Students will:
- describe the trophic levels in a food chain and a food web.
- identify the roles of various organisms in an ecosystem.
- construct an energy pyramid model and describe the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
Essential Questions
Vocabulary
- Ecology: The study of how organisms interact with their environment and with other organisms.
- Ecosystem: All of the organisms that live in a certain area and their nonliving environment.
- Food Chain: Steps in an ecosystem that show the transfer of energy as organisms are consuming one another.
- Food Web: A complex network of interactions that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.
- Energy Pyramid: A diagram showing the flow of energy through a food chain.
- Trophic Levels: The feeding levels in a food chain.
- Producers: Organisms that use inorganic material such as sunlight or chemical compounds to produce their own food.
- Consumers: Organisms that eat other organisms for energy.
- Primary Consumers (herbivores): Organisms that eat producers.
- Carnivores: Organisms that eat meat.
- Secondary Consumers: Carnivores that eat herbivores.
- Tertiary Consumers: Carnivores that eat secondary consumers.
- Omnivores: Organisms that eat both plants and meat.
- Decomposers: Organisms (bacteria and fungi) that break down decaying matter for energy and nutrients.
- Law of Conservation of Energy: States that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed.
- Ten Percent Rule: Only about 10 percent of the energy available in one trophic level is available to organisms in the next higher trophic level.
Duration
90 minutes/2 class periods
Prerequisite Skills
Prerequisite Skills haven't been entered into the lesson plan.
Materials
- three sheets of white paper, with a large arrow drawn on each
- scissors
- clear tape
- ruler
- Marine Energy Pyramid (S-8-9-1_Marine Energy Pyramid.docx)
- Energy Pyramid Activity–Student Version (S-8-9-1_Energy Pyramid Activity-Student Version.doc)
- Energy Pyramid Activity–Teacher Version (S-8-9-1_Energy Pyramid Activity-Teacher Version.doc)
Related Unit and Lesson Plans
Related Materials & Resources
The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan.
- Food Chains & Food Webs
www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
- Energy Pyramid interactive tutorial; forest, prairie, and ocean energy pyramid examples
www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/314/deploy/interface.html
- Pond Food Web interactive activity
www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/pond_activity.html
- A Food Pyramid in the Hot Desert Biome (shows kilocalories at each trophic level)
www.world-builders.org/lessons/less/biomes/desert/hot-despy.html
- A Deciduous Forest Energy Pyramid (shows kilocalories at each trophic level)
www.world-builders.org/lessons/less/biomes/deciduous/decpy.html
Formative Assessment
Suggested Instructional Supports
Instructional Procedures
Related Instructional Videos
Note: Video playback may not work on all devices.
Instructional videos haven't been assigned to the lesson plan.
DRAFT 05/16/2011