Stage 1

Established Goal:
Science Standard 3.5
The student will investigate and understand relationships among organisms
in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include
a) producer, consumer, decomposer;
b) herbivore, carnivore, omnivore; and
c) predator and prey

Essential Question:
1. How might we confirm the relationships among living organisms?
(Explanation)
2. How do food chains relate to me/us? (Interpretation)

Essential Understandings:
Students will understand that
1. Living organisms depend on each other for survival.
2. We hold an important place in food chains and our actions can impact
other living organisms.
Key knowledge & skills
Students will know
Food Chain: A food chain shows how living
things rely on each other for food and how
energy is moved from one living thing to
another. It shows how each living thing gets
food and how nutrients and energy are passed
from creature to creature.
o A food chain shows food relationships
among plants and animals in a specific
area or environment
o Food chains begin with plant-life, and end
with animal life. Some animals eat plants
and some animals eat other animals.
o A food chain is part of a food web.
o Terrestrial food chains:
Plant Grasshopper Mouse
Snake Hawk

Students will be able

to
Describe what makes
a food chain

Design a food chain

Describe what makes

a food web

Make predictions
about what would
happen to a food
chain if an organism
was removed

Flower Caterpillar Frog

Snake Owl
Phytoplankton Zooplankton
Herring Tuna Killer Whale
Desert plant Kangaroo rat
snake Desert fox
Plant Deer Bear
Plant insect Skunk
Grasses Zebra Lion Vulture
Leaves Giraffe Lion
Grass Cow Human
Plant Deer Human
o Aquatic food chains:
Phytoplankton Krill Herring
Bass
Phytoplankton Cod Leopard
seal Killer whale
Phytoplankton Zooplankton
Herring Tuna Killer whale
Algae Shrimp Arctic cod
Ringed seal Polar bear
Algae Clams Sunfish Bass
Human
Phytoplankton Small crustaceans
Herring Mackerel Shark
Plankton Forage fish (smelt,
alewife, chub) Salmon Human
Food Web: A food web is a group of connected
food chains.
o Food webs show how plants and animals
are connected in many ways to help them
all survive. Food chains follow just one
path of energy as animals find food.
o Examples:
1. Phytoplankton Mayfly Frog
Snake; Phytoplankton Dragonfly
Salamander Snake;
Phytoplankton Trout Bald
Eagle; Phytoplankton Trout
Human; Phytoplankton Dragonfly
Frog Snake; Phytoplankton
Mayfly Trout Human
2. Phytoplankton Zooplankton
Fish Shark Human;

Determine cause and

effect relationships
between human
actions and their
impact on the food
chain.

Draw conclusions on
the influence of
humans on food
chains and support
conclusions using
examples.

Debate the positive

and negative impacts
of humans on food
chains

Classify organisms
based on diet

Classify organisms
based on their position
in food chains

Evaluate the role

organisms play in a
food chain

Phytoplankton Zooplankton
Fish Seagull; Phytoplankton
Zooplankton Fish Human;
Phytoplankton Fish Human;
Phytoplankton Fish Seagull
Phytoplankton Fish Shark;
Phytoplankton Mussels
Human; Phytoplankton Mussels
Seagull; Phytoplankton
Mussels Starfish Shark
Human; Phytoplankton Mussels
Octopus Human;
Phytoplankton Mussels
Octopus Shark; Algae Limpets
Octopus Human; Algae
Limpets Octopus Shark; Algae
Limpets Starfish Shark
Human; Algae Limpets Shark
Human
3. Grass Mouse Snake Hawk;
Grass Mouse Hawk; Grass
Rabbit Hawk; Grass
Grasshopper Lizard Hawk;
Grass Grasshopper Hawk
Organism: Organism refers to all living things.
o Terrestrial organisms: Organisms that live
predominantly or entirely on land (e.g.
dogs, bears, ants).
o Aquatic organisms: Aquatic organisms
live predominantly or entirely in water
(e.g. fish, lobsters, octopuses)
Producer: Plants are producers. This is because
they produce energy for the ecosystem.
o Photosynthesis: Plants use light energy
from the Sun, carbon dioxide from the air
and water from the soil to produce food
in the form of glucose/sugar.
Consumer: Animals are called consumers. This
is because they cannot make their own food, so
they need to consume (eat) plants and/or
animals.
o 3 types of consumers:
Herbivore: Animals that eat only
plants
Grasshopper
3

Form an opinion about

how food chains relate
to their personal lives.

Caterpillar
Rat
Deer
Zebra
Giraffe
Cow
Shrimp
Clams
Carnivore: Animals that eat only
animals
Lion
Hawk
Owl
Killer whale
Fox
Snake
Vulture
Bass
Polar bear
Shark
Omnivore: Animals that eat both
animals and plants
Human
Bear
Fox
Raccoon
Decomposer: Decomposers eat decaying
matter dead plants and animals and in the
process they break them down and decompose
them. When that happens, they release
nutrients and mineral salts back into the soil.
o Terrestrial Decomposers
Earthworm
Beetle
Millipede
Mushrooms
Slugs
Snails
o Aquatic Decomposers
Shrimp
Crabs
Clams

Predator: An animal that kills and eats other

animals for food.
o Terrestrial Predators
Coyote
Lion
Rattlesnake
Fox
Owl
Bear
o Aquatic Predators
Shark
Killer whale
Polar bear
Prey: Animals that are food for other animals.
A prey animal is usually smaller and less
powerful than the predator that eats it.
o Many animals are both predators and
prey animals.
o Terrestrial Prey
Deer
Zebra
Giraffe
Rat
Mouse
Snake
o Aquatic Prey
Shrimp
Clams
Salmon
Cod
Humans are at the top of the food chain.
Generally, humans are omnivores.
o Some humans are vegetarians, which
means they only eat plants.
Human actions can greatly impact food chains.
o Examples of negative human actions
include harmful pesticides, over-hunting,
and the introduction of invasive species.
Pesticide: A chemical used to
prevent, destroy, or repel pests.
Example: DDT
Over-hunting and overfishing
Polar Bears: Excessive

hunting for polar bears hides,

meat, fat, and flesh have
reduced their numbers
Great White Shark: Shark fin
is a delicacy for many in the
world. Great white sharks
are the largest predatory fish
on Earth but they are the
victims of finning by
fisherman, essentially
stripping the fins from the
shark and then tossing them
back in the water
Invasive species: Plants or animals
that are non-native (alien) to the
ecosystem and whose introduction
causes or is likely to cause harm.
Examples: Feral pigs, Cane Toad,
rabbits, bamboo, thistle
Invasive species can change
the food web in an ecosystem
by destroying or replacing
native food sources.
o Examples of positive impacts include:
Protecting and preserving habitats
With the creation of the
National Park Service,
National Wildlife Refuge
System, and state-managed
wilderness area, unique
ecosystems have been
preserved

Focusing on Big Ideas to Frame Essential Questions

1. What is my content and SOL? (write it out)
Science Standard 3.5
The student will investigate and understand relationships among
organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include
a) producer, consumer, decomposer;
b) herbivore, carnivore, omnivore; and
c) predator and prey
2. Answer either question:

So what if I never learned _____ (whats the impact of not knowing your
unit)?

If my unit on ______ were a story, what would the moral of the story be?
Science Standard 3.5: If my unit on the relationships among
organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains were a story, the moral
would be that life is interdependent. Life is organized into a hierarchy,
with humans at the top. Human actions, whether small or large, ripple
down through the hierarchy and can produce disastrous consequences.
Even the smallest disruption in one sector of life can have a significant
impact across multiple ecosystems. The disruption becomes magnified
as the suffering of one sector spreads to others. The challenge in
understanding complex hierarchical events is they propagate both
downward and laterally literally in all directions and with multiple
unforeseen or unknowable consequences. All change must be viewed
within a three dimensional context. It is important to recognize ones

own position and influence within the relationship among organisms in

order to take measures to insure the sustainability of life.

Think

Think

Think

3. If this is why its important to really understand your content, which of the
six facets of understanding do you believe are appropriate for your unit?
(Typically, teachers identify 2-4 facets.)

Explanation
Interpretation

4. Based on the facets you have chosen, what are the essential questions
your students will be able to answer at the end of the unit (you can use the
Question Starters on p.120 of our text if you need ideas)?
1. How might we confirm the relationships among living organisms?
(Explanation)
2. How do food chains relate to me/us? (Interpretation)
5. Put yourself in the shoes of students in your class. Craft three or four
answers you would expect the children to give for each of your questions.
(Use more paper if you need it.)

How might we confirm the relationships among living organisms?

o If the fish in the ocean died, then sharks wouldnt have anything
to eat and they would die too.
o Grass needs sun and water to grow. Rabbits eat the grass and
foxes eat rabbits. If there were no more rabbits then foxes would
be hungry.
o Some animals eat other animals and some only eat plants.
Animals have to eat so they can grow and live longer.
How do food chains relate to me/humans?
o Im at the top of the food chain, because I eat stuff but nothing
eats me.
o Chemicals put on plants can hurt all the animals in a food chain.
If farmers put the wrong stuff on their plants to kill bugs
(pesticides), then all the animals that eat the plants could get

sick. If a mouse eats a bad seed, and a hawk eats that mouse
then the hawk can also get very sick.
o Hunting can impact food chains. If a hunter kills more deer than
he is supposed to, then there might not be enough deer for the
deer predators, such as wolves.
o If a farmer gives his cow bad food, then the meat might not be as
healthy for the people who eat it.
o People can bring new organisms from different countries.
Sometimes these new organisms can hurt the environment
because there is a lot for them to eat, but there is nothing to eat
them. This can hurt food chains.
6. Now step back and look for patterns or themes embedded in those
answers your crafted. If they give these answers to your essential
questions, what are the understandings they are demonstrating?

Living organisms depend on each other for survival.

We hold an important place in food chains and our actions can impact
other living organisms.