Forest Ecology - Pre-site Activity/Teacher
Led
Grade Level: 5
Content Area: Life Science
Time
to Complete: 30-45 minutes
Title of Program:
Create A Food Chain
South Carolina State Standards Addressed:
|
5-1.1
|
Identify questions suitable for
generating a hypothesis. |
|
5-1.4 |
Use appropriate tools and
instruments safely and accurately
when conducting a controlled
scientific investigation. |
|
5-1.6 |
Evaluate results of an investigation
to formulate a valid conclusion
based on evidence and communicate
the findings of the evaluation in
oral and written form. |
|
5-1.8 |
Use appropriate safety procedures
when conducting investigations. |
|
5-2.2 |
Summarize the composition of an
ecosystem, considering both biotic
factors and abiotic factors. |
|
5-2.3 |
Compare the characteristics of
different ecosystems. |
|
5-2.4 |
Identify the roles of organisms as
they interact and depend on one
another through food chains and food
webs in an ecosystem, considering
producers and consumers,
decomposers, predators and prey and
parasites and hosts. |
|
5-2.5 |
Explain how limiting factors affect
populations in ecosystem. |
Lesson Description:
Students will create a series of food chains
by selecting organisms from a list that would be typical of a forest
ecosystem. This program could also be used for a post-visit activity.
Focus Questions for Students:
| 1. |
What types of producers are found in a
forest? |
| 2. |
Can food chains have several consumers in it? |
| 3. |
How is a
scavenger different from a decomposer? |
Culminating Assessment:
Have the students study their cycle of food
chains to see which links require specific organisms and which links can be
filled by a larger variety of organisms.
Material, Equipment, and Resources:
Teacher Preparation:
| 1. |
Review the vocabulary list. |
| 2. |
Make copies of the activity sheet for each student or small group of
students. |
Procedures:
|
1. |
Complete the
introductory activity sheet for the forest layers. |
|
2. |
Discuss with students that a forest can have a variety of different
food chains that creates food webs as organisms interact. These
interactions take place within and between the various forest layers. |
|
3. |
Have the
students study the food chain diagram with the labeled “links”. Using a
similar pattern, the students are to choose various organisms from the
list to make their own series of food chains. |
Teacher Resources/Bibliography:
- Nature Cross-Section by Richard Orr
- Reading the Woods by Vinson Brown
Differentiation of Instruction:
If there will be children with special needs,
English as a second language or gifted & talented, etc. - please contact Table Rock State Park before the visit. These needs can be addressed on an individual basis.
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