Name: ___________________________
Building a Food Web Assignment Procedure
1. Cut out the producer and consumer blocks from the attached page OR draw your own (21 total).
2. The sun is the source of energy in all food webs. In the middle of the background paper you have been given, draw a sun in pencil (in case you want to change the sun’s position later).
3. Place your producer blocks next to the sun. Do not paste anything until all the organisms have been placed.
4. Place two or three animals around the producers. If one animal can eat another, join them with an arrow (use a pencil at this point). Remember that arrows represent the flow of energy from one organism to another and consequently must be drawn in the right direction.
5. Add the rest of the organisms and connect using arrows.
6. When your food web is complete and neatly arranged, paste the pictures to the paper and draw arrows with pen or marker to complete the web.
Discussion: Answer the Following questions in complete sentences on LINED paper.
1. Under EACH organism picture, list its niche using the following letters. (P = producer, H = herbivore, O = omnivore, C = carnivore)
2. Approximately how many food chains did you produce in the forest food web? How many in the ocean food web?
3. Name TWO abiotic factors that would affect your food webs. Describe how each factor could affect one of the food webs.
4. Diagram one food chain from each food web beginning with the sun and with arrows in the right direction.
5. Name an organism from each food web that uses photosynthesis for energy production. Explain in detail how this organism performs photosynthesis.
6. Name an organism from each food web that uses cellular respiration for energy production. Explain in detail how this organism performs cellular respiration.
7. Describe where the decomposers would fit into this food web. Why are decomposers so important?
8. Which type of organism in the food web was the most numerous (producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, etc.)? Why?
9. Which type of organism in the food web was the least numerous? Why?
10. What would happen to your food web community if: a. all the producers died? Explain how each type of organism would be affected and why. b. all the herbivores died? Explain how each type of organism would be affected and why. c. the decomposers died? Explain how each type of organism would be affected and why.
11. Which type of organisms are the most important in your food web? Explain your answer.
Evaluation Rubric Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Application - makes few connections, demonstrates little depth of understanding when assessing food web impacts and question answers
- makes some connections, demonstrates some depth of understanding when assessing food web impacts and question answers
- makes connections and analyzes food web impacts in answers, includes evidence of a good effort
- makes connections in familiar and unfamiliar contexts, evaluates food web impacts and demonstrates thoroughly detailed effort
Communication - demonstrates limited command of the assigned form in food web development
- demonstrates some command of the assigned form in food web development
- demonstrates considerable command of the assigned form in food web development (eg. includes the required components)
- manipulates the assigned form to achieve the desired purpose and effects; thorough communication of food web display
Forest Food Web
TREE
SNAKE insects and small animals
SPIDER Insects
RABBIT plants and roots
GRASSHOPPER plants
FOX other small animals
MOUSE plants, seeds
BEE Flowers (pollen)
WOLF other animals
FROG Insects
CHIPMUNK nuts and seeds
DEER berries, grass, plants
ANT leaves
BEAR berries, smaller animals
BIRD insects
BERRIES
GRASS
FLOWERS
OWL mice and other small animals
BOBCAT other animals
TREE
Aquatic Food Web
CLAM plants
SEAWEED Sun
STARFISH Bacteria/protozoa
BACTERIA & PROTOZOA Producer
LOBSTER Algae/protozoa
ALBATROSS Krill & fish & squid
FUR SEAL Octopus, krill
BLUE WHALE Krill
FISH Zooplankton,
SQUID Zooplankton, Krill, Fish
SEA TURTLES seaweed
FISH Krill, zooplankton
SHRIMP zooplankton
ELEPLANT SEAL Fish, octapus
SEAWEED Sun
ZOOPLANKTON Sun
KILLER WHALE Fish, Seals
KRILL seaweed
OCTAPUS Clams, starfish, crab
CRAB Bacteria and protozoa
PENGUINS Fish, Squid