EOU Exam on Thursday, May 1st

Lesson 5:

Food Chain Versus Food Web

Learning Intention

Students will be able to collaboratively construct a food web and identify the trophic level for different organisms.

Success Criteria

I am successful when I can...

1) Engage with two images that represent energy flow in an ecosystem.

2) Explore an article by actively reading and connecting it to past knowledge.

3) Explain by summarizing the difference between a food web and food chain using the conjunctions because, but and so.

4) Elaborate by constructing a food web

5) Evaluate by critiquing others food webs according to a rubric.

Agenda

Homework / Reminders

Activity 1) SEL Warm-Up

Activity 2) Food Web / Chain Video

Activity 3) Mini Lesson

Activity 4) Food Web Construction

Activity 5) Exit Ticket

Tutoring today 2-4 pm in A-301.
Mid-Point Exam on Ecology, Thursday, November 14th
Homework: Grades written on a sheet of paper and signed by parents due tomorrow.

Activity One

Something Looks Sus'

(One of Many is Incorrect)

(5 min)

Lesson__5__Warm-Up Copy Copy.pdf

Activity Two

See, Think, Wonder

Engage

(5 min)

Directions:

Step #1) Copy the See, Think and Wonder chart into your notebook.

Step #2) View the two images below

Step #3) Write what you See, Think and wonder

Image #1

Image #2

Activity Three

Food Web vs Food Chain Active Reading

Explore

(10 min)

Directions:

Step #1) Actively read the passage making seven annotations as you read in the margins.

Step #2) Remember, annotations include:

a) Word Association Game (example: Cellular Respiration - energy, ATP, mitochondria, oxygen, glucose)

b) Making connections between the text and past lessons, your life, books read, movies, video games etc

c) Rewriting important information in your own words

‼️ Does Not Include Underlining or Highlighting ‼️

Differences between food chain and food web - by Diffit (printable)

Activity Four

Explain

(10 min)

Directions:

In three sentences, explain the difference between a food web and a food chain.

Sentence one must start with the word BECAUSE

Sentence two must start with the word BUT

Sentence three must start with the word SO

Model #1:

BECAUSE carbohydrates are our main source of energy, they are an important organic molecule.

BUT carbohydrates are too big to fit into our cells.

SO they must be first be broken into glucose by the digestive system

Model #2:

BECAUSE plants deep in the ocean do not receive sunlight, they can't do photosynthesis. BUT they are able to make their food using chemosynthesis.

SO they still have stored glucose for cellular respiration.

Activity Five

Stop n' Jot

(3 min)

Food chains ⛓️ show the transfer of energy between species but they are too simple.

A food web 🕸️ is better because it shows all the interactions between organisms in an ecosystem. A food web links all the food chains in an ecosystem together to create a more complete picture.

🔑Key Concept: Out of the two, a food web is more accurate than a food chain.

Example Food Web

Activity Six

Elaborate

(10 min)

Directions:

Step 1) Use the organism cards to create a food web.

Step 2) Use at least 10 cards.

Step 3) Use the arrows to show the flow of energy

Step 4) Make sure the food web is accurate and is a realistic representation of an ecosystem

Food Web Example

Homework

Regents Food Web Questions

Changes in Glacier National Park's Ecosystem

Glacier National Park has experienced notable shifts in its ecosystem over the past decade. Changes in weather patterns, such as warmer winters and drier summers, have affected plant growth. These plants, seeds, and leaf litter form the foundation of the park’s food web, supporting various herbivores. The fluctuating availability of this vegetation has influenced populations of organisms that rely on these plants as a food source, including spruce grouse, beetles, and mice.

Researchers have noted that the populations of certain herbivores, like mice and beetles, vary significantly each year. This has impacted the animals that depend on them for food, such as shrews, weasels, and red foxes. During years when plant growth is abundant, herbivore populations tend to increase, providing more food for predators. In years when plant growth is limited, herbivores decline, and predators are forced to adapt to the reduced food availability.

Additionally, human activities near Glacier National Park have affected the park’s delicate ecosystem. Runoff from nearby agricultural areas introduces additional nutrients to the water and soil, occasionally causing imbalances in plant growth. When plant life becomes overly abundant, it disrupts the natural cycles of herbivores and predators in the park. These disruptions can create unpredictable changes in population sizes across the entire food web.

Efforts to understand these changes are ongoing, as ecologists monitor how each species responds to shifts in their environment. By tracking the population sizes of different organisms and observing their feeding patterns, scientists hope to predict how the food web may continue to change in the coming years. This information can inform conservation strategies that help protect the park’s biodiversity.

Questions

Based on the information provided, what might happen to the spruce grouse population if the growth of plants, seeds, and leaf litter decreases?
- (1) The spruce grouse population would likely increase due to less competition.
- (2) The spruce grouse population would likely decrease due to less food availability.
- (3) The spruce grouse population would remain stable regardless of plant growth.
- (4) The spruce grouse population would directly increase the weasel population.
In the food web, which two organisms would likely be most affected by a sharp decline in beetle populations?
- (1) Spiders and spruce grouse
- (2) Shrews and mice
- (3) Weasels and red foxes
- (4) Sunlight and plants
Which factor could serve as a limiting factor for the red fox population in this ecosystem?
- (1) Temperature of the soil
- (2) Availability of water sources
- (3) Availability of herbivores like mice and grouse
- (4) Amount of leaf litter
Explain one possible consequence on the food web if agricultural runoff continues to increase plant growth at a rapid rate.
(Consider how excessive plant growth might affect herbivores and their predators.) [1]
If a disease reduced the population of mice significantly, how might this impact the ecosystem?
- (1) Weasels and red foxes might have fewer food sources, causing a decline in their populations.
- (2) Spruce grouse populations would increase because they consume mice.
- (3) Shrews would increase as they rely on sunlight for energy.
- (4) The food web would stabilize as other herbivores fill the gap.

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