A food chain shows how plants, animals and humans rely on each other for food.
Animals get energy and nutrients by eating other animals or plants. If one part of the food chain is affected, so is the rest of the chain. If there was no sun for the caribou moss to grow, reindeers would have less to eat, which would affect humans in areas where reindeer meat is a common food.
- Reindeers eat caribou moss
- Humans eat reindeers
Plants are known as producers, they get their energy from the sun. Producers are at the start of a food chain.
Consumers eat other plants and animals.
A predator is an animal that eats other animals. The animals that a predator eats are known as prey.
We’re going to make a very simple Christmassy food chain using stones.
What you need
Stones that can be drawn on, we used these beautiful sorting stones from The Consortium
Sharpie pens
Instructions
Draw each part of a food chain on a separate stone.
Can you put the stones in order or stack them in order?
Questions to ask
What do you think is at the start of a food chain? The predator or producer?
Producers are at the beginning of a food chain and predators at the end.
What is a herbivore?
A herbivore is an animal that eats plants. In a food chain we call the herbivore the primary consumer. It is the first consumer.
What is a carnivore?
A carnivore is an animal which eats other animals. In a food chain carnivores ( predators ) are known as secondary or tertiary consumers.
What is a predator?
A predator is an animal which kills another animal to eat.
Extension Tasks
Can you draw a food web?
Can you think of some silly Christmassy food chains?
Candy Cane – Elf
Mince pie – Santa
Carrot – Rudolph
Seeds – Turkey – Human
This is a great creative activity to explain the food chain concept. It is always positive to make learning fun and easy to relate to.
Nohntig I could say would give you undue credit for this story.