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An Introduction to the Food Chain
and the Food Web!
Created by C. Rhein
Hazelwood Central
Teacher’ Page
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Teacher’s Page
• Map Objective: The learner will be able to
understand that there is a unique niche for
every species in an ecosystem so that the
stability is maintained.
• This PowerPoint is to be used in
conjunction with a science journal. The
teacher may use this to start a unit on
Ecology.
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Write in the Science Journal!
• Ecosystem- the interactions among
the populations in a community and
the community’s physical
surroundings.
2 Types of Ecosystems
• Terrestrial Ecosystems occur on land.
• Aquatic ecosystems occur in water.
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Every species needs a niche!
What’s a niche?
Write in the Science Journal:
• Niche - is the role a species plays in a
community. Space, food, and other
conditions an organism needs to survive
and reproduce are all part of a niche.
Let’s Discuss:
• What role do you think coyotes play in
grasslands?
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Find Answer
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Let’s Discuss:
• Coyotes live in the grasslands and keep
the populations of rodents, such as
prairie dogs, down because they eat
them on a regular basis.
• A prairie dog eats the grass on the
grasslands and makes its home in
burrows it digs underground.
• This is its habitat, the place where an
organism lives out its life.
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In a Grassland!
Plants
Prairie dog
Coyote
A pathway that food (ENERGY) takes through an
ecosystem!
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The arrow goes in the direction of energy transfer!
IN THE SCIENCE JOURNAL:
CREATE A FOOD CHAIN FROM
YOUR COMMUNITY!
• REMEMBER THE ARROWS GO IN THE
DIRECTION OF ENERGY TRANSFER!
• WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SHARE
THEIR FOOD CHAIN WITH THE REST
OF THE CLASS?
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You can make a food chain for every
different eating relationship in a
community. If you connected all of these
food chains you would have a FOOD
WEB!
• Click to see the FOOD WEB of a
Grassland!
Click Here!
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In a Grassland
REMEMBER THE ARROWS POINT TO DIRECTION OF ENERGY TRANSFER!
Snake
Bald Eagle
Coyote
Reptile
Beetle
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Plant Parts
Prairie Dog
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WHAT HAPPENED?
In your science journal, write and answer
these two questions!
Let’s imagine that mankind has destroyed all
of the coyotes on the grassland ecosystem!
Look back to the food web!
1. Could anything happen to the predators (those that
eat the coyote) after the extinction of the coyotes?
EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER PLEASE!
2. Could anything happen to the prey (those that the
coyote eats) after the extinction of the coyotes?
EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER PLEASE!
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To the Last Slide
Something to Think About?
1. What
is the coyote’s niche in the
grasslands?
2. Why does every species need to
have a niche?
3. What could possibly happen to a
species if its niche is altered by
mankind? (such as destroying
trees, building subdivisions, or
over-hunting)
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