Gould League - Food Webs - Primary Activities

Food webs, classification and biodiversity

Additional primary activities to accompany the Gould League Food webs, classification and biodiversity kit.

Survival features

Level 3
Curriculum area: Science

Outcomes

Students:

Identify similar features of producers, herbivores and carnivores
Identify features that assist in survival
Group living things to assist in organising information

Materials and preparation

Australian and African cut-outs from the Gould League Food webs, Classification and Biodiversity kit, whiteboard and marker

Method

Display the following food chains on the board with the cut-outs:

Grass --> wallaby --> dingo
Acacia tree --> giraffe --> lion

Guide a discussion so that the students identify the similarities between these food chains - they commence with a producer, go to a herbivore or first order consumer and then to a carnivore or second order consumer.

Display a number of cut-out pictures on the whiteboard and as a class group them into producers, herbivores and carnivores. Next to the groupings write a list of features that are similar for each group.

For example the producers are green plants, herbivores are well camouflaged and have a way of getting away from predators - running, flying, climbing, hiding, carnivores have sharp body parts - teeth, beaks and claws.

Display some more of the cut-out pictures and see which features they have so that they can be added to the groups.