Food Chains and Webs

In every ecosystem, living things depend on each other for energy. The sun gives energy to the plants. Plants do not need to search for food. They make food by themselves through a process called photosynthesis. Plants are called producers, because they produce their own food. Animals that find their food are called consumers.

Different kinds of animals and insects will eat the plants for energy. Consumers that only eat plants are called herbivores. Here are some examples of different herbivores.

Some animals eat other animals to receive energy. These consumers are called carnivores. Here are some examples of different carnivores.

Some consumers eat both plants and animals to receive energy. These animals are called omnivores, and they don't have a preference about what they eat. They eat whatever they find. Here are some examples of different omnivores.

When animals and plants die, their bodies start to decay over time. Some animals eat the dead plants and animals for energy. These animals are called decomposers, and they help clean our soil. Here are some examples of decomposers.

Let's make some different energy food chains online.

Click here to build your first food chain online.

Click here to make different food chains.

How do living and non-living things interact?

Living things depend on non-living things found in their habitat. This includes, water, air, soil, sunlight and temperature. Each biome has different amounts of nonliving things in it.

Click here to read about non-living things found in ecosystems.


Click here to build a habitat for 3 different species. What do they need to survive?

Ecosystems around the world

We're researching 5 different biomes!

Tundra

The Rainforest

The grasslands (prairies, Savannah)

Deciduous (Temperate) Forests

The Desert


Research Different habitats around the world

Research the desert, arctic and wetlands.

Research the desert, arctic tundra, forests, and grasslands

Find where your habitats are located.

Research the nonliving factors in habitats.

The water cycle

Click on the picture below and READ about the water cycle.

Now click on the picture of the water cycle below, and go to "The Water Cycle". Play the animation, then label each part of the water cycle.

Cool weather websites

Believe it or not, it can sometimes snow on the beach! I wonder what causes this to happen? Normally, beachers are really warm and they don't have snow on their sand.

Here are some great websites about weather. Click on the links below and read about hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms and more!

Weather Wiz Kids

Make your own weather report

Weather Information and Games

Weather and Climate

We will be researching the climate and weather of 6 different cities.

Click on the picture below and start typing in the names of each city. What kind of weather are they experiencing today? Is there any precipitation in the area? What's the temperature?

Let's talk about the difference between weather and climate.

Weather- The daily conditions of an area, and what it feels like outside that day.

Climate- The average pattern of weather conditions in an area.

The weather in Houston is freezing cold today! We need jackets, scarves and mittens if we want to go outside. However, the climate of Houston in January is normally not freezing cold. It's usually around 50 degrees outside, and we normally need a light sweater or hat. The weather changes from day to day, but the climate is the weather pattern of that area.

Reflection question- Which city would you visit in the summer if you were on vacation, and why?