Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson pupils should:

• Have developed their understanding of food chains from Year 2

• Understand that an animal's characteristics can be related to its place in the food chain

 

Resources

• Vocabulary cards

• Videoscribe: 'predators and prey'

• Picture sheet of jaws and teeth

• Powerpoint: 'mammal teeth and jaws'

• Descriptions of digestive habits and named animals

 

Vocabulary

food chain, producer, consumer, predator, prey, jaw, mandible

 

Starter activity 

1. Class Activity: Recap simple food chains from Year 2.

 

Main activities 

1. Teaching Point/Discussion:

Introduce the concept of 'producers' and 'consumers' in a food chain. e.g. grass - sheep - wolf / lettuce - rabbit -fox.

Can the children think of others?

 

2. Class Activity:

Watch Videoscribe 'predators and prey'.

 

3. Group activity:

Look at picture sheet of jaws and teeth from different mammals. From the evidence can the children deduce where they might be in the food chain.

 

4. Class Discussion:

Share processes and conclusions from the above and discuss.

 

5. Class Activity:

Watch Powerpoint: 'mammal teeth and jaws'.

 

6. Teaching Point:

Introduce the concept that different types of food take different lengths of time to break down (relate to children's experience of e.g. salad versus a roast dinner).

 

7. Group Activity:

Match the descriptions of various digestive habits with the named animals.

 

8. Class Activity:

Children devise possible food chains including:

a. human

b. rabbit

c. lion

and in each case suggest one physical adaptation which fits them to their place in the food chain.

 

Plenary activity 

Q: 'What happens to a food chain if the food at the bottom of the chain becomes scarce?'

 

Assessment

......................

 

 

Downloadable lesson plan and resources