Food web game instructions

Step 3 Activities
1. Move to an open space, like a school hall or
Activity 1: 10 minutes - Producer/
outside. Consumer/Predator
Explain that together you’re going to
make a marine food web. Ask if students
Explain that today’s topic is going to focus on food
know what chains,aandfood
ask if theweb
childrenis (awhat
know connection
a food of
food chains).
chain is. Explain that food chains are the transfer of
energy between species. Introduce the terms
2. Stand in‘producer’,
a large circle
‘consumer’ and hand out the food
and ‘predator’.
web elements
In pairs, give cards tominutes
students a few some stud
to think of a ents (there
food chainso
are 14 cards won't
for plants be enough
and animals on land, and for one each).
decide what in their food chain is a producer,
3. Draw attention to the
consumer, predator. smaller
Discuss answers and text
then showing
where the organism
introduce gets
the ‘primary’ and its energy. Remind
‘secondary
consumers’ and ‘apex predators’.
children this is really important for the game.
4. Start with the sun, and ask who gets their
Activity 2 (Part 1): 15 minutes – Making a food
energy from
web the sun (plankton and
seaweed). Move Explain
to an open space,thatlike athese
school hall are producers.
or outside.
ConnectExplain
these to the
that together sun
you’re going using
to make a sseperate
sepearte peices ofpeices
string
marine
food web. Ask if students know what a food web is
of string.
5. Now ask(awho gets
connection of foodtheir
chains). energy from seaweed,
and link Hand
with string.
out the food web elements cards to some
6. Work through one
students (there won’tfood chain
be enough at a
for one each) andtime, using
a different length of string for each food
stand in a large circle. Draw attention to the smaller
text showing where the organism gets its energy.
chain. Remind children this is really important for the
game. Start with the sun, and ask who gets their
7. Explain that thethecreature
energy from sun (plankton andat the end of the
food chain is a
seaweed). predator.
Connect these to the sun using string.
Now ask who gets their energy from
8. Continue until all food chains are complete
This will form a visual food web.

This activity should take no

more than 10 minutes. If you
have time then complete
extension activity.
Food web game instructions
Step 3 Activities
EXTENSION
1. Ask students what they think might happen to
Activity 1: 10 minutes - Producer/
Consumer/Predator
the food web if one of the animals
disappeared,
Explain that for
today’sexample,
topic is going toiffocus
mussels
on food were
overfished. Then remove mussels (person
holdingenergy
shellfish lets
between species. go of
Introduce
‘producer’, ‘consumer’ and ‘predator’.
string).
the terms

2. Children should identify the impact of this loss, i.e.

animalsIn feeding
pairs, onamussels
give students few minutes towoul
food chain for plants and animals on land, and
think of d
a have less

food, possibly
decide what in impacting
their food chain istheir numbers. Those
a producer,
students holding cards that eat mussels
consumer, predator. Discuss answers and then
introduce the ‘primary’ and ‘secondary
should consumers’
then be andremoved
‘apex predators’.by letting go of
the string.
3. Observe how
Activity this
2 (Part 1): has impacted
15 minutes – Making a foodthe web.
Discussweb how creatures that mussels feed
on mayMove increase in number
to an open space, because
like a school hall or outside. of lack
of prey.Explain that together you’re going to make a marine
food web. Ask if students know what a food web is
4. Explain (athat each
connection element
of food chains). within a food web
can affect the others.
Hand out the food web elements cards to some
students (there won’t be enough for one each) and
stand in a large circle. Draw attention to the smaller
text showing where the organism gets its energy.
Remind children this is really important for the
game. Start with the sun, and ask who gets their
energy from the sun (plankton and
seaweed). Connect these to the sun using string.
Now ask who gets their energy from
 Human Orca
Eats whelk, edible Eats otter
crab, mussels,
flatfish and
seaweed

Seal Flatfish
Eats flatfish Eats mussels

Mussels Whelk
Eats plankton Eats hermit crab
and mussels

Hermit crab Otter

Eats seaweed Eats urchin

Urchin Edible crab

Eats seaweed Eats worm,
mussels and
seaweed

Worm Basking
Eats whelk, edible shark
crab, flatfish and Eats plankton
seaweed

Plankton Seaweed
Gets energy from Gets energy from
the sun the sun

Flatfish, mussles, edible crab - Paul Naylor; Basking shark - Peter Bardsley; Whelk - Ria Tan
Food web worksheet

Apex
Predators

Secondary
Consumers

Primary
Consumers

Producers

Energy
Sun
Food web worksheet

Apex Seal Humans Orca

predators

Secondary Edible
Flatfish Whelk Otter
consumers crab

Primary Basking Hermit

Shellfish Worm Urchin
consumers shark crab

Producers Plankton Seaweed

Energy
Sun