Ecosystem Energy/Food Web 

  Game 

Introduction:

Locating species within an ecosystem and identifying their role is a key process in learning what composes a food web and how a certain location maintains its energy flow to sustain life.  Having students place organisms in their assigned roles and drawing energy in the direction that it flows show students how this cycle begins and continues on through all living creatures.  Posters for this activity can be easily made and relatively inexpensive.  Obtain 3 large pieces of poster board from a local store such as K-Mart, Wal-Mart, or Target and craft paints in an assortment of colors needed for your ecosystem.  Paint three different ecosystems, one being wetlands with low-lying areas, standing water, cattails, and at least one tree.  The next ecosystem is a lake with some trees surrounding the perimeter and enough room for creatures outside and within the lake.  The last ecosystem is a river with trees along the bank. The water in each should include organisms found in that area.  Make sure to include the sun in all of these activities, as it is the origin of all energy! Using www.google.com/images or another search engine on the Internet, locate organisms that would be found in these ecosystems.  Copy and paste as many organisms as you can onto a page using Microsoft word or a similar program, making them roughly 1-2 inch squares.  Print off in color if available.  Cut out squares of colors corresponding to the role of each organism; green for producers, yellow for herbivores, orange for omnivores, red for carnivores, and purple for decomposers.  Dual role organisms will have half of each color they are located under to make a full square. Glue these colored squares where the creature would be located in that ecosystem.  Laminate the large poster and the sheet of critters.  Cut out the critters and apply adhesive Velcro to the back of the critters and the opposite side to the poster over the colored squares.  Lamination allows the organisms to be handled without a lot of damage.  The large poster can easily be written with special pens that will wipe off with water or Windex.

National Standard Addressed:

The standard Life Science under the category of Populations and Ecosystems and Diversity/Adaptations of Organisms are the standards that are addressed.  Students will understand the diversity needed to sustain life in a healthy ecosystem while also realizing the many different roles these creatures play. 

Objectives and Benchmarks:

This activity will provide the students with the opportunity to place organisms in roles and see how these organisms function in their habitat.  Students should identify at least 2 energy flows for each organism, at least one out and one in. 

Materials:

Laminated Ecosystem poster

Overhead markers/Vis-à-vis

Cards of organisms with Velcro backing

Advanced Preparation:

Go over the list of organisms to remember what their roles are.  Make sure there are extra pieces for each poster, enough markers that work, and paper towels with cleaner easily available.  Make rules for use of markers on posters only, and no writing on each other. 

Procedure:

Divide class into 3 groups.  Give each a poster and packet with cards of organisms.  Have the students place the creatures on their corresponding square to their role in the ecosystem.  After you have checked that each group is correct, give them some markers and have them draw arrows from one energy source to another.  For example: a line would be drawn from the sun to a producer, from a producer to a consumer, and so forth.  Make sure they are drawing to correct organisms and that there are at least 2 arrows for each organism.

Things to consider:

Some students may not know what each creature is, so consider typing up a list of what each packet contains.  Have their book or any other handy for quick reference.  Try to make them look it up rather than tell them.  Focus on one part at a time, starting with roles in the ecosystem and where they would be located and move onto energy flow after that is completed.

Possible Integration:

This lesson would be useful in teaching energy flow and food webs as well as ecosystems and populations.

Critical concepts:

Food Web                                           Energy Flow