Grade 4

Science

Unit: 08

Lesson: 02

Suggested Duration: 8 days

Science Grade 04 Unit 08 Exemplar Lesson 02: Food WebsScience Grade 04 Unit 08 Exemplar Lesson 02: Food Webs

This lesson is one approach to teaching the State Standards associated with this unit. Districts are encouraged to customize this lesson by

supplementing with district-approved resources, materials, and activities to best meet the needs of learners. The duration for this lesson is only a

recommendation, and districts may modify the time frame to meet students’ needs. To better understand how your district may be implementing CSCOPElessons, please contact your child’s teacher. (For your convenience, please find linked the TEA Commissioner’s List of State Board of Education

Approved Instructional Resources and Midcycle State Adopted Instructional Materials.)

Lesson Synopsis

Students will develop food webs and food chains and discover how interactions between living organisms and nonliving components impact an

ecosystem.

TEKS

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) listed below are the standards adopted by the State Board of Education, which are required by Texas

law. Any standard that has a strike-through (e.g. sample phrase) indicates that portion of the standard is taught in a previous or subsequent unit. The

TEKS are available on the Texas Education Agency website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148.

4.9 Organisms and environments. The student knows and understands that living organisms within an ecosystem interact

with one another and with their environment. The student is expected to:

4.9B Describe the flow of energy through food webs, beginning with the Sun, and predict how changes in the ecosystem

affect the food web such as a fire in a forest.

Scientific Process TEKS

4.2 Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during laboratory and outdoor

investigations. The student is expected to:

4.2F Communicate valid, oral, and written results supported by data.

4.3 Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make

informed decisions. The student is expected to:

4.3C Represent the natural world using models such as rivers, stream tables, or fossils and identify their limitations, including accuracy and size.

4.4 Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows how to use a variety of tools, materials, equipment, and

models to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to:

4.4A Collect, record, and analyze information using tools, including calculators, microscopes, cameras, computers, hand lenses, metric rulers,

Celsius thermometers, mirrors, spring scales, pan balances, triple beam balances, graduated cylinders, beakers, hot plates, meter sticks,

compasses, magnets, collecting nets, and notebooks timing devices, including clocks and stopwatches materials to support observation of

habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums.

GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION

Performance Indicators

Grade 04 Science Unit 08 PI 02

Using the diorama of the ecosystem created earlier, select a member to remove from the ecosystem. Write a mock interview with one of the remaining members about how

this has affected its life and its home. Write a news report based on the interview.

Standard(s): 4.2F , 4.9B

ELPS ELPS.c.3E , ELPS.c.4G , ELPS.c.5F

Key Understandings

Changes to an ecosystem can affect the flow of energy through food webs.

— How do nonliving elements of an ecosystem interact with living organisms?— How do nonliving elements of an ecosystem interact with other nonliving objects?— What is being passed on in a food chain or food web?

Vocabulary of Instruction

energy

photosynthesis

food chain

food web

producer

consumer

primary consumer

secondary consumer

Sun

niche

change

Last Updated 05/28/13 page 1 of 20

Materials

chart paper (to record information about different ecosystems, per class)

charts created by students (from the Elaborate section of Lesson 01)

colored pencils (1 pack per pair of students)

index cards (enough for 1 per student in the class)

paper (chart, 1 piece per class) – Optionalpaper (lined, 2–3 sheets per student)paper (plain, 1 sheet per pair or small group)

paper clip (to hold vocabulary cards, 1 per students

prepared diorama (from previous Performance Indicator)

scissors (1 pair per teacher)

scissors (1 per pair of students)

yarn (1 skein per class)

Attachments

All attachments associated with this lesson are referenced in the body of the lesson. Due to considerations for grading or student assessment,

attachments that are connected with Performance Indicators or serve as answer keys are available in the district site and are not accessible on the

public website.

Optional Handout: Creating Food Chain (from previous lesson, see Advance Preparation, 1 per teache

Teacher Resource: Food Chains and Food Webs

Handout: Vocabulary Flash Cards (1 per student and 1 for projection)

Handout: Ecosystem Elaboration (1 per student)

Teacher Resource: Ecosystem Elaboration Model KEY

Teacher Resource: Ecosystem Elaboration Example KEY

Teacher Resource: Changes to the Environment

Optional Handout: Making Connections (1 per student)

Teacher Resource: Making Connections KEY

Teacher Resource: Performance Indicator Instructions KEY

Resources

None Identified

Advance Preparation

1. Write the name of organisms on index cards, or cut out the organisms from the Handout: Creating Food Chains from Lesson 01 and glue onto

index cards.

2. Preview the instructions on the Teacher Resource: Food Chains and Food Webs. Students will be engaged in a web building activity.

3. Locate and preview either a book or a video about change to an ecosystem.

4. Prepare attachment(s) as necessary.

Background Information

Within the living environment, students know and understand that living organisms within an ecosystem interact with one another and with their environment. Students will

recognize that plants and animals have basic needs and that basic needs are met through a flow of energy known as food chains, food webs, or food pyramids.

This lesson bundles SEs that address food webs and the consequences of change in an ecosystem.

During this lesson, students will be investigating the distinctions between the basic needs of producers and consumers. Students will be looking more deeply into ecosystems

by extending their descriptions to include food webs. The content of this lesson directly provides the foundation for Readiness Standards in Grade 5 that addresses the way in

which organisms live and survive within an ecosystem, as well as describing the flow of energy derived from the Sun.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

Instructional Procedures

ENGAGE – Food Chains and Food Webs

Notes for Teacher

NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes

Suggested Day 1

1. Remind students to make and record observations of the descriptive investigation that

the teacher set up for observation from the previous lesson. Additionally, studentsMaterials:

Grade 4

Science

Unit: 08

Lesson: 02

Suggested Duration: 8 days

Last Updated 05/28/13 page 2 of 20

should make and record observations of their terrarium from Lesson 01.

2. Using the Teacher Resource: Food Chains and Food Webs as a guide, conduct the

activity on creating food webs.

3. When the food web is complete, ask the following guiding questions:

In what way is our model of an ecosystem realistic? It shows the interactions

between species, shows the interactions between plants and animals, and has

some diversity.

What are the limitations of our model? It does not represent the diversity of a

real ecosystem. It has living components, but no nonliving components. There is

only one or two of each organism; whereas in a real ecosystem, there would be

several of one species present.

What do you think would happen if one species was removed from the

web? Allow several students to answer.

How does the energy flow in this system? The energy flows from the Sun to

the producer (plants) and then to consumers (primary, secondary, and possibly

tertiary).

4. Instruct one student to release their strand of yarn (the grass, for example). Next,

instruct the organisms who were connected to the grass to let go of their piece of yarn

(for example, the deer or the grasshopper). Follow that with instructions for any

organism who was connected to the primary consumer to let go of their piece of yarn.

Continue to have students drop the yarn if they were directly connected to the

previous organism.

Ask:

What does the releasing of the yarn represent? It represents the chain

reaction in an ecosystem, if even one organism’s population is changed. The entirecommunity of organisms has been altered.

5. Instruct the producers to wind up their length(s) of yarn and return them to you. In

addition, students should return the organism name cards (or pictures) to you.

6. Display one of the food web charts that a student group created in the previous

lesson. Verify that energy flow arrows were included. If they were not, ask students to

add them to the chart.

Ask:

What do the arrows represent in a food chain or food web?They represent

the flow of energy from one source to the next. All food chains should start at the

Sun, flow to the producer, and then to the various consumer levels.

What are the consequences if _______________organism is removed from

the food chain? (Choose an organism to remove.) Students should

communicate the changes in terms of increasing or decreasing populations.

In the example above, if the rabbit was removed, the fox would rely on frogs as its only source of

energy. The frog population would decrease and eventually, the fox population would decrease

because of lack of food. The grass population would increase because there are fewer rabbits

relying on it as an energy source.

7. Ask:

What are the consequences if _______________organism is removed from

the food web? (Choose an organism to remove.)

In the example above, if the rabbit was removed, the fox would rely on frogs as its

only source of energy. The frog population would decrease and eventually, the fox

population would decrease because of lack of food. The grass population would

increase because there are fewer rabbits relying on it as an energy source.

Additionally, the hawk would have to rely on the snake for its source of energy. The

index cards (enough for 1 per student in the class)

yarn (1 skein per class)

scissors (1 pair per teacher)

charts created by students (from the Elaborate

section of Lesson 01)

Attachments:

Optional Handout: Creating Food Chains (see

Advance Preparation, 1 per teacher)

Teacher Resource: Food Chains and Food Webs

Instructional Note:

Students should be recognizing that the removal of an organism

from a food chain has many negative effects and the removal of the

same organism from a food web can be catastrophic for the

ecosystem.

Science Notebooks:

Students should add a reflection about the consequences of

removing one organism from an environment.

Grade 4

Science

Unit: 08

Lesson: 02

Suggested Duration: 8 days

Last Updated 05/28/13 page 3 of 20

snake population would decrease. The decrease in the snake population would

lead to roadrunners needing to rely on frogs, lizards, and grasshoppers as food

sources. The frog population had already decreased, so the grasshopper and

lizard populations would now decrease. Since the frog, grasshopper, and lizard

populations have decreased, the ant population would increase. The grass

population would also increase because there are fewer animals relying on it as a

source of energy.

ENGAGE/ EXPLORE – Vocabulary Terms Suggested Day 2

1. Pair students with a work partner. The students are in pairs to collaborate and

communicate with each other about the terms.

2. Distribute the Handout: Vocabulary Flash Cards and a paper clip to each student.

Instruct students to carefully cut out the cards, and create verbal/visual cards for the

terms shown. The term is at the top of the page. Students should create a visual that

represents the term on the card.

3. Once all the visuals are completed, instruct students to clip their cards together. They

will be using them again during this class session.

4. Project the Handout: Vocabulary Flash Cards. Using a method compatible with your

students’ mode of learning, facilitate the development of a definition for each of thewords on the handout (see Instructional Notes). Record the definitions of each term as

they are developed by the students. The definitions could be recorded on chart paper

or another visual form for students to view.

5. Once all the terms have been defined, instruct students to unclip the verbal/visual

cards and write the appropriate definition on the back of each card (Write the

definition that corresponds to the term on the front.).

6. During the remainder of the lesson, students should have multiple opportunities to

review the terms.

Materials:

paper clip (to hold vocabulary cards, 1 per students

scissors (1 per pair of students)

colored pencils (1 pack per pair of students)

paper (chart, 1 piece per class) – Optional

Attachments:

Handout: Vocabulary Flash Cards (1 per student

and 1 for projection)

Check For Understanding:

This activity can be used as a formative assessment of student

understanding.

Instructional Notes:

There are many methods of vocabulary instruction to choose from,

such as the Frayer model and six-step process by Robert Marzano

and using meaningful word parts, brainstorming, or vocabulary

discussions.

Science Notebooks:

Students can store the terms in their science notebooks by creating

a pocket directly in the notebook.

EXPLORE/EXPLAIN – Changes in an Ecosystem Suggested Days 3 and 4

1. Remind students to continue to make and record observations of the descriptive

investigation that the teacher set up for observation. Additionally, students should

make and record observations of their terrarium from Lesson 01.

2. Say:

We have been learning about food chains in different ecosystems.

As a review, let’s recall the different ecosystems that you have learnedabout and could describe.

Before we discuss this as a class, I want you to record in your science

notebooks as many different ecosystems as you can recall.

3. Allow 3–5 minutes for students to create a list. If students need an example to get them

Materials:

chart paper (to record information about different

ecosystems, per class)

Attachments:

Handout: Ecosystem Elaboration (1 per group)

Teacher Resource: Ecosystem Elaboration

Model KEY

Teacher Resource: Ecosystem Elaboration

Grade 4

Science

Unit: 08

Lesson: 02

Suggested Duration: 8 days

Last Updated 05/28/13 page 4 of 20

started, you could remind them of the ecosystems they discussed in the last lesson,

such as desert and pond ecosystems.

4. After students have created their lists, choose several students to identify and

describe one feature of an ecosystem. As students provide the information, record the

information on the chart paper. A 2-column T-chart would be an appropriate organizer

for this information. The name of the ecosystem should be on the left. More

information will be added as the EXPLORE/EXPLAIN progresses.

5. Ask:

What events would cause change in an ecosystem? Student answers will

vary, depending on background knowledge and experiences. Some events may

include fires, floods, volcanic eruptions, climate changes (warmer or cooler), and

environmental disasters (oil spills, pesticide pollution).

6. Record the events as students make suggestions; these will be used as the

EXPLORE/EXPLAIN progresses. The information should be recorded on the same

chart where the ecosystems were listed.

7. In order to provide students with more background information, locate and preview

either a book or a video about change to an ecosystem. Oil Spill! and Forest Fire! are

two books that would be appropriate choices.

8. After reading the book or viewing the video, discuss the event that caused change and

the effects of the change on the ecosystem’s food web.

9. Say/Ask:

An ecosystem includes all of the living organisms and nonliving elements

in a particular place and their interactions with each other.

There is usually a finite amount of resources.

What do we mean by “finite”? Finite means there is a specific amount. When

the resource is used up, there is no more.

Some of the resources in an ecosystem include water, food or nutrients,

space, and sunlight.

In a healthy, balanced ecosystem, each organism has a niche.

What do you think “niche” means? (Allow students a few moments to think, and

then ask for responses before answering the question.) A niche is the role or

function of an organism has in an ecosystem.

10. Divide the class into groups of 3–4 students. Distribute a copy of the Handout:Ecosystem Elaboration to each group.

11. Instruct the groups to describe the food web on the Handout: Ecosystem Elaboration

with the members of their group.

12. Project the Teacher Resource: Ecosystem Elaboration Model KEY.

Ask:

What organisms have been removed? (The bird and caterpillar have been

removed.)

What are the niches of the organisms in the ecosystem? Students should be

able to discuss the roles of the organisms in terms of energy supply.

What would happen to the other organisms if you removed the rabbits

from the food web? Tell them their choices are: increase (I), decrease (D), or

unchanged (U). Answers may vary. Allow students to respond before revealing an

answer.

13. Walk the students through the rabbit example as shown on the Teacher Resource:

Ecosystem Elaboration Example KEY.

Ask:

What factors might cause an organism to be removed from an ecosystem?

Too much competition between organisms, a fire, a flood, or other natural disaster

How might a fire affect the organisms living in an ecosystem? Some

organisms will die, and then there will be fewer of that organism to be consumed by

consumers.

How might a flood affect the organisms living in an ecosystem? Some

organisms will die, and then there will be fewer of that organism to be consumed by

consumers.

14. Assign each group an organism to remove. Have the students record what organism

Example KEY

Instructional Notes:

Some ecosystems that students may recall include: polar, tundra,

forest (deciduous forest, evergreen forests, tropical rain forests,

temperate rain forests and taiga), chaparral, desert, grassland

(savanna and prairies), aquatic (freshwater and marine), island, and

urban.

When scientists talk about changes to an environment

(disturbances), they are sometimes classified into two categories:

disasters and catastrophes. Disasters do not wipe out everything in

an ecosystem; in fact, turning over a rock can be a “disturbance” in a

smaller ecosystem. Generally, in a catastrophe, there is no adaptive

response for the organisms. Some examples may include volcanic

eruptions or strip mining.

Students learned about rapid changes (such as volcanic eruptions

and landslides) in Grade 3.

Check For Understanding:

The Claims/Evidence/Reasoning chart could be used as a formative

assessment of student understanding.

Science Notebooks:

Using claims, evidence, and reasoning (predictions and

explanations) helps students increase scientific reasoning skills.

Grade 4

Science

Unit: 08

Lesson: 02

Suggested Duration: 8 days

Last Updated 05/28/13 page 5 of 20

they removed on the Handout: Ecosystem Elaboration. Then, have them predict

what they think will happen to the other organisms. Have them use the table and use

the appropriate letters (I, D, or U) to indicate their prediction.

15. Once they have made their predictions, have the groups write a paragraph explaining

why they make those predictions. Show them your rabbit example.

16. Then, instruct groups to predict what they think will happen to the nonliving

components of the ecosystem.

17. After each group has completed their assignment, instruct students to write their

findings in their science notebooks.

18. One organizer that students may wish to use when planning the paragraph is a

Claims/Evidence/Reasoning chart.

ELABORATE- Events that Cause Change Suggested Days 5 and 6

1. Project the Teacher Resource: Changes to the Environment. Students will use this

as a guide to record information about how changes to an environment would change

the food web. (The teacher may want to provide a copy of this resource for students

who need accommodations or support.)

Say/Ask:

What are some organisms you might find in a forest? Record the organisms

that students name in the column “organisms in the ecosystem.”Imagine there was a forest fire in the ecosystem.

What do you think would be the effect on the food web? The response will

depend on the organisms that students selected.

2. If the organisms in the example were used, students should be able to communicate

the effects on the food web because of the removal of one organism.

3. You may wish to do one more example together as a class before assigning groups to

complete the others. (Additionally, you may need to provide resources about the

various changes if students are not familiar with them.)

4. Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Distribute one piece of paper to each pair

or group. Assign each group or pair one of the changes to the ecosystem.

5. Instruct students to follow these directions:

Say:

Write the name of the ecosystem and some of the organisms in the

ecosystem.

Describe the event that occurred.

Describe the food web before the event that caused change and the

effect on the food web as a result of the change.

Student pairs or groups should construct a food web for their ecosystem.

It could be presented with just the names of the organisms or

accompanied by an illustration.

6. After students have completed the changes to the ecosystem, they should present this

information to the rest of the class. (This supports the student expectation:

Communicate valid oral and written results supported by data.)

7. Students should answer the following three questions on their paper:

Materials:

paper (plain, 1 sheet per pair or small group)

Attachments:

Teacher Resource: Changes to the Environment

Optional Handout: Making Connections

Teacher Resource: Making Connections KEY

Instructional Notes:

English Language Learners and special needs students may need

extra help.

The Handout: Making Connections is provided in case your

students need additional instruction before they manipulate the data

on their own. Use it if needed.

Misconceptions:

Students may think that when an animal eats food

(plants or other animals), one hundred percent of

the energy in that animal is transferred to the new

organism.

Students may think that all large animals are

carnivores. (A better indicator of the classification of

the animal is what the animal eats or how their teeth

are formed rather than their size.)

Students may think that a species high on the food

web is a predator to everything below it.

Check For Understanding:

The Optional Handout: Making Connections could be used as a

formative assessment of student understanding.

Science Notebooks:

Students should write a reflection about the effect of change (in

general) to a food web in an ecosystem.

Grade 4

Science

Unit: 08

Lesson: 02

Suggested Duration: 8 days

Last Updated 05/28/13 page 6 of 20

How do nonliving elements of an ecosystem interact with living

organisms?

How do nonliving elements of an ecosystem interact with other nonliving

organisms?

What is being passed on in a food chain or food web?

8. As a final review of food webs, distribute the Optional Handout: Making

Connections. The Teacher Resource: Making Connections KEY provides a

suggested answer.

EVALUATE – Performance Indicator Suggested Days 7 and 8

Grade 04 Science Unit 08 PI 02

Using the diorama of the ecosystem created earlier, select a member to remove from the ecosystem.

Write a mock interview with one of the remaining members about how this has affected its life and its

home. Write a news report based on the interview.

Standard(s): 4.2F , 4.9B

ELPS ELPS.c.3E , ELPS.c.4G , ELPS.c.5F

1. Refer to the Teacher Resource: Performance Indicator Instructions KEY for

information on administering the assessment.

Materials:

prepared diorama (from previous Performance

Indicator)

paper (lined, 2–3 sheets per student)

Attachments:

Teacher Resource: Performance Indicator

Instructions KEY

Instructional Notes:

The writing in this Performance Indicator supports the Grade 4

ELAR TEKS:

(4.18) Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts

to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for

specific purposes. Students are expected to:

(A) Create brief compositions that:

(i) establish a central idea in a topic sentence

(ii) include supporting sentences with simple facts, details, and

explanations

(iii) contain a concluding statement

Grade 4

Science

Unit: 08

Lesson: 02

Suggested Duration: 8 days

Last Updated 05/28/13 page 7 of 20

Grade 4

Science Unit: 08 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 12/07/12 page 1 of 3

Creating Food Chains

Grade 4

Science Unit: 08 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 12/07/12 page 2 of 3

Grade 4

Science Unit: 08 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 12/07/12 page 3 of 3

All images courtesy of Microsoft clip art.

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 12/10/12 page 1 of 1

Food Chains and Food Webs

1. This activity needs to be conducted in a large, unobstructed area in the classroom or outdoors.

2. Assign each student a role for this activity. The roles include the Sun (1 person), producers,

primary consumers, or secondary consumers. Students should have a card with their “role” on it.

This could be one of the picture cards from the previous activity, or the name of the organism

written on an index card.

3. Instruct students to look at their role and then identify their energy (food) source(s). Students

should raise their hands when they have identified it and are standing next to their energy source.

Instruct students to choose only one energy source, if the organism has more than one.

4. Hand a ball of yarn to one student (the roadrunner, for example). They should hold onto the end of

the ball of yarn. Ask them to identify their energy source. (It could be the lizard or mouse.) The

roadrunner should hold onto the end of the strand of yarn, but hand the ball of yarn to their energy

source (the lizard, for example). The two are now connected. The lizard should identify its energy

source (the ant, for example). The lizard should hold onto their section of the yarn, but hand the

ball of yarn to their energy source (the ant). The roadrunner, lizard, and ant are now connected.

The ant should identify its energy source (a plant), and the plant will identify its energy source (the

Sun). This entire chain should be connected with a single piece of yarn. Once the yarn gets to the

Sun, cut it off and start again in another place.

5. Continue building the web, making the relationships as complex as time and the number of

organisms allow. As students are making the connections to their energy source, they should also

say if they are a producer, primary consumer or secondary consumer. In some cases there may

be tertiary consumers. (It is not expected that students memorize this term.)

6. After the food web activity is completed, ask the following guiding questions:

In what way is our model of an ecosystem realistic? It shows the interactions between

species. It shows the interactions between plants and animals. It has some diversity.

What are the limitations of our model? It does not represent the diversity of a real

ecosystem. It has living components but no nonliving components. There is only one or two of

each organism, whereas in a real ecosystem, there would be several of one species present.

What do you think would happen if one species was removed from the web? Allow

several students to answer

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 12/10/12 page 1 of 1

Vocabulary Flash Cards

carbon dioxide consumer

(primary)

consumer

(secondary)

ecosystem energy organism

photosynthesis producer Sun

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 12/10/12 page 1 of 2

Ecosystem Elaboration

Image courtesy of A. Venegas

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 12/10/12 page 2 of 2

Ecosystem Elaboration

owl rabbit mouse cricket wheat grass owl X

rabbit X mouse X cricket X wheat X grass X

What organism did you remove? ___________________________________ KEY

X Does not apply

D Decrease

I Increase

U Unchanged

Using the KEY above, predict what your group thinks will happen to each of the organisms in the food web when your organism is removed. In the space below, explain why you made those predictions. Also, predict what you think will happen to the nonliving components of the ecosystem.

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 05/28/13 page 1 of 1

Ecosystem Elaboration Model KEY

Sun

wheat

grass

cricket

rabbit

owl

mouse

Images courtesy of Microsoft clip

art

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 05/28/13 page 1 of 1

Ecosystem Elaboration Example KEY

owl rabbit mouse cricket wheat grass

owl X rabbit D X D I I I mouse X cricket X wheat X grass X

What organism did you remove? rabbit KEY

X Does not apply

D Decrease

I Increase

U Unchanged

Using the KEY above, predict what your group thinks will happen to each of the organisms in the food web when your organism is removed. In the space below, explain why you made those predictions. Also, predict what you think will happen to the nonliving components of the ecosystem.

Owls would decrease because they eat rabbits. Mice would decrease because the owls would eat more of them. Crickets may increase because there are not as many mice. (Remember, the mice are now the owl’s main and only dish.) Wheat and grass may increase because they are not being eaten by rabbits anymore. The additional crickets will eat more wheat and grass. There may be less erosion of the soil because there will be more wheat and other grasses to hold the soil in place.

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 12/10/12 page 1 of 1

Changes to the Environment

Change to the Ecosystem

Name of Ecosystem and

Organisms in the Ecosystem Effect on the Food Web

forest fire

oil spill

volcanic eruption

flood

drought

pollution

climate change

humans’ actions

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 12/10/12 page 1 of 1

Making Connections

Use the word box to fill the squares with organisms

that will fit into the food web.

Then, draw arrows

to indicate the

direction that the

energy is flowing.

Words to connect: scorpion cricket

sunflowers roadrunner antelope lizards snake coyote

elf owl

pocket

mouse

great horned owl

spiders

caterpillars

grasses and seeds

butterflies

sagebrush

Grade 4 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 12/10/12 page 1 of 1

Making Connections KEY

Use the word box to fill the squares with organisms

that will fit into the food web.

Then, draw arrows

to indicate the

direction that the

energy is flowing.

Words to connect: scorpion cricket

sunflowers roadrunner antelope lizards snake coyote

roadrunner

elf owl

snakes

pocket

mouse

cricket

great horned owl

spiders

caterpillars

grasses and seeds

sunflowers

lizards

butterflies

sagebrush

antelope

scorpion

coyote

Grade 04 Science

Unit: 08 Lesson: 02

©2012, TESCCC 05/28/13 page 1 of 1

Performance Indicator Instructions KEY

Performance Indicator

Using the diorama of the ecosystem created earlier; select a member to remove from the ecosystem. Write a mock interview with one of the remaining members about how this has affected its life and its home. Write a news report based on the interview. (4.2F; 4.9B)

3E; 4G; 5F

Materials:

prepared diorama (from previous Performance Indicator) paper (lined, 2–3 sheets per student)

Instructional Procedures:

1. Allow students to access the diorama they created in the previous Performance Indicator (Unit 08 Lesson 01).

2. Instruct students to choose one organism to remove from their ecosystem and another organism to mock interview. Students should write a series of questions and answers explaining how the removal of the one organism has affected the entire ecosystem, from the perspective of the organism being interviewed.

3. Students should then prepare a news report based on the interview to share with the class.

4. Share Performance Indicator rubric or expectations with students prior to students beginning the assessment.

5. Answer any questions students may have regarding the assessment.

Instructional Notes:

The writing in this Performance Indicator supports the Grade 4 ELAR TEKS: (4.18) Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to: (A) Create brief compositions that: (i) establish a central idea in a topic sentence (ii) include supporting sentences with simple facts, details, and explanations (iii) contain a concluding statement