The Food Chain (Let the Sun Shine In)
by Ms. Rolle
Overview
This project's focus is on the way plants get and make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Energy transfer is a concept that developed as students traced energy through each step of a food chain that begins with plants. We are currently starting to grow lima bean plants (we start planting on Friday March 22, we will test germination and growth by germinating the bean seeds first in ziploc bags, then as they germinate we will plant them in soil).
What We Thought We Knew
- We know that in all food chains there are herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. -Kara
- Herbivores are animals that eat only plants-Brandon Plants are found on the fist level of the food pyramid. -Ashley
- Plants are called producers because they make their own food. -Hipolito
- A herbivore is deer. -Tiffany S.
- A herbivores is manatee-Ricardo
Next level is carnivores, the whole class says carnivores eat only meat.
- Carnivores are panthers. -John
- Alligator -Andrew
- Bald Eagle -Erica
Top level is omnivores (the class said that animals that eat both plants and meat are these).
- Black Bear-Antia
- Raccoon-Carol
- Everything at the top depends on things at the bottom. At the bottom are decomposers-Hipolito
- Megan-they break down plants and animals Mushrooms-John
- Fungi-Ricardo
- Bacteria-Brandon
- Earthworms-Ashley
- Germination may mean how seeds grow-Karen
Questions We Had
- What is the job of decomposers? -Ms. R
- What is the most important part of the food chain?-Ms. R What is germination? -Megan S.
- How do plants get food from sunlight? Tiffany S. How does a plant get air? -Terrel
- How does a plant get protein? -Carol
- Can they grow without soil? -Heather
- How do plants make their own food? -Maria
- How does a plant move when the sun moves? -Ashley
- Can they grow without sunlight? -Ryan
What We Found Out from Books and the Internet
The children have gone on the internet to pull out specific information about animals that they are interested in. An example is that Karen R. found a resource for the river otter at http://keyselections.lm.com/wildlife/river_otter.html.
What We Found Out from Experimentation
We intend to start our experimentation with the lima been seeds on Friday, 3-22-97.
How We Showed What We Learned
The students already have made books of their investigations into animals and the food chain. These books will become part of the students' overall portfolio.
Students will make mobils of the food chain, and they will make a food pyramid.
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