Hello science explorers!

You
are about to do some exciting online
research in our computer lab!

In this web-quest you will explore

some online resources to learn what a food
chain and food web are, how to create a
food chain and food web, and the language
a real scientist uses when discussing how
energy is transferred in food chains and
food webs.
Students will count off as
student 1, student 2, and student 3. All
student 1s will work together as will
student 2s and student 3s. Each group of
students has a guided worksheet to
complete in one hour. At the conclusion of
an hour, the teacher will arrange jigsaw

groups consisting of a student 1, a student

2, and a student 3 so that information can
be shared. Each student will have five
minutes to share their research. One
student in the group should act as the
timekeeper. Each student will be expected
to complete an exit slip stating three
things they learned.

Name ______________________

Date ____________

Ecosystems and Food Chains WebQuest

Student 1
Go to:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/foo
dchain.htm
You will need to look at the links on the top of the page to help you locate
information.
1. What is a food chain?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

2. What is the process plants use to make food?

______________________________________
Explain:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. Name and describe the 3 types of consumers:

a. ______________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________
Click on Click to Learn about Bigger Food Chains on the same website.

4. Draw a food chain with at least 6 organisms. Be sure to label each

organism (consumer, producer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, decomposer,
primary consumer, secondary consumer, etc.)

5. Why cant there be too many links in a food chain?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Click on Food Chain Game and play 5 rounds of the game.

Name: ________________________

Date: __________________

Student 2
Go to: http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
1. Why are there more herbivores than carnivores in an ecosystem?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. A series of food chains connected together is called a
___________________________.
3. Why are there only a few chains in a food chain?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. The arrow is drawn from the food ______________ to the food

_______________. The arrow points to the animal that ___________ the

energy.
5. When the population in an environment changes what happens to the
plants and animals in the environment?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Name: _________________________

Date: __________

Student 3
Go to: http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html
Consumers are living things that need producers to be their food (animals
and people)
Producers living things which take the non living matter from the
environment (plants)
Decomposers living things which feed off of dead plants and animals
(bacteria, fungi)

Using the information in the table above, make a food web for each habitat.
Draw pictures for each organism, label each organism using the terms above,
and use arrows to show the flow of energy.
1. Meadow food web

2. Arctic food web

3. Pond food web

Name: __________________________
: Three things I learned about the

transfer of energy in food chains and food webs.

1.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.

2.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.
3.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.

Beginning
(1)

Developing
(2)

Very Good
(3)

Exemplary
(4)

Individual
Computer
Work

When on
computer I
was off task
and had to be
reminded by
teacher and
group
members to
stay on task.

When on
computer I
was off task
sometimes and
had to be
reminded by
teacher and
group
members to
stay on task.

When on
computer I
was usually on
task and
seldom had to
be reminded
by teacher
and group
members to
stay on task.

When on
computer I
was on task
and never had
to be
reminded by
teacher and
group
members to
stay on task.

Group
Participation

Never helped
my group get
the task done.

Sometimes
helped my
group get the
task done.

Often helped
my group get
the task done.

Always helped
my group get
the task done.

Quality of
Responses

The answers
to the
worksheet
questions
were not in
complete
sentences and
did not include
enough detail.
The response
sheet was not
neat or well
organized.
The exit slip
did not show
what you
learned.

The answers
to the
worksheet
questions
were mostly in
complete
sentences and
mostly
included
enough detail.
The response
sheet was
mostly neat
and organized.
The exit slip
showed two
things that
you learned.

The answers
to the
worksheet
questions were
always in
complete
sentences and
included
enough detail.

Neatness
and
Organization

The answers
to the
worksheet
questions were
sometimes in
complete
sentences and
sometimes
included
enough detail.
The response
sheet was
somewhat neat
and organized.
The exit slip
showed only
one thing that
you learned.

Exit Slip
Contents

The response
sheet was very
neat and well
organized.
The exit slip
showed three
things that
you learned.

Great job! You and your group

members have successfully completed this
webquest. I hope you had fun learning
about food chains, food webs, and the
transfer of energy. Do you still have
questions? There will be an index card on
your desk. Write your name and any
questions or confusion you may have and
hand it in at the end of class.