Predator's Food Quest (es)

Get ready for an exciting lesson on food chains! In this lesson, learners will use a special food chain simulator tool. It's like a game that will help them understand how animals and plants depend on each other for food. They will play around with different creatures to see how they interact and learn about the important connections that keep our environment balanced.

Lesson Overview

	Overview	Activity Objectives
Riddle Safari	Learners will decipher riddles to uncover the mysterious organisms that hide within our ecosystem. Each riddle will lead learners to a different creature, revealing the diverse range of plants and animals that play crucial roles in the environment.	Enhance critical thinking skills by solving riddles to identify various organisms. Gain a deeper understanding of the diversity of organisms within an ecosystem.
Main Activity	Learners will use the simulator to see how different plants and animals depend on each other in an ecosystem. With the simulator, they will experiment and see what happens when things change.	Gain hands-on experience in manipulating different organisms within an ecosystem. Understand the concept of interdependence among plants and animals in maintaining ecosystem balance.
Closing Activity	Learners will dive into the fascinating world of ocean ecosystems. They will put their newfound knowledge to use by drawing a complete food chain specific to the ocean environment. Learners will also complete an exit ticket.	Demonstrate an understanding of the roles of producers and consumers specific to the ocean habitat.

Prior Knowledge:

Learners should:

Have a basic understanding of ecosystems.

Lesson Objectives:

Explore the food chain simulator and solve challenges.
Draw a food chain for the ocean ecosystem.

Learning Outcomes:

Learners will be able to:

Understand the concept of a food chain and its importance in ecosystems.
Identify the roles of producers and consumers in a food chain.
Differentiate between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, and explain their roles.
Explore the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem through simulation.
Demonstrate the ability to draw food chains for varied ecosystems, showcasing the connections between organisms and their roles in different habitats.

Resources:

Teaching slides

Worksheet

Exit ticket

Pre-lesson Prep

Like all lessons on Eddy, this lesson follows a certain approach. If this is your first time implementing an Eddy lesson, check out our lesson approach for more information.

Prepare necessary technology/hardware in advance

Devices (tablets/laptops/Chromebooks/computers) - one per team

A stable wifi connection.

Access to https://www.learner.org/wp-content/interactive/envsci/ecology/ecology.html on each device.

Slide	Activity
3	Introduce the ground rules, lesson norms, and team roles to students. You can check out our lesson approach if it’s your first time conducting an Eddy lesson.
4-7	Explain that learners will hear riddles about different organisms and have limited time to draw the organism they think the riddle is describing. Emphasize that the focus is on fun and creativity, so there's no need for perfect drawings. It's about expressing their ideas! Present each riddle one by one from the provided list. Allow learners a short time limit (e.g., 1-2 minutes) to draw the organism they think matches the riddle.
8	Reveal the correct answers to the learners and ask whether they could guess them correctly or not. After revealing each organism, ask, "Which among these can prepare their own food?" Encourage learners to think and discuss among themselves before sharing their responses.

How does the riddle safari activity reinforce learning?

The Riddle Safari reinforces learning by engaging learners playfully and interactively. It challenges them to think critically, apply their knowledge, and use their imagination to associate riddles with specific organisms. This activity encourages active participation, helping learners remember and identify different organisms.

How to adjust this activity for slow learners?

For slow learners or those who find drawing challenging, offer the option of writing the names of the organisms instead of drawing them. Focus on celebrating each learner's effort and participation, regardless of their chosen method.

Slide	Activity
9	Read (if required) aloud the information about producers and their role in making food using sunlight, water, and air. Provide examples of producers, such as trees and grass, to help learners understand. Repeat the same for consumers.
10-12	Introduce carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores with examples. Encourage learners to categorize animals into these three consumer types.
13	Introduce food chains as stories of who eats whom in an ecosystem. Explain how energy and nutrients move from one organism to another. Describe how producers capture sunlight to create food, which transfers energy along the food chain.
14	Introduce the simulator as a game depicting how animals and plants rely on each other for food. Highlight its interactive nature and role in understanding interdependence. Emphasize that it's a fun way to discover the connections in the environment. Ask them to open the simulator on their devices.
15	Ask the learners to familiarize themselves with the user interface.
16	Scenario Introduction: Explain the concept of a new ecosystem forming after a significant event like a fire or flood. Simulator Setup: Ask the learners to ensure that Plants A and B are pre-selected in the simulator to align with the scenario. Activity I Completion: Encourage learners to engage with Activity I on the worksheet, relating to the scenario presented.
17	Discuss the results of the simulation with the learners.
18	Preparation: Ask the learners Ensure Plants A and B are selected by default in the simulator. Herbivore Interaction: Ask the learners to click on the rabbit and select the "eats plant A" option. Activity II and III: Guide learners to the worksheet, prompting them to run the simulation and complete Activities II and III.
19	Discuss the results of the simulations with the learners.
20	Allow the learners to set up a complete food chain and run the simulation. Ask them to complete the worksheet (Part IV)

What if learners face problems running the simulation?

Troubleshoot Together: Ask learners to describe the issue they're facing. Guide them through basic troubleshooting steps, such as refreshing the page or checking their internet connection. Check Settings: Ensure that the correct organisms are selected as per the instructions. Confirm that Plants A and B are chosen by default. Demonstration: If the issue persists, demonstrate how to run the simulation on the screen for all learners to observe. This visual guide can help them understand the process better.

How to adjust the simulation for advanced learners?

Complex Organism Interactions: Introduce more intricate interactions between organisms involving multiple levels of the food chain.

Slide

Activity

21

Instruct learners to go to the worksheet (Activity V)
Introduction to Ecosystem Variety: Describe how different ecosystems have unique food chains.
Ocean Ecosystem: Show the list of organisms from the ocean ecosystem.
Activity Prompt: Instruct learners to draw a food chain using the provided organisms, showcasing their interdependence.

22

Ask the learners to complete the exit ticket.

Criteria	Emerging	Developing	Proficient
Knowledge and Understanding	The learner demonstrates a limited understanding of food chains and the roles of organisms	The learner shows some understanding of food chains and roles, with minor misconceptions.	The learner demonstrates a thorough understanding of food chains and the roles of organisms.
Engagement with Simulator	The learner has minimal engagement with the simulator, resulting in incomplete exploration.	The learner engages with the simulator, attempting to explore different scenarios.	The learner actively engages with the simulator, effectively exploring all scenarios.
Worksheet Completion	The learner's completion of activities on the worksheet is incomplete or inaccurate.	The learner completes some worksheet activities with errors or misunderstandings.	The learner completes all worksheet activities accurately.
Drawing Food Chains	The learner struggles to draw coherent food chains, resulting in significant inaccuracies.	The learner draws food chains with some inaccuracies in relationships or sequence.	The learner draws well-structured and accurate food chains.

Predator's Food Quest (es)

1. Information We Collect

2. How We Use Your Information

3. Information Sharing

4. Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

5. Your Rights

6. Security

7. Changes to This Policy

8. Contact Us

1. Use of Our Website

2. User Accounts

3. Intellectual Property

4. Disclaimer of Warranties

5. Limitation of Liability

6. Indemnification

7. Termination

8. Governing Law

9. Changes to These Terms

10. Contact Us