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Science lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 30 minutes

Producers, consumers, predators and prey

Ecosystems and food chains

CCSS NGSS.5-LS2-1CCSS NGSS.MS-LS2-3England: KS2 Y4 Animals, including humans

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Producers, consumers, predators and prey.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Simple food chains

Leads to: Decomposers and recycling nutrients; Food webs and interdependence; Why some animals live in groups

Materials: Food web cards, Arrows to build chains, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Simple food chains). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which living thing fills the gap in this food chain? grass → ___ → fox (rabbit / phytoplankton / oak leaves / owl) → rabbitPrompt: It must eat the thing before it in the chain.
  2. grass → rabbit → fox. Which living thing is a plant? (rabbit / grass / fox) → grassPrompt: It is at the start of the chain.
  3. Which living thing fills the gap in this food chain? acacia leaves → giraffe → ___ (oak leaves / lion / seeds / lettuce) → lionPrompt: It must eat the thing before it in the chain.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a food web and ask what would happen if one animal disappeared.
  • Share the objective: Producers, consumers, predators and prey. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: phytoplankton → krill → penguin → leopard seal What is the krill in this food chain?
  • Step 1: It is number 2 in the chain.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: primary consumer
  • Answer: primary consumer
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. grass → rabbit → fox What is the fox in this food chain? (secondary consumer / primary consumer / producer / tertiary consumer) → secondary consumerPrompt: Start at the plant and count the arrows.
  2. lettuce → slug → hedgehog → badger Which animal is the predator of the hedgehog? (hedgehog / badger / lettuce / slug) → badgerPrompt: A predator hunts and eats other animals; its prey is the animal it eats.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Food chains: which statement is true? (Herbivores are predators. / A food chain can start with a lion. / Plants are producers because they make their own food. / Producers eat consumers.) → Plants are producers because they make their own food.Prompt: Producers make food; consumers eat.
  2. acacia leaves → giraffe → lion What is the acacia leaves in this food chain? (producer / primary consumer / secondary consumer / tertiary consumer) → producerPrompt: Start at the plant and count the arrows.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Simple food chains.
  • Use concrete materials: food web cards.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Decomposers and recycling nutrients; Food webs and interdependence; Why some animals live in groups.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-3.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Producers, consumers, predators and prey

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    grass → zebra → lion What is the grass in this food chain?

    • A. producer
    • B. secondary consumer
    • C. primary consumer
    • D. tertiary consumer

  2. Question 2

    Food chains: which statement is true?

    • A. A consumer gets its energy by eating other living things.
    • B. Producers eat consumers.
    • C. A food chain can start with a lion.
    • D. Herbivores are predators.

  3. Question 3

    seeds → mouse → owl Which animal is the prey of the owl?

    • A. seeds
    • B. mouse
    • C. owl

  4. Question 4

    seeds → mouse → owl What is the owl in this food chain?

    • A. secondary consumer
    • B. producer
    • C. tertiary consumer
    • D. primary consumer

  5. Question 5

    grass → rabbit → fox Which animal is the prey of the fox?

    • A. rabbit
    • B. grass
    • C. fox

  6. Question 6

    phytoplankton → krill → penguin → leopard seal What is the penguin in this food chain?

    • A. secondary consumer
    • B. tertiary consumer
    • C. producer
    • D. primary consumer

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Answer key: Producers, consumers, predators and prey

  1. 1. A. producer

  2. 2. A. A consumer gets its energy by eating other living things.

  3. 3. B. mouse

  4. 4. A. secondary consumer

  5. 5. A. rabbit

  6. 6. A. secondary consumer