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Science lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 45 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 · 5 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? ___ → giraffe → lion (mouse / rabbit / grasshopper / acacia leaves) → acacia leavesPrompt: A food chain starts with a plant.
  2. grass → rabbit → fox. Which living thing is a plant? (grass / rabbit / fox) → grassPrompt: It is at the start of the chain.
  3. Which living thing fills the gap in this food chain? ___ → grasshopper → frog → snake (rabbit / mouse / grass / giraffe) → grassPrompt: A food chain starts with a plant.

Hook · 5 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 · 10 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 · 10 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. algae → tadpole → fish → heron What is the tadpole in this food chain? (primary consumer / tertiary consumer / secondary consumer / producer) → primary consumerPrompt: Start at the plant and count the arrows.
  2. algae → tadpole → fish → heron Which animal is the predator of the fish? (heron / fish / algae / tadpole) → heronPrompt: A predator hunts and eats other animals; its prey is the animal it eats.

You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. oak leaves → caterpillar → blue tit → sparrowhawk What is the caterpillar in this food chain? (primary consumer / secondary consumer / producer / tertiary consumer) → primary consumerPrompt: Start at the plant and count the arrows.
  2. grass → zebra → lion Which animal is the predator of the zebra? (zebra / lion / grass) → lionPrompt: A predator hunts and eats other animals; its prey is the animal it eats.

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/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Food chains: which statement is true?

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

  2. Question 2

    oak leaves → caterpillar → blue tit → sparrowhawk What is the caterpillar in this food chain?

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

  3. Question 3

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

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

  4. Question 4

    algae → tadpole → fish → heron What is the algae in this food chain?

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

  5. Question 5

    acacia leaves → giraffe → lion Which animal is the prey of the lion?

    • A. lion
    • B. giraffe
    • C. acacia leaves

  6. Question 6

    oak leaves → caterpillar → blue tit → sparrowhawk What is the blue tit in this food chain?

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

  7. Question 7

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

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

  8. Question 8

    grass → rabbit → fox What is the fox 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. D. A consumer gets its energy by eating other living things.

  2. 2. A. primary consumer

  3. 3. A. rabbit

  4. 4. A. producer

  5. 5. B. giraffe

  6. 6. A. secondary consumer

  7. 7. B. owl

  8. 8. A. secondary consumer