1. Energy EQ: What happens to energy as it moves through an ecosystem?
Warmup Questions
What does an energy pyramid represent? Why is it the pyramid shape?
Where does the energy of a food chain come from?
What happens to energy as it gets passed down a food chain? ?

2. Food Chains and Food Webs- Only one dimensional
Bobcat
Third-level
Consumer
Weasel
Second-level
Consumer
Prickly Pear Cactus
Producer
Woodrat
First-level Consumer

3. Energy Pyramids
An energy pyramid is a diagram that shows how much energy is at each step of the food chain.
A 3d food chain.
Shows how many organisms at each step of food chain
Where are there more
organisms?Why?

4. Model Energy pyramid We will make an energy pyramid as a class.
Each row is another level of the pyramid.

5. Producers.
I have 8 producers. Each one of you makes food holding 2 Units of energy.
Where do you get the energy to make the food?
What chemical do you make that stores the energy?
What will the producers do with that energy?
Use it to grow,
Use it to live.
It will burn off in these processes

6. 1st level or Primary Consumers
Each primary consumer also needs 2 units of energy to survive.
How much energy does our ecosystem have left?
8 units/ Half of the original 16.
How many 1st level consumers can our ecosystem hold?
4 Half the energy half the organisms.
Why is there less energy?

7. 2nd level consumers
Each primary consumer also needs 2 units of energy to survive.
How much energy does our ecosystem have left?
4units/ Half of the original 8
How many 2nd level consumers can our ecosystem hold?
2 Half the energy half the organisms.
Why is there less energy? Where did it go?

8. 3rd level
Each 3rd level consumer also needs 2 units of energy to survive.
How much energy does our ecosystem have left?
2 units/ Half of the previous 4.
How many 3rd level consumers can our ecosystem hold?
1 Half the energy half the organisms.
Why is there less energy?

9. What does Bill Nye the Science Guy have to say about it?

10. What is happening to energy?

11. How big can the pyramid get?
Why is the third level consumer usually the top of the food chain?
Do you think its common to have 4th level consumers?
Why is it unlikely to have 4th level consumers?
Why is it even more unlikely to have a 5th and 6th level?

12. Summary Questions
Answer on a sheet of paper.
What does an energy pyramid represent? Why is it the pyramid shape?
Where does the energy of a food chain come from?
What happens to energy as it gets passed down a food chain?
Why can there only be around 4 levels in an energy pyramid?
What is one organism that’s important to a food chain that’s not shown on an energy pyramid?

13. Summary Draw an energy Pyramid First make a food chain.
Turn your food chain into an energy pyramid.
Show how many organisms would be at each level.
Explain what is happening to the energy at each level.
Show how nutrients can go from the third level consumers back to the producers.

14. Summary Questions

15. Activity Energy Pyramids Producer
I am a ___Algae_______ I am the___Producer____ My energy role is a_______Producer_______ . I get my energy from the___SUN__________ I use energy to_function_________ I use nutrients for___Building Cells________ I get
eaten by the___Plankton_________ I give it ___Energy_______ and __Nutrients____
Consumer
I am a _____1_______ I am the____First level___2__________ My energy role is a__Consumer/Herbivore____________ . I get my
energy from the_____________ I use energy to____________ I use nutrients for___________ I get
eaten by the____________ I give it __________ and ______________

16. Summarizing Write “The Story of Energy”
You are energy what is your life like in the food chain?