1. Write in complete sentences! Don’t talk during the Catalyst!
Food Webs
Catalyst
Examine the food web to the right.
Write at least FIVE conclusions you can draw from it.
WEEKLY GOAL!

2. Objective
By the end of today, all SWBAT…
Analyze food webs by predicting the impact of the loss or gain of an organism
Explain the importance of the sun in an ecosystem

3. HOMEWORK: Food Webs worksheet
Agenda
Catalyst Review
How to Analyze Food Webs
Practice
Independent Practice
Exit Question
HOMEWORK: Food Webs worksheet

4. This Is ECOLOGY! Introduction
First, we studied how individual cells work.
Second, we learned how cells fit together into organisms and reproduce.
Then, we discovered how organisms change (evolve) over long periods time.
Now, we will study how groups of these organisms interact and change the environment around us.
We will also look at how our treatment of the environment threatens the survival of the human species.
After last transition – before we can study how our improper treatment of the environment threatens other species/ourselves, we must understand how the environment works. So, we’re going to look at… food webs and how organisms interact!
This Is ECOLOGY!

5. …ecology? The prefix “eco-” means environment.
Ecology = The study of relationships between organisms and their relationship with their environment.
Ecosystem = All the living and non-living things in an environment.

6. How Do Organisms Interact?
They eat each other!
Key Point #1: A food web shows all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
nom nom nom

7. First, some vocabulary…
Producer: “Autotroph.” Makes its own food through photosynthesis.
Consumer: “Heterotroph.” Eats other things for energy.
Primary consumer: eats producers.
Secondary consumer: eats primary consumers.
Tertiary consumer: eats secondary consumers.
Note that animals can have multiple roles. The cougar is both a secondary and a tertiary consumer.

8. Some things to notice…
Arrows show how energy flows through the food web
Think: they point from one organism INTO the stomach of whatever eats it
The most basic level of the food web is the producer. Where does it get its energy from?
Foxes eat snakes.
Last transition: Prompt kids… they should be able to come up with their answer on their own. Producers get their energy from the sun.

9. We’re going to do some multiple choice…
A B C D

10. Guided Practice 1
The arrow pointing from seed-eating birds to foxes shows that...
Foxes eat birds
Birds eat foxes
Foxes and birds share food
Foxes and birds compete for the same food
Use ActivExpressions if you have them, otherwise whiteboards/sign language. A

11. Guided Practice 1
Although it is not shown in this picture, where does all of this food web’s energy begin?
The Moon
The Earth
The Sun
Fertilizer C

12. Guided Practice 1 What is the producer in this food web?
Hawks and owls
Squirrels
Plants
Spiders C

13. Guided Practice 1
Which of the following is a secondary consumer in this food web?
Toads
Plants
Mice
Spiders D

14. Guided Practice 1 Which two organisms compete for the same food?
Hawks & mice
Plants & toads
Rabbits & spiders
Foxes & snakes D

15. Which is true?
The energy content of the foxes depends on the energy content of the hawks
The energy content of the spiders is transferred to the herbivorous insects
The energy content of the snakes depends on the energy content of the toads
All of the above are true

16. What if we took away the SUN?!
Key Point #2: Without sunlight, producers would not be able to live.
So…?
WITHOUT PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS HAVE NOTHING TO EAT!

17. AHHHHHH! Oh, no!
Key Point #3: We can use food webs to predict what will happen when we introduce/take away a species
There are three important interactions for you to learn…

18. Food Web Interactions
What do you think will happen to the rabbits, if all the vegetation is destroyed?
If a population loses ALL of its food sources, it will become extinct.
Technically extirpated (extirpation = localized extinction), but that isn’t an important nuance for them to learn until college.

19. Food Web Interactions
What do you think will happen to the cougar, if all of the deer die?
If a population loses SOME of its food sources, it will decrease in size.

20. Food Web Interactions
What do you think will happen to the mice, if all of the foxes are eaten by the cougars?
If a population loses its predators, it will increase in size.

21. Guided Practice 2
What will happen to the mouse population, if a disease kills all the plants?
All will go extinct
Increase in size
Decrease in size
Reproduce more A

22. Guided Practice 2
Imagine that a bobcat enters the ecosystem. Bobcats eat insectivorous birds. What will happen to the fox population?
All will go extinct
Increase in size
Decrease in size
Move elsewhere C

23. Guided Practice 2
Imagine that a disease kills all of the snakes in the ecosystem. What will happen to predaceous insect population?
All will go extinct
Increase in size
Decrease in size
Stop eating herbivorous insects B

24. Guided Practice 2
What will happen to the squirrel population, if a cow wanders by and eats all the plants?
All will go extinct
Increase in size
Decrease in size
Start eating toads A

25. Guided Practice 2
What will happen to the rabbit population, if a drought kills all the plants?
All will go extinct
Increase in size
Decrease in size
Eat foxes A

26. Guided Practice 2
Imagine that a hunter kills all of the hawks and owls in the ecosystem. What will happen to the seed-eating bird population?
All will go extinct
Increase in size
Decrease in size
Begin eating spiders B

27. Guided Practice 2
Pretend that a falcon enters the ecosystem. Falcons eat toads. What will happen to the snake population?
All will go extinct
Increase in size
Decrease in size
Stop eating toads C

28. Guided Practice 2
Imagine that a population of bears wanders into the ecosystem. Bears eat foxes. What will happen to the squirrel population?
All will go extinct
Increase in size
Decrease in size
Move elsewhere B

29. Independent Practice We are working independently.
Cross off #7 and #16. You’re welcome! 
Section 2 – YOU MUST WRITE WHY.
Whatever you do not finish is homework.
Optional, if time permits. Last year, students blazed through this lesson, even though there are a lot of slides/GP questions.

30. Key Point Wrap-Up
KP1: A food web shows all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
KP2: Without sunlight, producers would not be able to live.
NO SUN = NO PRODUCERS = LOSE ALL OF FOOD SOURCE. 
KP3: We can use a food web to predict what will happen when we introduce/take away a species
Loss of ALL of its food sources: Population becomes extinct.
Loss of SOME of its food sources: Population decreases in size.
Loss of predators: Population increases in size.

31. Use the food web below to answer the EQs.
Exit Questions
What animal eats the elk?
What would happen to the rabbit population if all the grass were to be burned down in a fire?
Imagine that a population of foxes wanders into this food web, and eats all the mice. What will happen to the cricket population?
Mountain lion
Extinction
Increase in size
What would happen to this food web if there was no sunlight available? (Hint: Start with the producers. What happens to them? Then, what happens next?)