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Integrated Subjects
Art

Skills Used
Predicting; Collecting, Recording, and Interpreting Data; Identifying and Controlling Variables; Defining Operationally

Key Vocabulary
Food Chain, Food Web

Lesson Time
30 minutes

Illinois State Goals
11.A.2a, 11.A.2c, 11.A.2d, 11.A.2e, 11.B.2c, 11.B.2f, 12.B.2a

Conceptual Objective
Students will understand that food chains overlap to form a web of multiple energy paths.

Process Objective
Students will create a model of a food web.

Materials
* construction paper
* markers
* scissors
* bulletin boards
* pushpins
* tape
* string
* handouts

Procedure
1. Introduce and explain the terms 'food chain' and 'food web' to students.
2. View, explain, and answer questions about transparency.
3. Pass out handouts and explain how the information is set up on the chart.
4. Put children into groups of five, giving each group the necessary supplies.
5. Instruct children to draw and label all of the different grassland organisms listed. Also draw a picture of the sun. Cut out drawings and attach them to bulletin boards with pushpins. Leave space between the drawings.
6. Students should tape one end of the piece of string to any one of the drawings. Using the table, connect the other end of the string to the proper organism.
7. Students should draw and cut out an arrow, taping it on the string to indicate in which direction the energy is flowing.
8. Students should repeat these steps to connect al of the organisms.
9. Announce clean-up time, and display finished food webs around the room.

Evaluation
1. Did students make and use a model that allowed them to make inferences about food chains? Assess the neatness and the accuracy of the food webs.

Troubleshooting
1. Students may argue about who will do what in the group. If this happens, the teacher should assign roles to students.

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