Energy Flow in the Garden Ecosystem
COLLECTION
UPPER ELEMENTARY | SCIENCE
Energy Flow in the Garden Ecosystem
Students will dissect owl pellets to collect evidence that they will use to reconstruct the owl’s food web and energy pyramid.
Concepts: Food Webs
Essential Questions
- How does energy flow through an ecosystem?
Standards Addressed
Focus
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- S4L1. Students will describe the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
- a. Identify the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community.
- b. Demonstrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain beginning with sunlight and including producers, consumers, and decomposers..
- S4L1. Students will describe the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
Recommended Resources
Online
- Energy Pyramids explained by Learner.org
- Soil Food Web, including posters to reprint, from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Student Misconceptions about Energy Flow
- Owl Pellet Bone Chart
- The Lost Ladybug Project
- Food Pyramids of Numbers and Biomass