Food Web Builder Game

Objective: To construct a functional food web demonstrating the interconnectedness of an ecosystem.

Materials:

• Set of organism cards (each card represents a different organism, e.g., Sun, Grass, Rabbit, Fox, Owl, Mouse, Snake, Berries, Mushroom, Bacteria)
• Large sheet of paper or whiteboard
• Markers or string

Instructions:

Part 1: Individual Organism Roles (5 minutes)

1. Divide into small groups: Each group will receive a set of organism cards.
2. Identify roles: For each organism card, discuss and decide if it is a producer, consumer (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore), or decomposer.
   • Hint: Remember what each role means!
     
     
     
     

Part 2: Building Food Chains (5 minutes)

1. Create simple food chains: From your cards, arrange 2-3 simple food chains on your table.
   • Example: Sun → Grass → Rabbit → Fox
2. Explain your chains: Be ready to share one of your food chains with the class and explain the flow of energy.
   
   
   
   

Part 3: Constructing the Food Web (10 minutes)

1. Combine your cards: As a group, use all your organism cards to build a complete food web on your large paper or whiteboard.
2. Draw arrows: Use markers or string to draw arrows from the organism being eaten to the organism that eats it. These arrows show the direction of energy flow.
   • Remember: The sun provides energy for producers!
3. Discuss connections: Talk about how each organism is connected to at least two other organisms in your food web.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 4: Presentation and Reflection (5 minutes)

1. Present your web: Each group will briefly present their food web to the class, explaining some of the key connections.
2. Reflect: Consider these questions as a group:
   • What would happen if one of your organisms disappeared?
     
     
     
   • Which organism do you think is the most important in your food web? Why?
     
     
     

Organism Cards (Examples - Teacher to provide actual cards):

• Sun
• Grass
• Berries
• Rabbit
• Mouse
• Bird
• Snake
• Fox
• Owl
• Mushroom
• Bacteria

Impact of Extinction: Discussion Guide

Objective: To explore the ripple effects of species extinction within an ecosystem and understand the importance of biodiversity.

Introduction (2 minutes)

• Briefly review the concept of food webs and how organisms are interconnected.
• Ask: "What do you think happens when one type of animal or plant disappears from an ecosystem?"

Discussion Questions (8 minutes)

1. The Butterfly Effect: Imagine a forest ecosystem with trees, deer, wolves, and berries. If a disease wiped out all the deer, what do you predict would happen to:
   • The trees?
     
     
     
   • The wolves?
     
     
     
   • The berries?
     
     
     
2. Keystone Species: Some species are called 'keystone species' because they have a disproportionately large effect on their environment relative to their abundance. If a keystone species, like a sea otter in a kelp forest, were to disappear, what might be the widespread consequences?
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Human Impact: How do human actions, like building new homes or polluting, contribute to species extinction?
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Why Care? Beyond just the animals themselves, why is it important for humans to care about preventing extinction and protecting biodiversity?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Wrap-up (2 minutes)

• Summarize the main points discussed: extinction has far-reaching consequences, all species play a role, and humans have a responsibility to protect ecosystems.