Warm Up: Who's in the Food Chain?

Think about your favorite animal. What does it eat to survive?

Draw a picture of your favorite animal and what it eats. Then, write a sentence or two describing their relationship.

Example: A lion eats a zebra. The lion is the predator, and the zebra is the prey.

What about your animal?

My favorite animal is a _________________.

It eats _________________.

Organism Interaction Reading: Friends, Foes, and Food!

Have you ever seen animals interact? Maybe a bird eating a worm, or two squirrels chasing each other for a nut? In nature, living things are always interacting! These interactions are super important because they help everything in an ecosystem work together.

Let's learn about three main ways living things interact:

1. Predator and Prey: The Hunter and the Hunted

Sometimes, one animal hunts and eats another animal for food. We call the animal that does the hunting a predator. The animal that gets hunted and eaten is called the prey.

• Think about it: A cat chases a mouse. The cat is the predator, and the mouse is the prey.
• Another example: An owl flies silently through the night looking for a juicy frog. The owl is the predator, and the frog is the prey.

This interaction is very important for keeping animal populations healthy. Predators help control the number of prey animals.

2. Competition: Who Gets the Prize?

Imagine you and a friend both want the last cookie. You might compete for it, right? Animals do something similar!

Competition happens when two or more living things need the same resources, like food, water, space, or sunlight, and there isn't enough for everyone.

• Think about it: Two deer might compete for the best patch of grass to eat.
• Another example: Different types of trees in a forest compete for sunlight to grow tall and strong.

Competition helps to make sure that the strongest or most adaptable organisms get the resources they need to survive.

3. Mutually Beneficial: A Win-Win Situation!

Some interactions are like teamwork, where both living things help each other and both benefit! We call this mutually beneficial, which means both get something good out of it.

• Think about it: A bee visits a flower. The bee gets sweet nectar (food!), and as it moves, it helps the flower spread its pollen so new flowers can grow. Both the bee and the flower benefit!
• Another example: Small fish called clownfish live safely among the stinging tentacles of a sea anemone. The anemone protects the clownfish from predators, and the clownfish sometimes cleans the anemone. It's a great deal for both of them!

These

Teacher Script: Who Eats Whom? And Other Animal Adventures!

Part 1: Warm-Up and Introduction (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today we're going on an adventure to discover how animals and plants in nature interact with each other. It's like seeing how they're all connected!"

Teacher: "Let's start with our Warm Up: Who's in the Food Chain?. Take a few minutes to think about your favorite animal. What does it eat? Draw a picture and write a sentence or two about what it eats."

(Allow 3 minutes for students to complete the warm-up.)

Teacher: "Alright, who would like to share their animal and what it eats? Sarah, what did you draw?"

(Call on 2-3 students to share. Guide them to think about who is eating whom.)

Teacher: "Excellent! We just talked about one way animals interact: some eat others! That's a super important interaction, and we're going to learn more about that and other ways living things connect today."

Part 2: Introducing Interactions (Using Who Eats Whom? Slide Deck - 5 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Slide 1: Who Eats Whom? And Other Animal Adventures!) "Look at our title slide! It says 'Who Eats Whom? And Other Animal Adventures!' We're going to explore these adventures."

Teacher: (Display Slide 2: What Are Interactions?) "So, what are interactions? Interactions are simply how living things affect each other. They can be about eating, about sharing, or even about helping each other. Everything in nature is connected, just like you are connected to your family and friends."

Teacher: (Display Slide 3: Predator and Prey: The Food Chain!) "Let's talk about our first type of interaction: Predator and Prey. Has anyone heard these words before?"

(Allow students to share. Guide them to the definitions on the slide.)

Teacher: "A predator is an animal that hunts and eats other animals for food. And the animal that gets hunted and eaten is called the prey. Think of our lion and zebra example from the warm-up. The lion is the predator, and the zebra is the prey."

Teacher: "Can anyone think of another example of a predator and prey? What about a spider and a fly? Which is the predator, and which is the prey?" (Guide students to identify the spider as predator and fly as prey.)

Teacher: (Display Slide 4: Competition: Who Gets the Prize?) "Now, sometimes animals want the same thing, like food or a good place to live, and there isn't enough for everyone. This is called competition."

Teacher: "Imagine if two of you wanted the very last cookie on the plate. You might compete for it! Animals do this too, for things like food, water, or even a good spot for a nest. What do you think two birds might compete for?" (Elicit answers like 'food' or 'a tree branch for a nest'. )

Teacher: (Display Slide 5: Mutually Beneficial: Teamwork!) "Our last interaction is my favorite: Mutually Beneficial! This is when two living things help each other, and both get something good out of it! It's like teamwork!"

Teacher: "Remember our bee and flower from the reading? The bee gets yummy nectar, and the flower gets help spreading its pollen so new flowers can grow. Both win! Can you think of a time you helped someone and they helped you back?"

Part 3: Guided Reading (Organism Interaction Reading - 7 minutes)

Teacher: "Great job with the slides! Now we're going to read a bit more about these interactions. I have a Organism Interaction Reading for you. I'm going to read it aloud, and I want you to follow along. We'll pause to talk about anything new or interesting."

(Distribute reading. Read aloud, pausing as appropriate to check for understanding, define vocabulary, or ask clarifying questions. For example, after reading the predator-prey section, ask: "Why is it important for predators to eat prey?")

Part 4: Activity: Spot the Interaction (Spot the Interaction Worksheet - 8 minutes)

Teacher: "You've been listening so well! Now it's your turn to be a detective! I'm going to give you a Spot the Interaction Worksheet. On this worksheet, you'll see different scenarios, and your job is to figure out what kind of interaction is happening. Is it predator-prey, competition, or mutually beneficial?"

(Distribute worksheets.)

Teacher: "You can work by yourselves or with a partner. If you get stuck, remember to think about what each living thing is getting out of the interaction. Are they eating each other? Are they fighting for something? Or are they helping each other?"

(Circulate around the room, providing support and answering questions. Offer hints if students are struggling.)

Part 5: Game: Interaction Matching (Interaction Matching Game - 5 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright, detectives, time for a game! We're going to play the Interaction Matching Game. I'm going to put you into small groups. Each group will get a set of cards. Your goal is to match the organism pairs with the correct type of interaction."

(Divide students into groups and distribute game cards.)

Teacher: "For example, if you see a card with 'Bee and Flower', what kind of interaction is that? Mutually beneficial! So you would match them together."

(Monitor groups, provide guidance, and encourage discussion. Keep track of time.)

Part 6: Cool Down and Wrap-Up (Cool Down: What Did We Learn? - 2 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Slide 6: Quick Check: What Interaction Is This?) "Let's do one last quick check! A bird builds its nest in a tree. The bird gets a home, and the tree isn't harmed or helped. Is this predator-prey, competition, or mutually beneficial?"

*(Discuss the answer, explaining it's

Spot the Interaction Worksheet

Directions: Read each scenario. Then, write down what kind of interaction is happening: Predator-Prey, Competition, or Mutually Beneficial.

Scenario 1:

A hawk flies high in the sky, looking for a mouse running through the grass. The hawk swoops down and catches the mouse for its dinner.

What kind of interaction is this?

Scenario 2:

Two male deer lock antlers as they fight over who gets to mate with the female deer in the area.

What kind of interaction is this?

Scenario 3:

Bees fly from flower to flower collecting nectar. As they do, they carry pollen from one flower to another, helping the flowers make seeds.

What kind of interaction is this?

Scenario 4:

In the ocean, a small cleaner shrimp picks tiny parasites off a large fish. The shrimp gets food, and the fish gets clean.

What kind of interaction is this?

Scenario 5:

Two oak trees in a forest are growing very close together. Their roots are spread out, trying to get as much water and nutrients from the soil as possible.

What kind of interaction is this?

Scenario 6:

An alligator waits quietly in the water. A fish swims by, and the alligator quickly snatches it up for its meal.

What kind of interaction is this?

Interaction Matching Game

Directions: Cut out the cards below. Match each pair of organisms with the correct type of interaction. Work with your group to find all the matches!

Organism Cards

Interaction Type Cards

Answer Key for Teacher (Do NOT share with students yet!)

• Lion and Zebra = Predator-Prey
• Bee and Flower = Mutually Beneficial
• Two Deer Eating Grass = Competition
• Shark and Smaller Fish = Predator-Prey
• Birds Nesting in the Same Tree = Competition
• Clownfish and Sea Anemone = Mutually Beneficial
• Spider and Fly = Predator-Prey
• Two Plants Growing Close Together = Competition

Organism Interactions Answer Key

For Spot the Interaction Worksheet

Scenario 1: A hawk flies high in the sky, looking for a mouse running through the grass. The hawk swoops down and catches the mouse for its dinner.

Answer: Predator-Prey

• Reasoning: The hawk (predator) is hunting and eating the mouse (prey).

Scenario 2: Two male deer lock antlers as they fight over who gets to mate with the female deer in the area.

Answer: Competition

• Reasoning: The two deer are fighting for the same resource (mates/breeding rights).

Scenario 3: Bees fly from flower to flower collecting nectar. As they do, they carry pollen from one flower to another, helping the flowers make seeds.

Answer: Mutually Beneficial

• Reasoning: The bees get food (nectar), and the flowers get help with reproduction (pollination). Both benefit.

Scenario 4: In the ocean, a small cleaner shrimp picks tiny parasites off a large fish. The shrimp gets food, and the fish gets clean.

Answer: Mutually Beneficial

• Reasoning: The shrimp gets food, and the fish gets rid of harmful parasites. Both benefit.

Scenario 5: Two oak trees in a forest are growing very close together. Their roots are spread out, trying to get as much water and nutrients from the soil as possible.

Answer: Competition

• Reasoning: The two trees are competing for the same resources (water and nutrients) in the soil.

Scenario 6: An alligator waits quietly in the water. A fish swims by, and the alligator quickly snatches it up for its meal.

Answer: Predator-Prey

• Reasoning: The alligator (predator) is hunting and eating the fish (prey).

For What's the Connection? Quiz

1. A fox catches and eats a rabbit. What kind of interaction is this?
   • Correct Answer: Predator-Prey
2. Two squirrels are trying to get the last nut on a tree. What kind of interaction is this?
   • Correct Answer: Competition
3. A bee drinks nectar from a flower, and the flower gets its pollen carried to another flower. What kind of interaction is this?
   • Correct Answer: Mutually Beneficial
4. A snake eats a frog. This is an example of:
   • Correct Answer: Predator-Prey

For Organism Interactions Assessment

1. Which interaction describes one animal hunting and eating another?
   • Correct Answer: Predator-Prey
2. When two animals want the same food, but there isn't enough, what happens?
   • Correct Answer: Competition
3. A small bird eats bugs off a zebra's back. The bird gets food, and the zebra gets rid of bugs. What interaction is this?
   • Correct Answer: Mutually Beneficial
4. In your own words, explain what 'Predator-Prey' means. Give an example.
   • Correct Answer: Predator-Prey means one animal (the predator) hunts and eats another animal (the prey). Example: A wolf hunts and eats a deer.
5. Describe a 'Competition' interaction. What might animals compete for?
   • Correct Answer: Competition is when two or more living things need the same resources (like food, water, or space) and there isn't enough for all of them. Animals might compete for food, water, or mates.

My Ecosystem Interactions Project

Goal: Show what you know about how living things interact in an ecosystem!

Project Choices:

Choose ONE of the following ways to show your learning. You can draw, build, or write!

Choice 1: Draw My Ecosystem

Draw a picture of an ecosystem (like a forest, a desert, or an ocean). In your drawing, show at least two different types of interactions we learned about:

• Predator-Prey
• Competition
• Mutually Beneficial

Make sure to label the animals/plants and the type of interaction you are showing. For example, you could draw a fox eating a rabbit (predator-prey) and two birds fighting over a berry bush (competition).

Choice 2: Build a Diorama of Interactions

Create a small diorama (a 3D scene in a shoebox or small container) of an ecosystem. Use craft supplies, toys, or natural materials. Your diorama should clearly show at least two different types of interactions.

• You could use small animal figures to show a snake eating a frog (predator-prey).
• You could show two plants growing close together with labels showing they are competing for sunlight.
• You could show a bee and a flower (mutually beneficial).

Add labels to explain the interactions.

Choice 3: Write a Story About Interactions

Write a short story about an ecosystem and the living things in it. Your story should include at least two different types of interactions.

• Tell us about the characters (animals and plants).
• Describe what happens between them.
• Clearly show examples of predator-prey, competition, or mutually beneficial interactions.

Your story should be at least 1-2 paragraphs long.

What to Include (No matter which choice you pick!):

• Your Name:
• Ecosystem Name: (e.g., The Forest, The Pond, The Desert)
• Clearly show or describe at least TWO different types of interactions.
• Use labels or descriptions to explain the interactions you are showing.

Rubric (How you will be graded):

Ecosystem Interactions Project Rubric

This rubric will be used to assess your My Ecosystem Interactions Project.

Cool Down: What Did We Learn?

Directions: Think about everything we learned today about how living things interact. In your own words, write down ONE important thing you learned.

Bonus Challenge: Can you give an example of one of the interactions we talked about (predator-prey, competition, or mutually beneficial)?