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Name_________________________________________________Hour_______Student Number______
Your Group Members Names_____________________________________________________________
Elaborating Upon Food Webs and Food Chains through Creation
In this activity you will be tasked with reading the information given to you about an ecosystem,
and the organisms contained within it, and then using this information to construct a food web and an
energy pyramid as detailed as possible. You will be working in small groups, however you will all turn in
a worksheet.
Objectives
I can create a food web from information given about an ecosystem.
I can create an energy pyramid from information given about an ecosystem.
I can explain how energy moves through a food web, and how it is important to the structure of an
energy pyramid.
I understand how to classify organisms under trophic level (producer, consumer, primary consumer,
secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, decomposer etc.)
I can classify organisms based on how they get energy (producer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore,
scavenger, and decomposer)
Procedure
1. Read through the whole worksheet, the whole thing.
2. Accept that the information presented to you is not 100% scientifically accurate, but serves the
purpose of this activity just fine.
3. Discuss with your group mates what your goal is on this worksheet, and how you are going to
accomplish it. Make sure everyone in your group knows what is going on.
4. Classify all of the organisms based on what you think their trophic level (level on the energy
pyramid) will be, and how they get their energy.
5. Create a food web. Start with the sun and first create a food chain with a series of organisms.
Continue adding organisms and interactions onto the food chain to create the more complicated
food web. Plan ahead so that it all fits on a sheet of paper, and clearly shows the food web.
6. Create an energy pyramid using the classifications you already listed.
7. Go back and make sure you label both of your figures.
8. Answer the follow up questions.





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Ecosystem Information
The Habitat: Coniferous Forest
The Organisms
1. Grass: I produce my own food from the sun. I get eaten by moose, elk, insects, birds and
squirrels.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
2. Shrubs: I produce my own food from the sun. I get eaten by moose, elk, insects, birds and
squirrels.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
3. Ferns: I produce my own food from the sun. I get eaten by moose, elk, insects, birds and
squirrels.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
4. Soil Bacteria: I feed on decaying organisms.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
5. Worms: I feed on decaying organisms.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
6. Moose: I eat grass, shrubs, and ferns. I get eaten by wolves.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
7. Elk: I eat grass, shrubs, and ferns. I get eaten by wolves.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
8. Insects: I eat grass, shrubs, and ferns. I get eaten by skunks.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
9. Birds: I eat grass, shrubs, and ferns. I get eaten by owls.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
10. Squirrels: I eat grass, shrubs, and ferns. I get eaten by weasels and foxes.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
11. Skunks: I eat insects. I get eaten by lynx.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________


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12. Owls: I eat birds. I get eaten by lynx.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
13. Weasels: I eat squirrels. I get eaten by lynx.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
14. Foxes: I eat squirrels. I get eaten by lynx.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
15. Wolves. I like everything am decomposed when I die. I eat moose and elk.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________
16. Lynx. I like everything else am decomposed when I die. I eat skunk, owls, weasels, and foxes.
a. Based on the way I get energy I am a ___________________________________
b. My trophic level (energy pyramid level) is________________________________

Use this extra space for any planning or notes.



























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Your Food Web should go on this page




























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Your Energy Pyramid should go on this page.




























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Follow Up Questions
1. How does energy move its way through a food web?















2. How does energy availability determine the structure of a food web?