Download Life Science – 4th Grade

Life Science –
th
4
Grade
L.O. I will describe food
chains in detail.
Food Chains







Shows path of food energy
*The first link in a food chain is a
producer.
All living things need energy to survive
They get energy from food
Some eat plants
Some eat other animals
Plants don’t eat food, they make their own
*Producers





*Plants and trees are the producers
*main source of energy in food chain
Use sunlight to make food Photosynthesis
Get their energy from the sun
*Original source of energy for living
things is the sun
*Consumers





*Animals that consume or eat
They eat other animals and/ or
They eat producers (plants)
* Energy flows from the sun to
PRODUCERS (plants producing food)
to CONSUMERS
*The other 3 links in a food chain
are Herbivores, Carnivores, and
Omnivores
1st type of consumer Herbivores

*Eat only producers -plants
butterfly
grasshopper
mouse
bison
2nd type of consumers –
Carnivores

*Only eat other animals – consumers
snake
hawk
coyote
3rd type of consumer –
Omnivores

Animals that eat both producers and
consumers
raccoon
grizzly bear
pig
And don’t forget HUMANS!
Food Chain
energy
flows to
owl
*DEPEND ON EACH OTHER,
But also COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER
energy
flows to
energy
flows to
grass
Producer
1st
Mouse
Consumer
Herbivore
coyote
DAY 2
 Organism
– a living thing
 Cell is basic unit that makes up
all living things
 Microorganism-
organism that
cannot be seen without
microscope



Some microorganisms have one cell –
algae, amoeba, yeast, and bacteria
Bacteria are microorganisms found in all
living organisms and everywhere on earth
Some bacteria can be bad and make you
sick – but most are good


*Fungi are organisms – examples are
*mushrooms and mold
Mold can spoil food, but mushrooms are
yummy to eat and are good for you


Producer (plant/tree) dies
Microorganisms start using dead producer
to grow, but in the process are breaking
down the dead producer
Decomposers




They are consumers
*They break down the remains of
dead organisms
*So, bacteria and fungi helps in
decomposition of a fallen tree
They connect both ends of the food
chain
maggots
mushrooms
bacteria
earthworms


*Bacteria helps to recycle matter and
nutrients from dead plants back into the
soil
So all food chains end with decomposers


Decomposers break down dead stuff,
recycling nutrients back into soil to be
used by new plants, starting the process
all over again
*Microorganisms are important to the
ecosystem


What is an ecosystem?
Ecosystems are made up of living and
non-living things that interact in an area

**In a tropical rainforest:




Colorful birds
Fruit and nut trees
Warm all the time
Lots of rain

In a desert:






Cactus
Lizards
Snakes
Tortoise
*Non-living is water, air, soil, and light
*The differences in non-living elements
determine life or death in an ecosystem.



*2 ways animals can help in the dispersal
(spreading) of seeds so plants can grow in
different areas
*Birds drop them
*Seeds stick on animal fur – animal drops
seeds in other places, new plants grow
there