Download Notes From Moyer 4th Grade Condensed

4.3 Electricity -- Historical Contributions
Thomas Edison -- 1847-1931
Inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, influenced modern life through inventions such as the
incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera.
Benjamin Franklin -- 1706-1790
Ben Franklin suspected that lightning was an
electrical current in nature, and he wanted to see if he
was right. One way to test his idea would be to see if the
lightning would pass through metal. Franklin decided to
use a metal key and looked around for a way to get the
key up near the lightning. As you probably already know, Franklin used a child's toy, a kite.
Michael Faraday --
1791-1867
Michael Faraday’s major contributions were in the fields of chemistry
and electricity. Although he became recognized as the Father of Modern
Chemistry and discovered benzene, he is probably best noted for his work in
the field of electricity and magnetism.
SOL 4.7 – Solar System
Our solar system is ancient. Early astronomers believed that Earth was the center
of the universe and all other heavenly bodies orbited around Earth. We now know
that our sun is the center of our solar system and eight planets, a handful of dwarf
planets, 170 named moons, dust, gas, and thousands of asteroids and comets orbit
around the sun.
Our solar system is made up of eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are considered terrestrial planets (belonging to the land
rather than the sea or air).
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called gas giants.
Mercury
 Is closest to the sun
 Is now the smallest planet (Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet)
 Is heavily cratered and looks like our moon
Venus
 2nd planet from the sun
 Similar to Earth in size and mass
 Permanent blanket of clouds trap heat (make the temperatures on Venus hot enough
to melt lead)
Earth
 3rd planet from the sun
 Its atmosphere, liquid water, and distance from the sun make it a haven for life
Mars
 4th planet form the sun
 Atmosphere is thin
 There is a vast network of canyons and riverbeds
 Once supported a wet, warm Earth-like climate
Jupiter
 5th from the sun
 Largest planet and is a gas giant
Has no solid surface
Saturn
 6th from the sun
 Has rings and is one of the four gas giants
(all four gas giants have rings: Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune)
Uranus
 7th from the sun
Is a gas giant
Neptune
 8th from the sun
 Appears blue through telescopes and is a gas giant
Pluto is no longer included in the list of planets in our solar system due to its small size and
irregular orbit. Pluto cannot be seen without a telescope. It was changed to a dwarf planet
on 08/24/06.A dwarf planet has not “cleared the neighborhood” around its orbit, which
means it has not become gravitationally dominate and it shares its orbital
space with other bodies of a similar size.
Sequence of the eight planets in the solar system based on their POSITION FROM THE
SUN:
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
5th
6th
7th
8th
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Terrestrial
Planets
Gas
Giants
Sequence of the eight planets in the solar system based on SIZE FROM LARGEST TO
SMALLEST:
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Earth
Venus
Mars
Mercury
Gas
Giants
Terrestrial
Planets
Photosynthesis
How do green plants produce, or make food? It begins as green plants trap light
energy from the sun in their leaves.
A green pigment called chlorophyll collects the light energy and stores it. While the
sunlight is being stored in the plant’s leaves, the plant’s roots are taking in water and
nutrients.
Meanwhile, while the leaves are collecting light energy and the roots are taking in
water and nutrients, tiny holes on the undersides of the leaves are taking in a gas
called carbon dioxide.
The chlorophyll then mixes the stored light energy, the water, the nutrients, and the
carbon dioxide. It changes it into food for the plant. The food produced by the plant is
called glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar.
Meanwhile, oxygen is also being produced and released into the atmosphere.
This process of combining light energy, water, nutrients, and carbon dioxide to make
plant sugars is called photosynthesis
As the summer days grow shorter and the cooler days of fall and winter arrive, the
chlorophyll, or green pigment, located in the plant’s leaves begins to change. Instead
of storing light energy like it did all spring and summer, the chlorophyll breaks down.
As this happens, leaves die, turn colors, and drop off. The plant goes dormant, or
becomes inactive without the food producing leaves. However, the plant is only in a
kind of suspended life, or dormancy brought on by changes in its environment. The
plant is preparing for its new period of growth in the spring.
Plant Anatomy
Most plants have four basic parts: stems, leaves, flowers, and roots. Each of these parts has a
unique function or purpose.
The roots of a plant are located underground. They anchor the plant
and absorb water and minerals, or nutrients from the soil. These
nutrients then travel to other parts of the plant by way of the stem.
The stem provides support for the plant and is filled with tiny tubes that
carry the life-giving nutrients from the roots to the leaves. Growing out of
the stem are leaves.
The leaves are the part of the plant that make food. This food-making
process is called photosynthesis and it occurs in all green plants.
The flower is another basic part of many plants. The flower’s main
function is to make seeds so that the life cycle of the plant can continue.
Pollination
The flower is the part of the
plant that makes seeds. Its parts include the sepals, the
stamen, the pistil, the stigma, the ovary, the ovule,
and the seed.
Sepals are special leaves that protect the flower petals
before the flower opens up. Once the petals of the flower
open, their bright colors attract insects and protect the
stamen and pistil.
The stamen is the male part of the flower that produces
pollen. The pistil is the female part of the flower and it
has two main parts; a sticky end called the stigma and a
hollow structure called an ovary that holds eggs or
ovules.
Pollination occurs when a pollen grain from the stamen is transferred to the sticky stigma by
insects, birds, or the wind. From the stigma, the pollen travels down the pistil to the ovary where it
fertilizes the ovule. The fertilized eggs then grow into seeds. Once scattered on the soil, seeds
produce new plants with roots, stems, leaves, and flowers!
Not all plants produce seeds. Some plants produce spores. Spores are
microscopic specks of living material. Ferns and
mosses are spore-producing plants. A fern, for
example, produces spores on the undersides of
its leaves. The spores look like brown patches
or pads. When spores are scattered on the soil
they produce new fern or moss plants.
Fern
Moss
SOL 4.8 -- Earth’s Seasons
It takes Earth 3651/4 days to complete one
revolution around the sun.
Earth also rotates or spins on its axis. The Earth
takes 24 hours, or one day, to spin around once on its
axis. We cannot see the Earth’s axis because it is an
imaginary line through the middle of the planet.
Earth’s axis is not
positioned straight up
and down. It is tilted to
one side. This is because
the north end of the axis
always points toward Polaris, the North Star, as the Earth revolves
around the sun. It is the tilted axis of the Earth and its yearly revolution
around the sun that cause the changing seasons.
As the Earth revolves around the Sun, Virginia experiences winter when the northern half (northern
hemisphere) of the Earth is tilted away from the Sun. When we are tilted away, the rays of the sun
hit us at an angle which makes them weaker. These weaker rays are not able to add much warmth
to our atmosphere. Summer arrives in our state when the northern hemisphere of the Earth is tilted
toward the Sun. When we are tilted toward the sun, the rays hit us almost straight on. Rays that
hit us straight on are stronger and quickly heat up the air and land.
SOL 4.8 – Earth, Moon and Sun
Our Sun is an average-sized, yellow star that is approximately 4.6 billion
years old. The sun is about 110 times the diameter of the Earth. Like all
other stars, our sun is a ball of hot gases (hydrogen & helium) that gives off
heat and light.
Revolving around our planet is a gray, rocky satellite we call the Moon. The
moon is one-quarter the diameter of Earth. Like Earth, the moon does not
produce its own light. Unlike Earth, however, it has no water. Also missing
is an atmosphere, and without it the temperatures on the moon’s surface are
extreme. With no air or water and extreme temperatures, the moon is unable to
support life.
Earth is one of the eight planets that revolve around the sun and
comprise the solar system. Earth is the third planet from the sun, and is
one of the four terrestrial inner planets. It is about 150 Kilometers from
the sun.
Earth is a geologically active planet with a surface that is constantly changing. It has
large amounts of life-supporting water and an oxygen-rich atmosphere, which makes
scientists believe that Earth is the only planet that is home to living organisms. Earth’s
protective atmosphere blocks out most of the sun’s damaging rays.
The United States Apollo Space
Program run by NASA has added a
great deal to our understanding of
the moon. One major contribution
has been in the area of the moon’s
composition. Samples brought back
from the moon’s surface have
shown that the soil consists of small
bits of rock.
SOL 4.8 --Historical Understandings of Our Solar System
Throughout Earth’s history, man has tried to understand the Earth and the heavens. Ancient people
such as the Greeks and Egyptians did not always know that the Earth rotates and revolves as it
moves through space. Ancient peoples believed that the Earth was the center of the universe and
the Sun, stars, and planets revolved around it. This is called an Earth-centered model. It is easy
to see why early people believed this way. As we stand on the Earth, we cannot feel it moving
through space. All we can see is that the Sun, stars, and Moon constantly move across the sky.
From our perspective here on Earth, everything appears to be moving except us!
Aristotle was a Greek astronomer who believed that the Earth
the center of the entire universe. As he studied the sky he
saw the stars, Sun, and Moon move across the heavens. He
hypothesized that all of these celestial bodies moved
around a fixed center point. This fixed center point was
Earth.
was
Ptolemy was an Egyptian astronomer who also
believed in an Earth-centered model. Ptolemy
hypothesized that the Earth was round and unmoving
as the Sun and other heavenly bodies revolved around
it.
Ptolemy’s beliefs about the universe were accepted as
truth until the 1500s when a man by the name of
Copernicus challenged the Earth-centered model.
Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, believed that the
Earth was not still but moving. He hypothesized that
the Sun was the center of the solar system and that
the Earth, along with other planets revolved around it.
This was the beginning of the Sun-centered model and
modern space science.
After Copernicus came an Italian astronomer by the name of Galileo. Galileo believed that the
Earth-centered model was true until he began to make improvements to his telescope. With the help
of his new and improved version of the telescope, Galileo was able to study the heavens and see, for
the first time, clear evidence that Copernicus’ Sun-centered model was correct. Modern astronomy
was born!
SOL 4.9 - Virginia’s Mineral and Land Resources
Virginia’s mineral resources are extremely important to support modern life. They
come from raw rock and mineral deposits that are mined from the earth. Some of
Virginia’s important minerals include limestone, granite, sand, gravel, and coal.
Coal is the most important mineral resource in the state.
Many Virginia industries and individuals depend on the mineral resources of our state.
Some of these include the transportation industry, various manufacturers,
farmers, artisans, scientists, the construction industry, and the mining
industry.
The mineral resources of Virginia are not replaceable. Once we remove them from the
ground, they are gone. The Earth is not able to produce new supplies. Because of
this, we must use our mineral resources efficiently.
Another important natural resource in our state is soil. This resource really makes
many other resources possible. The soil holds the water and nutrients necessary for
plant and animal life to thrive as well as a vast supply of minerals and raw rocks.
In Virginia we use our soil and land resources in a variety of ways. Although most of
the land in Virginia is privately owned (neighborhoods, farms), public land plays an
important role in the lives of Virginians. Public lands include national parks,
national forests, state parks, state forests, wildlife management areas,
public beaches, and historic sites.
The conservation of our mineral, land and soil resources will be challenging.
SOL 4.8 -- Phases of the Moon
One of the most important similarities between Earth and the moon is the way in which they move
through the heavens. We have learned that Earth circles or revolves around the Sun and spins or
rotates on its own axis. Similarly, the moon revolves around Earth and rotates on its own axis.
The moon revolves around Earth about once every month.
Our moon is nothing more than a gray ball of
rock. By itself the moon does not shine. It
only shines because it is illuminated by the
sun. As the sun’s light hits the moon, it
bounces, or reflects off the moon’s surface and
into your eyes. This reflection makes it appear
that the light is coming from the moon itself.
This reflected light makes the moon very
visible at night. It also allows us to see the
many changing shapes of the moon.
The changing shapes
of the moon that we
view each month are
known as the phases
of the moon.
As the moon revolves
around Earth, we see
different amounts of
the illuminated half of
the moon. Scientists
have identified eight
phases of the moon.
They include the new
moon (no moon
visible), the waxing
crescent (small sliver
visible), the first
quarter (half of
moon visible),
waxing gibbous
(over half of moon
visible), full (full
circle visible), waning gibbous (over half of moon visible), last quarter (half of moon visible),
waning crescent (small sliver visible). As the moon moves from new to full, it appears to grow
larger. This is called waxing. As the moon moves from full back to new, it appears to grow smaller.
This is called waning.
SOL 4.2 Moving Objects
Energy can be divided into two groups: kinetic and potential. Kinetic energy is the
energy of motion. All moving objects have kinetic energy. When an object is in
motion, it changes its position by moving in a direction: up, down, forward, or
backward.Potential energy is stored energy. Even when an object is sitting still, it
has energy stored inside that can be turned into kinetic energy (motion).
For an object to move there must
be a force. A force is a push or
pull that causes an object to
move, change direction, change
speed, or stop. Without a force,
an object that is moving will
continue to move and an object
at rest will remain at rest. Some
forces are greater than other
forces, and the greater the force
the greater the motion.
We can measure how great or small a motion is by measuring the speed of an object.
Speed tells us how fast something is moving. The speed of an object can increase,
decrease, or remain the same.
Some forces, like gravity and friction,
resist or work against movement.
Friction happens when matter rubs
against matter. It slows the speed of
a moving object and creates heat.
SOL 4.3 -- Electrical Circuits
A current of electricity travels in a path called a circuit. There
are two main kinds of circuits: closed and open.
A closed circuit allows electrical energy to continue flowing and
moving. A closed circuit has no breaks in it to stop the flow of
electricity.
An open circuit does not allow
electrical energy to flow. An
open circuit has a break in it that
stops the flow of electricity.
In addition to being open and closed, an
electrical circuit can also have a different
number of paths. A circuit that has only one
pathway for the electrical current is called a
series circuit. A circuit that has two or more
pathways is a parallel circuit.
Electrical energy moves through materials that are conductors (metals).
Insulators (rubber, plastic, wood) do not conduct electricity well
Static Electricity is created by rubbing certain
materials together. Lightning is the discharge of
static electricity in the atmosphere.
Electrical energy can be transformed into light or
motion, and can produce thermal energy.
An electric current creates a magnetic field, and a moving
magnetic field creates an electric current. Lines of force extend from
the poles of a magnet in an arched pattern defining the area over
which magnetic force is exerted.
A current flowing through a wire creates a magnetic field. Wrapping a wire around certain ironbearing metals (iron nail) and creating a closed circuit is an example of a simple electromagnet.
SOL 4.6- Weather
Earth is covered by a blanket of air called the atmosphere. The air in our atmosphere is warmed by
the sun and is constantly moving. This movement of air creates our weather.
Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Some air masses can be cold and wet while others
can be hot and dry. .
A front is formed when two air masses of different temperatures and humidity bump into each
other.
A cold front is formed when a cold air mass
pushes into a warm air mass. A cold front will
often produce thunderstorm.
A warm front is formed when a warm air mass
pushes into a cold air mass. A warm front will
sometimes produce light rain.
Weather forecasters also use air pressure to
predict the weather. Because air is matter, it has weight and pushes on its surroundings.
A barometer measures the weight or pressure of air.
A low-pressure area forms when air is warmed. Low pressure
areas usually bring clouds, rain, and wind.
A high-pressure area forms when air is cooled. High-pressure
areas usually bring dry, clear conditions.
SOL 4.5- Human Impact on Ecosystems
We have learned that every living thing belongs to a community of other plants and
animals. The members of a community interact with each other and fill different
niches, or roles in that community. The plants and animals in a community also
interact with their nonliving surroundings. Animals and plants interacting with each
other and their surroundings form an ecosystem.
An ecosystem can be affected by the actions of humans.
As human beings, we have always changed the world around us. As we clear the land
to grow crops, mine for nonrenewable resources and build homes, cities, and roads,
we hurt the ecosystems around us. Forest, grassland, and wetland ecosystems are
destroyed daily and replaced by farmland, factories, and neighborhoods. With these
changes come more people and more pollution of the surrounding water and air.
Ways to Have Positive Influence on Our Surroundings
Increase recycling
Protect and preserve endangered animals and their habitats.
Protect wetland ecosystems from human development.
Repair land that was once used for mining and industry.
Turn industrial wastelands into parks with lakes, fields and trees.
Cut down on the use of poisonous pesticides that leak into the soil and nearby water
systems.
SOL 4.6- Temperature, Wind, & Precipitation
Temperature is the measure of the amount of heat energy in the
atmosphere. We measure temperature by using a weather instrument
called a thermometer.
Wind is moving air. An anemometer is a
weather instrument we use to measure wind
speed.
Precipitation is any form of water that falls from the
atmosphere to Earth’s surface. A weather instrument called a rain gauge can be
used to measure how much precipitation falls.
Precipitation falls from clouds to the Earth’s surface. Clouds form when water vapor
in the atmosphere condenses, or changes from a gas to a liquid.
When the liquid water droplets inside of a cloud bump into each other,
they become larger. Before long, the droplets are too heavy to
remain suspended in the air, and they fall to the ground as rain.
Sometimes rain droplets freeze high in the atmosphere and form ice crystals. These ice
crystals attach to each other and become heavier. Before long, they weigh too much, and
fall to the ground as snow.
If the air temperature is just above freezing when the crystals fall through the atmosphere,
some will melt and some will remain frozen. The result is a mixture of snow and rain
called sleet.
Hail is formed when raindrops are frozen into crystals in a storm cloud.
The winds produced by the storm cause the frozen ice crystals to rise and
fall, melt and freeze, over and over again. These melting and freezing
causes layers of clear ice to form around the original tiny ice crystal. When
the ice crystal is wrapped in many icy layers, it becomes too heavy and
falls to the ground. Hailstones can range from the size of a pea to the size
of a golf ball or larger!
SOL 4.6- Cloud Types
Clouds are formed from warm air that rises from the earth. The warm air carries water vapor in it.
This water vapor comes from water that evaporates from the surface of oceans, lakes, ponds, and
other bodies of water. As the warm air rises, the water vapor in it cools down and changes into
droplets of water or crystals of ice. These droplets of water connect themselves to tiny bits of dust
and dirt floating in the air. As more and more droplets join together, a cloud is formed. If the water
droplets become too large and heavy, they fall to the ground as precipitation.
Cumulus clouds are fair weather clouds. They
are fluffy and white with flat bottoms and look
like big cotton balls in the sky. They are always
changing shape and have very large spaces of
clear blue sky between them.
Cirrus clouds are another type of fair weather
clouds. Cirrus clouds are feathery and look like
commas or wisps of hair high in the sky. They are
made from tiny ice crystals instead of water
droplets like other clouds. No precipitation falls
from cirrus clouds. Even though they are fair
weather clouds, they often indicate that rain or
snow will fall within several hours.
Stratus clouds are smooth, gray clouds that
cover the whole sky.
They are also the
lowest clouds and look like a blanket of gray.
This kind of cloud can stretch for hundreds of
miles and can bring light rain and drizzle.
Cumulo-nimbus clouds are formed by cumulus
clouds that join together. They keep growing until
they become so full of moisture, they turn dark and
heavy.
Cumulo-nimbus
clouds
often
bring
thunderstorms with heavy rains, thunder, and
lightning.
SOL 4.5- Habitats
An animal’s habitat is where it lives. Habitats provide water, food, shelter, and space.
The Earth is covered with many different kinds of habitats. Some habitats are oceans, streams,
ponds, marshes, deserts, grasslands, and forests. Most animals are able to survive in only one kind of
habitat. .
Frogs require a very special kind of habitat.
This is because they spend part of their lives
in water and part on dry land. Frogs start out
as eggs that hatch into tiny “tadpoles” or
“polliwogs.” In their tadpole stage, frogs live
in watery habitats. They even have gills like
fish so that they can breathe under water.
Over a period of weeks, tadpoles slowly grow
legs, loose their tails, develop lungs, and
spend most of their time on dry land. Now
they will need a habitat that has insects for
food, and streams or marshes so they can
bury themselves in the soft mud to survive
the cold temperatures.
Butterflies also need a special kind of habitat
to survive. A successful butterfly habitat has
plants that meet a butterfly's needs during all
four stages of its life: egg, caterpillar, pupa,
and adult. Female butterflies lay their eggs
only on plants that will eventually become a
food for their young. When the eggs hatch,
tiny worm-like creatures emerge and get to
work immediately devouring the leaves and
flowers around it. This is the caterpillar stage
where the young eat almost constantly. As
they grow, caterpillars shed their skin several
times until eventually they enter the pupa stage. During this stage, the caterpillar spins a cocoon of
silk around its body and attaches itself to a nearby plant. It is during the pupa stage that caterpillars
gradually change into adult butterflies. After two or three weeks, butterflies emerge from their
cocoons and fly off in search of a habitat that has the kind of plants their young will need for food.
SOL 4.5- Structural or Physical Adaptations
All living things have adaptations that help them survive in their environment. First, we will look at
the structural, or physical adaptations that help living organisms survive. Structural adaptations
include such things as body color, body covering, beak type, and claw type.
Body color is a very important adaptation that helps living organisms survive in different
environments. For example, polar bears are white. This allows them to blend into their snowy
environment. A tiger’s stripes and a giraffe’s dark patches help them blend into the sun-speckled,
grass-covered plains where they live. Most male birds are brightly colored. They use these
bright colors to attract the attention of predators and lure
them away from their mates and young.
Polar Bear
Giraffe
Body covering is another important adaptation for survival. Animals that live
in cold climates are covered in thick, warm fur. Birds are
covered in fluffy down feathers that help keep them warm and
catch the wind as they take flight. Turtles are covered by
thick, hard shells that protect them from the dangers in their
environment.
Bird Feathers
Turtle Shell
Birds also have structural adaptations. They have beaks that
help them eat the foods they love. Eagles and other birds of
prey have sharp, hooked beaks that are good for ripping and
tearing into the flesh of their prey, while sparrows and other seed
eating birds have short, pointed beaks for cracking open seeds.
Eagle
Sparrow
An animal’s claws are also important to its
survival. Some animals, like bears, use
their claws to catch and kill, while others
like gophers and prairie dogs use their
claws to dig tunnels underground for
protection.
Bear Claws
Gopher Claws
SOL 4.5- Behavioral Adaptations
Many living organisms have behavioral adaptations to help them get food and water. In desert
climates, animals and insects hunt for food and water during the night and early morning hours.
Some of these nocturnal animals include rattlesnakes, lizards, birds, foxes, and rodents. Desert
animals get much of their food and water from the plant life in their environment. Most desert
animals get their water from the leaves and stems of desert plants. Cactus is an excellent source of
water.
In cold climates, living things also adapt their behaviors to find food and water. Some animals, like
squirrels, mice, and beavers, gather extra food in the fall and store it to eat during the cold winter
months. Other animals get ready for winter by eating extra food and storing it as body fat.
Many living organisms also adapt their behaviors when searching for
shelter. Snakes, bats, rodents, foxes, and skunks make their
homes in cool underground dens or caves. Beavers build
homes or lodges out of sticks or dig dens on the banks
of ponds and streams. Other animals find shelter in
hollow trees or logs or under rocks and leaves.
Cave
Hollow Tree
Another behavioral adaptation for shelter is “huddling.” Many animals like horses, sheep, and
buffalo huddle together in open fields for
warmth and shelter. Water can also serve
as a good shelter for certain animals.
Frogs, turtles and many fish move to the
bottom of lakes and ponds for shelter. They
hide under rocks, logs, fallen leaves, or bury
themselves in the mud.
Herd of Sheep
Animals also adapt their behavior to protect or defend themselves. Some animals, like the
opossum, play dead when they are in danger. They know that predators will usually not eat dead
animals. Rabbits freeze when they think they have been seen. They hope to blend into the
environment and not be noticed by their enemies. Many animals, like horses, cattle, and geese, live
together in groups for protection. These animals often have signals to warn each
other of approaching danger. The female white tailed deer raises
her tail up in the air and stamps her foot to signal danger.
Squirrels signal danger by making loud chattering noises, while
beavers slap their tails on the surface of the pond to warn when a
predator such as a bear or mountain lion is near.
Opossum
White Tailed Deer
SOL 4.5- Food Chains - Producers, Consumers & Decomposers
A food chain shows how energy passes from one living thing to another living thing. .
All food chains begin with energy. This energy comes from the sun. The greatest
amount of energy in an ecosystem is found in its producers.
Producers use water, air, and sunlight to make their own food and food energy.
Green plants are producers. They are the only living things that can make their
own food. Some producers include trees and bushes (leaves, fruits, berries, flowers),
grasses, ferns, and vegetables
A consumer is a living thing that eats, or consumes other living things to get food
energy. When an animal eats or consumes a plant, some of the food energy inside the
plant is passed on to the animal. Some animals that eat plants include: deer, moose,
whales, elephants, cows, horses, pigs, rabbits, and squirrels.
Not all consumers eat plants, however. Animals like lions, tigers, cats, wolves, sharks,
walruses, polar bears, seals, vultures, anteaters, and owls eat other animals to get
energy.
Another kind of consumer eats only dead plants and animals. This kind of consumer is
called a decomposer. Decomposers break down the bodies of dead plants and
animals and help the food energy inside the dead bodies get back into the soil, the
water, and the air. Some decomposers include worms and mushrooms.
SOL 4.5- Food Webs -Niche
When food chains overlap they are called food webs.
An oak tree produces its own food energy through the process of photosynthesis.
Caterpillars, living on the tree, eat the tree’s leaves for energy. Also living on the tree
are beetles that eat the tree’s bark for energy. Cardinals then eat the caterpillars for
energy while robins eat the beetles. Squirrels eat the tree’s acorns and at night
become dinner for owls. As you can see, in a food web many living organisms are
connected to one another by the foods they eat and what eats them.
What an organism eats and what eats it is called its niche. No two organisms fill the
exact same niche, or role, in a community. In the oak tree food web, each organism
has a special but very different niche in the community. For example, the caterpillars,
beetles, and squirrels have different niches in the community because they eat
different parts of the tree. In turn, they are eaten by different animals in the
community.