Creatures of The Ocean: Food Web

By: April Ramsey

Objective:Students will be able to construct a food web

using creatures of the oceanStudents will be able to understand how

humans can receive important nutrients from the ocean and understand the life cycle we all go through in order to survive

Students will also be able to understand how to use pastels and shading/blending in fun ways!

Resources/Inspirations:Artist: Randy McGovern(wildlife

artist) Oil paintings

Lorenzo Gomez (comic artist) food chain picture of bigger fish eating little fish downward

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christianson original story

Awesome Website Kids Corner :http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm

Vocabulary:Food WebHabitatPlanktonPredatorPreyNutritionPastelsShadingBlendingLife CycleEnvironment DecomposerProducerConsumer

Main Ideas:My Big idea was the concept of the environment and

how it can effect plants, animals, and humans in a chain reaction. As in the little mermaid she has predators around her everywhere she turns and needs to be careful. In the story it is evident that there is a food chain in the sea that each creature must be aware of to protect themselves. Branching from this, I want students to understand the importance of the life cycle in the ocean and how we as humans are (usually) at the top of the food chain, but still need to know about protection and the importance of the cycle we are also a part of. With that being said we get many important nutrients as well from the sea as well.

Procedure/Intro Activity:Discuss and define the basic concept of food

chains and food webs, including nutrients, sun, oxygen, decomposers, producers, and consumers.Explain what a food chain is and how it works.

Demonstrate the idea by getting children to act out the various creatures in a food chain.

Explain that all living things need energy to survive, and that plants use the sun’s energy to make food. We can get our energy and protein from fish!

Activity (Video)

Key Questions:Why do humans fit into the food web?

Where? Why?Which level in the web do you think is most

important? Why?What animal would you like to be in the

ocean?How do pastels help to blend artwork more

simply?

Informal/Formal Evaluation:Informal-Guided intro activity. Making sure

students demonstrate the correct order while lining up their animals in the food chain in front of their classmates, working in groups.

Practice shading and blending pastels on a scrap piece of paper

Formal-12 pt rubric