Simple food chains
I can use a simple food chain to show how animals and plants depend on each other for food.
Simple food chains
I can use a simple food chain to show how animals and plants depend on each other for food.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The basic needs of animals for survival are water, food and air.
- Animals need food from plants and other animals to survive.
- A food chain is used to show the order in which living things depend on each other for food.
- A food chain can be drawn as a simple scientific diagram. The arrows represent 'is food for'.
Keywords
Animal - An animal is a living thing which moves and eats other animals or plants.
Basic needs - A living thing's basic needs are what they need to be able to survive.
Plant - A plant is a living thing that often has a stem, roots, and leaves.
Depend - To depend on is to rely upon.
Food chain - A food chain shows how living things depend on each other for food.
Common misconception
Pupils often think the arrow in a food chain means “eats” and also that arrows should be drawn from predator to prey (rather than prey to predator).
This lesson reinforces the fact the the arrow in a food chain can be interpreted to mean 'is food for'.
To help you plan your year 4 science lesson on: Simple food chains, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 4 science lesson on: Simple food chains, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 science lessons from the More about food chains unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Pupils may wish to use books or the internet to help with a range of ideas for Practice Task B.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
