California Science Standard Life Sciences Grade 4

2. All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains.

b. Students know producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an ecosystem.

c. Students know decomposers, including many fungi, insects, and microorganisms, recycle matter from dead plants and animals. 

Table of Contents

So, What Is a Food Web?....................................................4

Me and My Ecosystem......................................................6

You Are the Sunshine of My Life................................8

Makers and Takers.............................................................10

I'm Just a Fun-gi.................................................................12

Our World Wide Web..........................................................14

Glossary...................................................................................16

So What is the Food Web?

Look out world!

Me and My Ecosystem

When scientists talk about an ecosystem, they could mean lots of different places. They could mean a tropical jungle with monkeys and jaguars. They could mean a beach with sand dunes and tiny crabs. An ecosystem is any place where living and nonliving things interact–that means animals, plants, rocks, rivers, dirt–you name it!

When something is alive, we call it an organism. Each living part of an ecosystem has a niche. That means everyone has a job to do! Let’s learn more. 

I have a niche!

Me too!

Even me?

I can see my niche from here!

My niche is over here...away from that snake!

You Are the Sunshine of My Life...

Let's get one thing first--all life needs energy to survive, and all organisms on Earth get their energy from the sun!

Plants make their energy from the sun, and animals take their energy from the plants or other animals they eat!

In a food web, everything starts with the SUN!

Where would you be without me?

1. The Sun gives off energy to the trees and grass.

2. The grass produces energy that the mice and grasshopper eat.

3. The owl takes energy from the mouse, and the fox takes it from the goose.

4. The goose takes energy from the grasshopper.  

I'm the star of the show!

Makers and Takers

Producers can make their own food. Plants are producers because they MAKE their food out of water, sunlight, and nutrients in the dirt. 

I'm working on my tan. 😎

A little water, a little soil, and a LOT of sun is all I need!