Energy Along a Food Chain

Science · Ecosystems & Habitats · ages 8-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which of these living things is a consumer?
- A patch of grass
- An oak tree
- A caterpillar
Every food chain gets its energy from the same place. Where does the energy in a food chain begin?
- The soil
- The top predator
- The sun
Look at this food chain: Grass, Rabbit, Fox. Which organism does the rabbit eat?
- The grass
- The fox
- It makes its own food
Look at this pond food chain: Algae, Tadpole, Fish, Heron. Which organism is the producer?
- Heron
- Algae
- Tadpole
In the chain Grass, Grasshopper, Frog, Snake, which organism is the primary consumer?
- Grasshopper
- Snake
- Grass
A robin eats a caterpillar. How much of the caterpillar's energy does the robin get to keep?
- Only some of it
- None of it
- All of it
Look at this food chain: Oak tree, Caterpillar, Robin, Hawk. How many of the organisms are consumers?
Answer: ______________
A caterpillar eats oak leaves, then a robin eats the caterpillar. From the robin's point of view, the caterpillar is...
- a predator
- a producer
- prey
Amara says the hawk at the top of the chain must have the most energy, because it is the strongest hunter. What is the problem with her idea?
- The producer has no energy to share
- Energy shrinks at every step, so the hawk gets the least energy in the chain
- Hawks do not need any energy to hunt
A drought kills most of the grass in a meadow. The food chain there is Grass, Grasshopper, Frog, Snake. What is most likely to happen to the snakes over time?
- Snakes will start eating grass instead
- Nothing will change for the snakes
- Snakes will have less food as the whole chain feels the loss

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Energy Along a Food Chain W1-mt_oB-L8EVdIP-s1

A caterpillar · A consumer eats other living things. The caterpillar eats oak leaves, so it is a consumer.
The sun · All the energy in a food chain starts with the sun. Producers capture sunlight to make their food.
The grass · In a food chain, each organism eats the one right before it. The rabbit eats the grass.
Algae · Algae make their own food from sunlight, so algae are the producer of this pond chain.
Grasshopper · The primary consumer is the first animal to eat the producer. The grasshopper eats the grass.
Only some of it · Energy shrinks at every step of a food chain. The robin keeps only some of the caterpillar's energy.
3 · The oak tree is the producer. The caterpillar, robin, and hawk all eat other living things, so there are 3 consumers.
prey · Prey is any organism that gets hunted and eaten. The caterpillar is prey to the robin.
Energy shrinks at every step, so the hawk gets the least energy in the chain · Being a strong hunter does not mean having the most energy. Energy shrinks at each step, so the top of the chain gets the least.
Snakes will have less food as the whole chain feels the loss · When the producer is lost, every step above it gets less food and energy, all the way up to the snakes.