Lesson 3: The
Western Red Lily and the Food Web
Grade Level: middle years Duration:60 min
Student Objectives: Student will be able to:
-appreciate the importance of food webs in conveying
information about interrelationships
in the local community
-illustrate ways that change cascades through an ecosystem
Instructional Method: group activity, independent learning, discussion
CEL: CCT, COMM, PSVS, TL, IL
| Materials:
|
 Lily
bulb |
 Bulb
with detached scales |
Motivational
Set: Prompting question – What can you tell me about
food chain
Procedure:
1) Conduct the Food Web
game as outlined in the Ball
of Wool Web Game. Have students
form a large circle. They are
identified as plants or animals within an ecosystem (animal and plant cards). Explain
the rules of the game. A ball of wool
is given to the 'sun' and passed to one of the 'plants' to
hold, with the 'sun' keeping hold of the loose end. Further
wool is passed to one of the 'herbivores' and then to a 'carnivore'. Repeat
this process, starting with a new ball of wool for each food
chain. Students must hold the string that is
tossed to them and continue to hold it unless otherwise instructed. Tosses
are to be gentle. Originally
tosses must be to a different animal or plant (not to the
same students) until the web is built. At
some point the teacher can indicate that all the lilies have
been consumed and those students must drop their string. Continue
this random elimination until only a few carnivores are left. Debrief
by asking students what they noticed about the formation
of the web. Ask students what
they noticed about the elimination of certain members of
the foodchain.
2) Instruct
students to read “The Western
Red Lily” handout. Ask
students to complete the “Food Web Definitions” worksheet. Most
definitions can be found in the text of the story. Use
of a dictionary will supplement this activity.
3) Debrief with a class
discussion re: vocabulary and created food webs. Quick Write: Ask students
to write a paragraph describing actions they could take to
protect natural prairie landscapes, promote conservation
and environmental awareness.
Assessment: Formative: anecdotal observations
in groups
Summative: prairie
food web diagrams, Quick Write
Enrichment: build
an Australian Grassland Food Web website at
http://www.gould.edu.au/foodwebs/kids_web/aus_web.html
Ball of Wool Web Game - British
Ecological Society at
http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/articles/education/resources/curriculum/foodchains/game/
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