Introduction to Food Chains

1. What is a food chain?

2. What is a food chain?
A food chain is a way of thinking about how
plants and animals in an ecosystem are
connected.
Food chains trace
the flow of energy
through an
ecosystem

3. All energy comes from the Sun
In almost every food chain on Earth, the
energy comes from the Sun

4. Producers
Green plants are producers. They use sunlight
to make their own food.

5. Consumers
Consumers do not make their own food. They
depend on other organisms to live.

6. Primary consumers
Some animals are primary consumers. They
eat plants or parts of plants to survive.
A butterfly drinks
nectar from
flowers.

7. Primary consumers
Some animals are primary consumers. They
eat plants to survive.
A sheep eats
grass.
Can you think of
any other primary
consumers?

8. Primary consumers
Primary consumers that eat only plants are
called herbivores.

9. Secondary consumers
Secondary consumers eat other animals.
They are
predators!

10. Predators
Predators are animals that eat other animals.
The other animals are their prey.
What predators
and prey do you
know?

11. Tertiary consumers
Tertiary consumers are predators that eat
other predators
Animals that only
eat meat are
called carnivores

12. A pond food chain
The Sun
Duckweed
Mayfly nymph
Frog
Owl
Which is the
producer? The
consumers?

13. Think about it!
A frog eats insects. Is it a producer, or a
consumer?
A frog is a consumer.
It does not make its
own food.

14. Think about it!
Lily pads make their own food. Are they
producers, or consumers?
Lily pads are
producers. They
make their own food.

15. Think about it!
Which would you expect to find more of in an
ecosystem—producers, or consumers?
You would find more
producers, or green
plants. All
ecosystems must
have more producers
than consumers.

16. You are a part of the food chain!
Can you think of how you are a part of the food
chain?
The Sun
Tomatoes
You!
Are people producers,
or consumers?

17. What have you learned?
What have you learned about food chains?

18. By Emily Kissner