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Overview: This plan is designed for upper elementary students in conjunction with reading the novel, The Midnight Fox. It is possible to adapt the plan for younger children by using the novel as a read aloud book. The students will investigate food chains within a forest ecosystem while gathering further information about behaviors and habits of foxes. In addition, they will study the dependent relationship among the various components of the food chain.
Booklink: The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars, Scott Foresman, 1996. ISBN 0140314504
Science Activity Link: Using photos and illustrations students will construct a food chain as characterized by the events in the novel. Furthermore, they will work to understand the different classifications of plants and animals within the forest ecosystem.
Objective: Students will analyze the interdependent relationships in an ecosystem by studying each individual component of the food chain. Specifically, using knowledge gleaned from the novel, they will construct their own food chain and will investigate the effects of an increase or decrease in population of any one of the food chain links. Using a classification activity, the students will recognize the difference in producers and consumers, predators and prey, and herbivores and carnivores.
Science Processes and Content: Processes-Gather information about the forest ecosystem of a fox, draw conclusions about the components of a fox's food chain, design a model to illustrate the food chain, infer explanations for the effects of increases or decreases in populations of specific organisms in the food chain Content-forest ecosystems, populations, animal behaviors, habitats, food chain, adaptation, competition for food
National Science Education Standards: Unifying Concepts and Processes, (1) Science as Inquiry, (3) Life Science, (7) History and Nature of Science
Materials: Class set of The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars
10 index cards for each student
magazine, newspaper or internet pictures of plants and animals
Class set:
glue sticks
markers
1 yard or meter of yarn for each student
5 hole punches
yellow construction paper
Procedure:
1. To assess prior knowledge, conduct a brainstorming session of 10 minutes about the key vocabulary to be used in the lesson, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, producers, consumers, predators and prey.
2. Introduce the concept of the interdependent relationship in nature between plants and animals by illustrating an example of a sample marine food chain.
3. Create five colored overhead transparency pieces of seaweed, plankton, mussels, fish, and a gull and then allow students to come up two-by-two to the overhead and attempt to arrange a logical food chain.
4. Discuss the definitions of the key vocabulary listed in step 1 and then model using the overhead pieces how to classify the sea organisms as either carnivores/herbivores, producers/consumers, and predators/prey.
5. Students now begin to cut out the provided pictures and glue one on each index card. On the reverse side of the card they label the plant or animal. Make sure each student creates a fox card as a tie in to the novel. Highlight the importance of including first, second, third order and top consumers in their cards. Circulate the hole punch and instruct the students to punch one single hole in the top of each card.
6. When the ten cards have been created and labeled, students begin the classification activity. With a partner they use their cards to create three columns, herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Encourage cooperative learning by asking 3 groups to share their findings.
7. Continue the classification activity with the categories of producers/ consumers. In addition, if time allows, students can use the cards to match up predator/ prey pairs.
8. The students will now arrange their cards into a food chain. Many students will be puzzled as to where the plants get their food from. A quick review of photosynthesis should remind them about the role of the sun in providing energy to plants.
9. Use the yellow paper to cut out a sun which will serve as the energy source of the food chain. As students are doing this the teacher should evaluate the proposed order of each food chain before the students create the final product.
10. Each student must cut the yarn into small pieces which they will use to affix the cards together. The first piece of yarn should be glued firmly to the back of the sun and then each subsequent component of the food chain will be tied with yarn below. The finished chains are ready for display.
11. As a wrap-up ask students to infer the effects of either an increase or decrease on the populations of one of the groups on their food chain.
Safety: None
Related Books:
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Ronald Dahl, Viking Press, 1988. ISBN 0140328726
Foxes for Kids by Judy Schuler, NorthWord Press, 1998. ISBN 1559716371
Wild Dogs by Deborah Hodges, Kid Can Press, 1999. ISBN 1550744208
Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-06-445130-5
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