Organisms: Producers, Consumers, Decomposers
What is a producer, consumer, and decomposer? These are sites about these different kinds of organisms and how they interrelate to one another in food chains and food webs. There are experiments, games, other interactive features, and suggested classroom activities. Included is an eThemes resource on food chains and food webs.
Grades
- 3,
- 4,
- 5,
- 6
Links
-
Interesting Facts about Food Chains
This site discusses vocabulary related to food webs and chains. Includes two diagrams of a food web and a food chain. NOTE: This site links to a site with a guestbook and to the Google search web site.
-
Identify the Food Chains
Print this diagram to help students see the relationship between producers and consumers in the web.
-
Fun with Food Webs
This interactive game lets students place organisms within their food web.
-
Plants and Life on Earth
Plants produce, directly or indirectly, all of the food that people and other animals eat. This site contains pictures, videos, and songs that explain the biological role of plants.
-
The Adventures of Herman
Earthworms are the Kings of Decomposers. In this fun site all about worms, students can explore the links to discover the parts of a worm, where worms originated from, and what worms eat. Includes an interactive quiz on a worm's anatomy and the food worms eat. On the home page, click on "Teacher's Bin" and find out how you can request a poster of Herman.
-
Fun Facts about Fungi
Fungi are important decomposers. Learn more about these types of organisms. The site also has experiment ideas, puzzles, and games.
-
Information for the Teachers
The reading level of this site may be too advanced for elementary students, but it contains many illustrations and background information for teachers.
-
What is a Herbivore?
Students can read about and see photographs of herbivores. Click on the links at the bottom to learn about omnivores and carnivores.
-
Scolastic: Food WebGame
Here are two fun interactive activities. In the first activity, connect the organisms to form a food web. Then you can print out a Food Web Certificate. In the second activity, build a customized caterpillar designed to elude predators.
-
Food Chains Crossword
Complete this interactive crossword puzzle to test your vocabulary of food chains, food, webs, producers, consumers, and decomposers.
-
Food Chains Quiz
Students can take this interactive quiz to test their knowledge of producers, consumers, decomposers, food chains, and ecosystems.
-
Brain POP!: Food Chains
Watch a movie with Tim and Moby about Food Chains, then take a pop quiz. There are also comics, an activity, and an experiment. NOTE: This site is available by subscription only.
-
eThemes Resource: Animals: Food Chains and Food Webs
These sites are about food chains and food webs. Includes examples of webs and chains with animals from various biomes. Learn about consumers, producers, prey, predators, herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. There is a short animated movie, online games, and suggested classroom activities.
-
eThemes Resource: Ecosystems: An Overview
These sites are an overview of ecosystems including what they are, how they are different from and related to habitats and biomes, and how to preserve ecosystems. Classroom activities and online exercises are included. There are links to eThemes resources on animal survival and habitats including overview, deserts, forests, grasslands, ponds and lakes, rainforests, tundras, wetlands, and mountains.
Education Standards
