Food Webs

Modeling allows us to make our own sense of what and why something is happening. Conceptual models are shared and explicit representations or analogies of phenomena and are used by scientists to help them understand the world around us. Models are used in all areas of science and offer external versions of mental concepts. Models are not a perfect representation; they are a simplified version of a system that highlights certain areas while ignoring others.

Every living thing needs nutrition. Some organisms, like plants, create their own through photosynthesis; others get nutrition by consuming other living things. This nutrition provides living things with the energy they need to carry out their life processes. Every living thing is part of a food chain. Fortunately for humans, we are at the top of most food chains, but even we still have predators. These activities will help students create food chains and understand how they are different than food webs.