Food Chain Essential Questions

  • How are animals and plants dependent on one another?
  • How is energy transformed and transferred as it flows through the food chain?
  • How does studying cycles help us to understand natural processes?
  • How do living things adapt to the environment?
  • How does energy flow within an ecosystem?
  • How is energy transferred and transformed as it flows through a food chain?

Food Chain essential questions such as these can help guide student thinking and assist students in making connections to the larger concepts the game addresses. Play the  game, or visit the lesson ideas page for more teacher tips.

critical thinking questions about food chain

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critical thinking questions about food chain

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Food chain fix.

Food Chain Fix Title

In this lesson, students will explore the roles of organisms in a food chain while demonstrating their knowledge through designing a model in a game-like simulation. This food chain model will be developed to represent an example food chain and the interactions of food chain organisms as they exist in nature. This model will be generated in the free programming language and online community called Scratch™. Students will use computational thinking through recognizing the common roles and patterns found within food chains and generating a new food chain model based from their custom design.

Class periods: 1-2

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Vocabulary Words:  consumer, decomposer, food chain, producer, secondary consumer  

Food Chain Fix Lesson with Student Resources

FoodChain_MixedUp Download

FoodChain_Fixed Download

critical thinking questions about food chain

Download Food Chain Fix in Spanish

Spanish translations for the  Smithsonian Science for Makerspaces  challenges are made possible by a grant from the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.

4a Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts, or solving authentic problems.

5a Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as data analysis, abstract models, and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions.

Student Objectives:

  • Develop a digital model that demonstrates how energy moves through the organisms of a food chain.  
  • Use system models to represent the common patterns of food chains

Disciplinary Core Ideas:

  • Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. (5-LS2.A)  
  • Energy released from food was once energy from the Sun that was captured by plants. (5-PS3-1)

Science and Engineering Practices

  • Developing and using models  
  • Organize simple data sets that suggest relationships

Crosscutting Concepts

  • Cause and effect  
  • Systems and system models

The teacher will share the following passage and images with students:

Think of some animals and plants that live in the ocean. Look at this picture of some animals and plants that live in a special part of the ocean called a coral reef. All of these organisms depend on each other for food and energy. Each organism in this picture gets its food from a different thing. Can you guess how each organism gets its food? The green plant-like organism is called algae. Algae is a producer, meaning that it gets its energy from the Sun. Can you think of any other producers? Do you notice the fish trying to eat the algae? That is a parrot fish. The parrot fish is a consumer, which means that it gets its energy from eating producers like algae. Uh-oh! Do you see the reef shark chasing the parrot fish? A reef shark is a secondary consumer and gets its energy from eating other animals like the parrot fish.

The sea star is a decomposer, which means it gets its energy from eating dead organisms. The decomposer helps the coral reef because it recycles the dead organisms into helpful nutrients for the environment. Animals like the sea star can get energy from eating other organisms like clams and oysters, too. This means that the sea star can be both a decomposer and a secondary consumer. In this one environment we saw how the energy from the Sun went to a producer, then a consumer, then secondary consumer, and finally the decomposer. This relationship of how energy moves from one organism to another is called a food chain.

critical thinking questions about food chain

Photo credits: Photoplotnikov/iStock/Getty Images Plus,neyro2008/iStock/Getty Images Plus, Svetlana Orusova/neyro2008/iStock/Getty, Bullet_Chained/iStock/Getty Images Plus, terdpong pangwong/iStock/Getty Images Plus

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Where do animals get their traits? Most traits are passed from parents to their offspring, or babies. If the trait is useful it will help an animal survive and give it a better chance to reproduce. But a trait that is not helpful in the environment makes it harder for the animal to survive and reproduce. Over many, many years there will be more animals with the helpful trait and fewer animals with the unhelpful trait. The environment and traits of the animal must be a good match.

Discussion Questions:

  • Why is the Sun an important part of the food chain?  
  • The sea star can have different roles in a food chain. Can you think of other animals that also play different roles in a food chain? For example, can you think of an animal that may eat plants and other animals?

Smithsonian Connections: 

Learn more about food chains in the ocean at: https://ocean.si.edu/

For Teachers

  • For detailed directions on how to use Scratch™ including how to load a project file use the Scratch Q&A sheet.  

For Students

critical thinking questions about food chain

  • The mixed-up food chain is broken into four stages. There is a text box at the beginning of each stage: 1) Producer 2) Primary Consumer 3) Secondary Consumer 4) Decomposer
  • Have the students look for the mistakes in each stage, highlighting that the organisms are mixed up and need to be swapped into their correct food chain role. To fix the food chain, students will need to switch the organism’s ‘costumes’ within the Scratch™ interface. The Scratch ‘Costumes tab’ gives student’s the ability to modify the appearance of a game object. Students can use the Changing a Costume worksheet to learn the step by step process of changing a game object’s appearance. Students can also use the Food Chain Examples worksheet to help them complete this task.

Stage 1 Example: Change the parrot fish costume into the algae costume. Use Changing a Costume worksheet for step- by-step instructions.

critical thinking questions about food chain

Not a correct producer.

critical thinking questions about food chain

Changed to the correct producer.

critical thinking questions about food chain

  • If students are unsure of how to make correct the mixed up food chain correct they can use the Food Chain Examples worksheet.
  • Learn more about how to switch costumes in the Scratch™ interface using the Changing Costumes worksheet.
  • Student groups will demonstrate their own fixed food chain. They can also compare their simulation to the Correct food chain project file by uploading FoodChain_Fixed.sb3.
  • Using the Fixed food chain project file and the Food Chain Examples sheet, students will now use new organisms to create a totally new food chain in a different ocean ecosystem and represent it in the food chain simulation. To do this, students will create new pictures of each organism using the Scratch™ interface. They can do this through the Scratch™ paint feature they should be used to or they can upload a new image file in the costumes tab. If you need additional instructions, review the Changing Costumes worksheet.  
  • Teacher tip: Each student can work on an individual food chain organism on a separate computer. They can then save the image file and import into the shared Scratch™ project.  
  • After changing the Scratch™ costumes to reflect a new food chain model, students will test out their new simulation by pressing the green flag button. As part of the test, tell students to look for any improvements they can make to make the organism models more realistic.  
  • Bring the class together. Have student groups demonstrate their new food chains to the class. Ask them to answer the following questions during their presentation:  
  • What are the names of the organisms in your food chain?  
  • How is your food chain similar to the first one we did as a class? How is it different?
  • How is the simulation different than real life?

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Critical Thinking Questions

  • Biomes groups terrestrial organisms only on the basis of similar habitat conditions.
  • Organisms belonging to a similar biome have dissimilarities in their makeup.
  • There is variation within different types of biomes that biome categorization does not capture.
  • Terrestrial biomes are defined based only on the growth form of the dominant vegetation.
  • The ecosystem is either recreated or partitioned in both the experiments, which may alter the dynamics of the ecosystem the experiments are aiming to analyze.
  • In both the experiments, dynamics of the ecosystem may get altered due to differences in species numbers and diversity although there are no alterations in the environment.
  • In both the experiments, the ecosystem is recreated which may alter the dynamics of the ecosystem the experiments are aiming to analyze.
  • Altering a natural ecosystem through partitioning, which occurs in both the experiments may change its dynamics due to differences in species numbers and diversity.
  • An analytical model would be ideal because they can address simple, linear ecosystem components that are mathematically complex.
  • A simulation model would be ideal because they can address simple, linear systems that are mathematically complex.
  • An analytical model would be ideal as they are considered ecologically more realistic than any other model.
  • A simulation model would be ideal because it uses numerical techniques to solve problems and visualize the complex relationships that exist in the ecosystem.
  • Both food chain and food web follow a single path as energy is transferred in an ecosystem. Food chains are easier to follow and experiment with but less accurate whereas food webs are more holistic and complex.
  • Both food web and food chain describe energy transfer dynamics in an ecosystem. Food chains are non-linear systems which are easier to follow and experiment with whereas food webs are linear, holistic and can be directly used as input for simulation models.
  • Both food chain and food web follow a single path as energy is transferred in an ecosystem. Food chains are linear systems, easier to follow and used directly as input for simulation models, whereas food webs are non-linear, accurate, holistic and flexible for analytical modeling.
  • Both food web and food chain describe energy transfer dynamics in an ecosystem. Food chains are linear systems that are relatively easy to follow and use for experiments, where as food webs are non-linear, accurate and holistic and can be directly used as input for simulation models.
  • Lightening is a type of natural disturbance whereas pollution is a human related disturbance. Both are of concern to conservationists because they can cause changes to some individual species, but not to entire ecosystems.
  • Fire is a type of natural disturbances whereas agriculture is a human related disturbance. Both types are of concern to conservationists because ecosystems cannot bounce back from a disturbance.
  • Pollution is a type of natural disturbance whereas lightening is a human related disturbance. Both are of concern to conservationists because they alter ecosystems.
  • Lightening is a type of natural disturbance whereas pollution is a human related disturbance. Both are of concern to conservationists because they alter ecosystems.
  • The primary producers of detrital food webs are decomposers whereas those of grazing food webs are non-photosynthetic. Both primary producers support different components of the ecosystem.
  • The primary producers of detrital food webs are photosynthetic whereas those of grazing food webs are decomposers. Both primary producers support different components of the ecosystem.
  • The primary producers of detrital food webs are decomposers whereas those of grazing food webs are photosynthetic. Both primary producers support different components of the ecosystem.
  • The primary producers of detrital food webs are chemoautotrophs whereas those of grazing food webs are photosynthetic. Both primary producers support different components of the ecosystem.
  • The amount of food eaten by an animal does not affect its net production efficiency (NPE).
  • Endotherms use more energy compared to ectotherms due to energy loss from heat production.
  • Both endotherms and ectotherms use the same energy from food.
  • Ectotherms use more energy compared to endotherms due to energy loss from heat production.
  • The three types of ecosystem pyramids are pyramids of energy, number and biomass out of which number and energy pyramids can be inverted. Examples of inverted pyramids of number and energy are temperate forests in summer and phytoplankton in the English Channel respectively.
  • The three types of ecosystem pyramids are pyramids of energy, number and biomass out of which number and biomass pyramids can be inverted. Examples of inverted pyramids of number and biomass are temperate forests in summer and phytoplankton in the English Channel respectively.
  • The three types of ecosystem pyramids are pyramids of energy, number and biomass out of which number and biomass pyramids can be inverted. Examples of inverted pyramids of number and biomass are temperate forests in summer and Silver Springs ecosystem in Florida respectively.
  • The three types of ecosystem pyramids are pyramids of energy, number and biomass out of which number and biomass pyramids can be inverted. Examples of inverted pyramids of number and biomass are grasslands in summer and phytoplankton in the English Channel respectively.
  • Net primary productivity incorporates features like production at present and next trophic levels, whereas gross primary productivity does not.
  • Net primary productivity is the rate at which photosynthetic primary producers incorporate energy from the sun.
  • As net primary productivity is the energy content available to the organisms of the next trophic level.
  • As respiration and heat loss uses energy of the primary producer, therefore, net primary productivity is what is actually available to primary consumers.
  • The process of nitrate formation from ammonia is called nitrogen fixation. It improves agricultural production as nitrogen is required by plants for nucleotide and protein formation.
  • The process of nitrogen being incorporated into organic molecule is called nitrogen fixation. It improves the crop yield by allowing the plants to compete with weeds.
  • The reduction of nitrates back to nitrogen gas is called nitrogen fixation. It improves agricultural production as nitrogen is required by plants for nucleotide and protei formation.
  • The process of nitrogen being incorporated into organic molecules is called nitrogen fixation. It improves agricultural production as nitrogen is required by plants for nucleotide and protein formation.
  • Cattle produce carbon monoxide, which when inhaled, even in small quantities, can cause death.
  • Cattle produce carbon monoxide, which is a major contributor to global warming.
  • Agricultural animals increase the amount of greenhouse gases by producing carbon dioxide and methane, so they contribute to global warming.
  • Agricultural animals increase the amount of greenhouse gases by producing ozone, which contributes to global warming.
  • hydrogen sulfide, which leaves the atmosphere as weak sulfur dioxide rain
  • sulfur dioxide, which leaves the atmosphere as weak sulfur dioxide rain
  • hydrogen sulfide, which leaves the atmosphere as weak sulfuric acid rain
  • sulfur dioxide, which leaves the atmosphere as weak sulfuric acid rain

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GRE Subject Test: Biology : Understanding Food Webs and Food Chains

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for gre subject test: biology, all gre subject test: biology resources, example questions, example question #61 : ecosystems and biology.

Which of the following would be a secondary consumer?

People who are keen to eat bear, which eats small mammals that live off berries and seeds

A maple tree that stores energy harnessed from the sun in the form of sugars through a process called photosynthesis

A black-tailed deer that browses on grasses and shrubs

Earthworms, bacteria and fungi that decompose plant matter on the forest floor to replenish the soil

A western diamondback rattlesnake that preys on field mice that eat seeds and berries

A secondary consumer is a step above the primary consumer (herbivore) on the food chain, consisting of omnivores and carnivores. A mouse that lives off plant matter and is thus a primary consumer. When a snake eats the mouse, it is the secondary consumer in the food web.

Example Question #1 : Food Webs And Pyramids

What is the ratio of energy generated by producers to the energy absorbed by the next trophic level up, that of primary consumers?

critical thinking questions about food chain

With every advancement in the trophic level, energy converts on a ten-to-one scale. For example, ten kilograms of grain fed to a steer produces roughly one kilogram of beef. This is true for every step up the tropic food pyramid.

Example Question #1 : Organismal Ecology

Only 10% of the energy at each level of the trophic pyramid is available energy for the following trophic level. Why is so much energy lost between each level?

All the available food cannot be eaten

Not all ingested food can be absorbed into the body

The conversion of food into biomass results in heat loss

Not everything absorbed into the body is used for growth

All of these

These are all sources of lost energy in between levels of the trophic pyramid. In the context of herbivores and carnivores: Not all food at each level can be eaten, because some prey escape their predators or they can't be found. When a predator eats its prey, not all of that tissue is digestible, such as cellulose and lignins. Lastly, everything that the predator digests is not used for new growth, and some is lost through excretion and respiration (heat).

Example Question #2 : Understanding Food Webs And Food Chains

There are a huge number of herbivores in the world, with insects being the largest and most diverse group. Given how successful these herbivores are and how abundant their plant resources are, why haven't all plants in the world been eaten by now?

Herbivores are not diverse enough nor do they have enough adaptations to eat all plants

Herbivores generally only eat one plant

Herbivores are limited by their predators

Most herbivores are very small

Herbivore population sizes are controlled by the climate

Herbivores are very likely limited by the predators in their own food webs, preventing them from completely overtaking the plants that they feed on. This is called the Earth is Green hypothesis, originally proposed by Hairston, Smith, and Slodobkin.

Detritivores employ an evolutionarily successful feeding strategy of animals, in which they feed primarily on other animals' waste. Why is this an efficient approach?

There is less competition for detritus than other resources

Nutrient content is much richer in detritus

There is more detritus than live biomass

There are no special adaptations required to be a detritivore

Dung is much easier to digest because its already been digested by another animal

Detritivores are successful because it is much more efficient to digest dung because it doesn't require much extra digesting, as another animal has already done it. Detritivores can generally have a much less complicated digestive system and save themselves the energetically expensive process of digesting new plants or animals. Detritivores are also important to the ecosystem because they cycle the nutrients in dung back into the food chain. There is no evidence that detritivores experience less competition, nor that detritus is in excess to live organisms.

Example Question #4 : Understanding Food Webs And Food Chains

Plants, which are capable of primary production via photosynthesis, are the base of many global food webs. However, this is an inefficient process relative to how much total solar energy is available. What percentage of incoming solar radiation is actually converted into plant tissue and is available to the next trophic level?

critical thinking questions about food chain

Less than half of total solar energy is within the photosynthetically active wavelength range, and plants to not absorb all of this energy due to reflection and refraction. Thus, only about 1-5% of incoming solar radiation is actually converted to plant biomass, which serves as the base for all food chains. This is why herbivorous animals generally have to eat extremely high quantities of plants to achieve adequate nutrition.

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Food Chains Reading Comprehension Passage with Questions

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Description

Engage your students with this informative reading comprehension passage about food chains! This resource includes a detailed passage explaining what food chains are and how they function within ecosystems, followed by thought-provoking questions to assess students' understanding.

The passage introduces the concept of food chains, starting with producers and progressing through primary consumers, secondary consumers, and beyond. It also explores the interconnectedness of organisms within ecosystems, emphasizing the complexity of food webs.

This resource is perfect for science classes studying ecology or biology. It can be used as a whole-class activity, small group discussion, or independent reading assignment. The comprehension questions prompt critical thinking and encourage students to reflect on the significance of food chains and food webs in ecosystem dynamics.

Included in this resource:

  • Informative passage on food chains
  • Thoughtful comprehension questions to assess understanding
  • Prompts for further discussion or extension activities

Help your students grasp the fundamental concepts of ecology with this engaging and comprehensive resource on food chains!

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critical thinking questions about food chain

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  • Critical Thinking Questions
  • Introduction
  • 1.1 The Science of Biology
  • 1.2 Themes and Concepts of Biology
  • Chapter Summary
  • Visual Connection Questions
  • Review Questions
  • 2.1 Atoms, Isotopes, Ions, and Molecules: The Building Blocks
  • 3.1 Synthesis of Biological Macromolecules
  • 3.2 Carbohydrates
  • 3.4 Proteins
  • 3.5 Nucleic Acids
  • 4.1 Studying Cells
  • 4.2 Prokaryotic Cells
  • 4.3 Eukaryotic Cells
  • 4.4 The Endomembrane System and Proteins
  • 4.5 The Cytoskeleton
  • 4.6 Connections between Cells and Cellular Activities
  • 5.1 Components and Structure
  • 5.2 Passive Transport
  • 5.3 Active Transport
  • 5.4 Bulk Transport
  • 6.1 Energy and Metabolism
  • 6.2 Potential, Kinetic, Free, and Activation Energy
  • 6.3 The Laws of Thermodynamics
  • 6.4 ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate
  • 6.5 Enzymes
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  • 7.3 Oxidation of Pyruvate and the Citric Acid Cycle
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  • 7.6 Connections of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Lipid Metabolic Pathways
  • 7.7 Regulation of Cellular Respiration
  • 8.1 Overview of Photosynthesis
  • 8.2 The Light-Dependent Reactions of Photosynthesis
  • 8.3 Using Light Energy to Make Organic Molecules
  • 9.1 Signaling Molecules and Cellular Receptors
  • 9.2 Propagation of the Signal
  • 9.3 Response to the Signal
  • 9.4 Signaling in Single-Celled Organisms
  • 10.1 Cell Division
  • 10.2 The Cell Cycle
  • 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle
  • 10.4 Cancer and the Cell Cycle
  • 10.5 Prokaryotic Cell Division
  • 11.1 The Process of Meiosis
  • 11.2 Sexual Reproduction
  • 12.1 Mendel’s Experiments and the Laws of Probability
  • 12.2 Characteristics and Traits
  • 12.3 Laws of Inheritance
  • 13.1 Chromosomal Theory and Genetic Linkage
  • 13.2 Chromosomal Basis of Inherited Disorders
  • 14.1 Historical Basis of Modern Understanding
  • 14.2 DNA Structure and Sequencing
  • 14.3 Basics of DNA Replication
  • 14.4 DNA Replication in Prokaryotes
  • 14.5 DNA Replication in Eukaryotes
  • 14.6 DNA Repair
  • 15.1 The Genetic Code
  • 15.2 Prokaryotic Transcription
  • 15.3 Eukaryotic Transcription
  • 15.4 RNA Processing in Eukaryotes
  • 15.5 Ribosomes and Protein Synthesis
  • 16.1 Regulation of Gene Expression
  • 16.2 Prokaryotic Gene Regulation
  • 16.3 Eukaryotic Epigenetic Gene Regulation
  • 16.4 Eukaryotic Transcription Gene Regulation
  • 16.5 Eukaryotic Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation
  • 16.6 Eukaryotic Translational and Post-translational Gene Regulation
  • 16.7 Cancer and Gene Regulation
  • 17.1 Biotechnology
  • 17.2 Mapping Genomes
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  • 17.4 Applying Genomics
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  • 18.2 Formation of New Species
  • 18.3 Reconnection and Speciation Rates
  • 19.1 Population Evolution
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  • 20.1 Organizing Life on Earth
  • 20.2 Determining Evolutionary Relationships
  • 20.3 Perspectives on the Phylogenetic Tree
  • 21.1 Viral Evolution, Morphology, and Classification
  • 21.2 Virus Infections and Hosts
  • 21.3 Prevention and Treatment of Viral Infections
  • 21.4 Other Acellular Entities: Prions and Viroids
  • 22.1 Prokaryotic Diversity
  • 22.2 Structure of Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea
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  • 22.4 Bacterial Diseases in Humans
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  • 23.2 Characteristics of Protists
  • 23.3 Groups of Protists
  • 23.4 Ecology of Protists
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  • 24.2 Classifications of Fungi
  • 24.3 Ecology of Fungi
  • 24.4 Fungal Parasites and Pathogens
  • 24.5 Importance of Fungi in Human Life
  • 25.1 Early Plant Life
  • 25.2 Green Algae: Precursors of Land Plants
  • 25.3 Bryophytes
  • 25.4 Seedless Vascular Plants
  • 26.1 Evolution of Seed Plants
  • 26.2 Gymnosperms
  • 26.3 Angiosperms
  • 26.4 The Role of Seed Plants
  • 27.1 Features of the Animal Kingdom
  • 27.2 Features Used to Classify Animals
  • 27.3 Animal Phylogeny
  • 27.4 The Evolutionary History of the Animal Kingdom
  • 28.1 Phylum Porifera
  • 28.2 Phylum Cnidaria
  • 28.3 Superphylum Lophotrochozoa: Flatworms, Rotifers, and Nemerteans
  • 28.4 Superphylum Lophotrochozoa: Molluscs and Annelids
  • 28.5 Superphylum Ecdysozoa: Nematodes and Tardigrades
  • 28.6 Superphylum Ecdysozoa: Arthropods
  • 28.7 Superphylum Deuterostomia
  • 29.1 Chordates
  • 29.2 Fishes
  • 29.3 Amphibians
  • 29.4 Reptiles
  • 29.6 Mammals
  • 29.7 The Evolution of Primates
  • 30.1 The Plant Body
  • 30.4 Leaves
  • 30.5 Transport of Water and Solutes in Plants
  • 30.6 Plant Sensory Systems and Responses
  • 31.1 Nutritional Requirements of Plants
  • 31.2 The Soil
  • 31.3 Nutritional Adaptations of Plants
  • 32.1 Reproductive Development and Structure
  • 32.2 Pollination and Fertilization
  • 32.3 Asexual Reproduction
  • 33.1 Animal Form and Function
  • 33.2 Animal Primary Tissues
  • 33.3 Homeostasis
  • 34.1 Digestive Systems
  • 34.2 Nutrition and Energy Production
  • 34.3 Digestive System Processes
  • 34.4 Digestive System Regulation
  • 35.1 Neurons and Glial Cells
  • 35.2 How Neurons Communicate
  • 35.3 The Central Nervous System
  • 35.4 The Peripheral Nervous System
  • 35.5 Nervous System Disorders
  • 36.1 Sensory Processes
  • 36.2 Somatosensation
  • 36.3 Taste and Smell
  • 36.4 Hearing and Vestibular Sensation
  • 36.5 Vision
  • 37.1 Types of Hormones
  • 37.2 How Hormones Work
  • 37.3 Regulation of Body Processes
  • 37.4 Regulation of Hormone Production
  • 37.5 Endocrine Glands
  • 38.1 Types of Skeletal Systems
  • 38.3 Joints and Skeletal Movement
  • 38.4 Muscle Contraction and Locomotion
  • 39.1 Systems of Gas Exchange
  • 39.2 Gas Exchange across Respiratory Surfaces
  • 39.3 Breathing
  • 39.4 Transport of Gases in Human Bodily Fluids
  • 40.1 Overview of the Circulatory System
  • 40.2 Components of the Blood
  • 40.3 Mammalian Heart and Blood Vessels
  • 40.4 Blood Flow and Blood Pressure Regulation
  • 41.1 Osmoregulation and Osmotic Balance
  • 41.2 The Kidneys and Osmoregulatory Organs
  • 41.3 Excretion Systems
  • 41.4 Nitrogenous Wastes
  • 41.5 Hormonal Control of Osmoregulatory Functions
  • 42.1 Innate Immune Response
  • 42.2 Adaptive Immune Response
  • 42.3 Antibodies
  • 42.4 Disruptions in the Immune System
  • 43.1 Reproduction Methods
  • 43.2 Fertilization
  • 43.3 Human Reproductive Anatomy and Gametogenesis
  • 43.4 Hormonal Control of Human Reproduction
  • 43.5 Human Pregnancy and Birth
  • 43.6 Fertilization and Early Embryonic Development
  • 43.7 Organogenesis and Vertebrate Formation
  • 44.1 The Scope of Ecology
  • 44.2 Biogeography
  • 44.3 Terrestrial Biomes
  • 44.4 Aquatic Biomes
  • 44.5 Climate and the Effects of Global Climate Change
  • 45.1 Population Demography
  • 45.2 Life Histories and Natural Selection
  • 45.3 Environmental Limits to Population Growth
  • 45.4 Population Dynamics and Regulation
  • 45.5 Human Population Growth
  • 45.6 Community Ecology
  • 45.7 Behavioral Biology: Proximate and Ultimate Causes of Behavior
  • 46.1 Ecology of Ecosystems
  • 46.2 Energy Flow through Ecosystems
  • 46.3 Biogeochemical Cycles
  • 47.1 The Biodiversity Crisis
  • 47.2 The Importance of Biodiversity to Human Life
  • 47.3 Threats to Biodiversity
  • 47.4 Preserving Biodiversity
  • A | The Periodic Table of Elements
  • B | Geological Time
  • C | Measurements and the Metric System

Compare and contrast food chains and food webs. What are the strengths of each concept in describing ecosystems?

Describe freshwater, ocean, and terrestrial ecosystems.

Compare grazing and detrital food webs. Why would they both be present in the same ecosystem?

How does the microcosm modeling approach differ from utilizing a holistic model for ecological research?

How do conceptual and analytical models of ecosystems complement each other?

Compare the three types of ecological pyramids and how well they describe ecosystem structure. Identify which ones can be inverted and give an example of an inverted pyramid for each.

How does the amount of food a warm-blooded animal (endotherm) eats relate to its net production efficiency (NPE)?

A study uses an inverted pyramid to demonstrate the relationship between sharks, their aquatic prey, and phytoplankton in an ocean region. What type of pyramid must be used? What does this convey to readers about predation in the area?

Describe what a pyramid of numbers would like if an ecologist models the relationship between bird parasites, blue jays, and oak trees in a hectare. Does this match the energy flow pyramid?

Describe nitrogen fixation and why it is important to agriculture.

What are the factors that cause dead zones? Describe eutrophication, in particular, as a cause.

Why are drinking water supplies still a major concern for many countries?

Discuss how the human disruption of the carbon cycle has caused ocean acidification.

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Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/1-introduction
  • Authors: Mary Ann Clark, Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi
  • Publisher/website: OpenStax
  • Book title: Biology 2e
  • Publication date: Mar 28, 2018
  • Location: Houston, Texas
  • Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/1-introduction
  • Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/46-critical-thinking-questions

© Jan 8, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

IMAGES

  1. Food Chains_ Critical Thinking Questions

    critical thinking questions about food chain

  2. Food Chain Test by Krystle DeSalvio

    critical thinking questions about food chain

  3. Food Chain Worksheet Answers

    critical thinking questions about food chain

  4. Food Chain Comprehension Worksheets

    critical thinking questions about food chain

  5. Here's a set of 100+ question cards on food chains. Available from

    critical thinking questions about food chain

  6. Food Chain and Food Web

    critical thinking questions about food chain

VIDEO

  1. Chapter One @

  2. Ethical Issues in Food and Nutrition

  3. 236

  4. A Lesson For Leaders At The Top Of The Food Chain 👊🏼#shorts #leadership

  5. Bihar board class 12th Biology important questions [ food chain, food web, Commensalism, Mutualism]

  6. Food Chain

COMMENTS

  1. Food Chains and Food Webs Discussion Questions

    Describes how food chains and webs represent feeding relationships in an ecosystem. Food Chains and Food Webs Discussion Questions. A list of student-submitted discussion questions for Food Chains and Food Webs.

  2. Food Chain Essential Questions

    Food Chain essential questions such as these can help guide student thinking and assist students in making connections to the larger concepts the game addresses. Play the game, or visit the lesson ideas page for more teacher tips. Filed as: Essential Questions, Food Chain Game, Science Games. These Food Chain essential questions can help guide ...

  3. Ch. 37 Critical Thinking Questions

    Both food web and food chain describe energy transfer dynamics in an ecosystem. Food chains are linear systems, easier to follow and experiment with whereas food webs are non-linear, accurate and holistic and can be directly used as input for simulation models. 27 . Name one natural and one human-related type of disturbance.

  4. PDF Food Chain Questions

    Food Chain Questions 1. Draw a food chain that shows how a mouse, an owl, and grass are connected. grass --- (eaten by)---> mouse --- (eaten by) ---> owl 2. Explain how plants get their food. Plants make their own food in their leaves. The use sun, air, and water to make their food. 3. Can an animal be a both predator and prey? Explain and give ...

  5. Exploring the Food Chain: A Hands-On Lesson Plan for Students

    Put together a food chain puzzle: Prepare a set of cards with pictures or names of different organisms. Have your students work in pairs or small groups to arrange the cards in the correct order to create a food chain. This will encourage critical thinking and collaboration. 5.

  6. Ch. 7 Critical Thinking Questions

    NAD+ NAD +, an oxidizing agent, can accept electrons from organic molecules and get reduced to NADH 2. NAD+ NAD +, a reducing agent, can donate its electrons and protons to inorganic molecules. 27 . Which statement best explains how electrons are transferred and the role of each species.

  7. Ch. 46 Critical Thinking Questions

    24. Compare the three types of ecological pyramids and how well they describe ecosystem structure. Identify which ones can be inverted and give an example of an inverted pyramid for each. 25. How does the amount of food a warm blooded-animal (endotherm) eats relate to its net production efficiency (NPE)? 26. Describe nitrogen fixation and why ...

  8. Food chains & food webs (article)

    A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another. Let's look at the parts of a typical food chain, starting from the bottom—the producers—and moving upward. At the base of the food chain lie the primary producers.

  9. Food chains & food webs (article)

    Autotrophs form the base of food chains and food webs, and the energy they capture from light or chemicals sustains all the other organisms in the community. When we're talking about their role in food chains, we can call autotrophs producers. Heterotrophs ("other-feeders") such as humans can't capture light or chemical energy to make their ...

  10. Food Chain Fix

    This is the project with an incorrect and mixed-up food chain. Students will need to swap the food chain roles to fix the food chain. Press the green flag button to start the game. The mixed-up food chain is broken into four stages. There is a text box at the beginning of each stage: 1) Producer. 2) Primary Consumer.

  11. Critical Thinking Questions

    Critical Thinking Questions. Resource ID: [email protected] Grade Range: PreK - 12. Sections. Critical Thinking Questions. ... Food chains are linear systems that are relatively easy to follow and use for experiments, where as food webs are non-linear, accurate and holistic and can be directly used as input for simulation models. ...

  12. PDF Ocean Food Chain

    Ocean Food Chain Connecting kids and animals, strengthening families, and inspiring people to care. Who Eats What? Practice your students' critical thinking skills as they learn about the food chain in the oceans. Marine animals eat plants and animals they find nearby. Phytoplankton make their own food, and they are eaten by zooplankton.

  13. Critical Thinking Skill of Students on Food Chain Topic and Its

    The pooled effect size showed problem-based learning was able to improve nursing students' critical thinking (overall critical thinking scores SMD=0.33, 95%CI=0.13-0.52, P=0.0009), compared with ...

  14. Understanding Food Webs and Food Chains

    Example Question #4 : Understanding Food Webs And Food Chains Plants, which are capable of primary production via photosynthesis, are the base of many global food webs. However, this is an inefficient process relative to how much total solar energy is available.

  15. Food Chains Reading Comprehension Passage with Questions

    The comprehension questions prompt critical thinking and encourage students to reflect on the significance of food chains and food webs in ecosystem dynamics. Included in this resource: Informative passage on food chains; Thoughtful comprehension questions to assess understanding; Prompts for further discussion or extension activities

  16. PDF Critical Thinking Skill of Students on Food Chain Topic and Its

    The interest of students was only categorized into 4 group of scores (0.00; 33.00; 66.00 and 100.00). Moreover, here is the detail of the number of students on each score categories of the interest of learning food chain: (1) 8 students obtained 00.00; (2) 8 students gained 33.00; (3) 12 students acquired 66.00; and (4) 37 students achieved the ...

  17. Food Chains And Webs Worksheets

    What's eating you? Food webs represent the complicated relationships between living things in an ecosystem. These science worksheets examine food chains and food webs. Worksheet #1 Worksheet #2. Worksheet #3.

  18. Higher order thinking questions for food chain and food web

    Distinguish Distinguish between a food web and a food chain. Give examples of animals included in both. Predict Predict the animal ecology of the tropical rain forest. Explain Explain why threats to the environment cause changes in the ecosystem. Construct Construct a model of a

  19. 3 Research Questions Could Hold the Key to Sustainable Eating

    Pervasive exploitation in the food chain can function to make certain foods cheap, while also preventing workers from being able to afford healthy diets themselves. And unfortunately, this isn't a challenge unique to workers in the food chain. Many US households are already struggling to afford a healthy—let alone sustainable—diet.

  20. Food Webs and Food Chains for Kids

    Food Web. A food web is a model made of intersecting food chains. Photosynthesis. A process by which plants use sunlight to make sugar from carbon dioxide and water. Producer. A living thing (almost always a plant) that takes energy from the sun and make its own food. They are found in the first level of a food web.

  21. | CK-12 Foundation

    FlexBook Platform®, FlexBook®, FlexLet® and FlexCard™ are registered trademarks of CK-12 Foundation.

  22. Ch. 46 Critical Thinking Questions

    26. Compare and contrast food chains and food webs. What are the strengths of each concept in describing ecosystems? 27. Describe freshwater, ocean, and terrestrial ecosystems. 28. Compare grazing and detrital food webs. Why would they both be present in the same ecosystem? 29.

  23. Food Chains

    Marvel as our dogged duo taunts bears in the name of science! Gasp as you learn the difference between producers, consumers, and decomposers! Best of all, you'll learn your place in the giant food web that is planet Earth. The BrainPOP Food Chain movie: good for cannibals, omnivores, and vegans alike!