Trophic Interactions
Activity - Classroom
Grades3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8Biology
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Earth Cubs
What it is
- This slide deck from Earth Cubs defines trophic interactions and related terms, giving examples from coral reefs.
- Students will understand different categories of producers and consumers and how they interact with each other.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This presentation uses bright colors and images to keep students engaged.
- Vocabulary terms are bolded, making them easily identifiable.
Prerequisites
- Students should already have a basic idea about food chains and food webs.
- Students may be unfamiliar with some of the organisms mentioned as examples. Teachers may want to introduce these organisms ahead of time.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Before beginning the presentation, teachers can provide students with 10 notecards. As teachers introduce new vocabulary words, they can pause for students to fill out one of the notecards. Students can also draw pictures to help them remember what the term means.
- To make connections to climate change, teachers can explain how climate change is impacting species and making it so there are fewer of those species. Students can then discuss how ecosystems function to support all life on Earth.
- This resource was designed to connect to the Sustainable Development Goals. Teachers can connect this to SDG 14, Life Below Water, and can also extend the lesson to talk about trophic interactions on land to connect to SDG 15, Life on Land.
- As an extension, students may enjoy this hands-on activity to make connections between food webs and communities.
From the scientist review
This short presentation discusses trophic interactions in a coral reef. It defines each of the types and groups of organisms, and then provides an example from a coral reef. Links to related coral reefs and related topics are available below the presentation. These topics help students understand how our world is interconnected. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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