The Feeding Frenzy : Seasonal Upwelling (6-8)
Overview of the box
Concepts and Standards
Lessons:
1 Marine food webs &
energy flow
Activities:
1 Making algae grow.
2 Ocean surfaces over time
3 Research a marine organism
4 Introduction to
marine food web
5 Marine food webs
6 Class marine food web
2 Primary production
& upwelling
3 Seasonal upwelling
4 An assessment:
Read all about it!
Online resources
Student Web Page
Teaching Boxes Home
Lesson 1: Marine Food Webs and Energy Flow

Activity 5

Marine Food Webs

Materials / Preparation

  • Pages from Coastal Ecosystem Curriculum Food Web:
    The Production/Grazing/Predation Game begins on page 13 and the board pieces are available on pages 19-22.
    Note:     This is a document that requires Adobe Reader to open. Also, you may see two differing sets of page numbers in the document. The page numbers given here refer to the numbers printed at the bottom of the pages.
  • For each student:
    A copy of the Population Dynamics Game Student Worksheet and questions found on pages 17 and 18
  • For each group:
    6 game boards (page of nutrients) found on page 22
    6 pages of each trophic level copied onto colored pages (pages 19, 20, 21)
    Stop watch
    Scissors

Grouping

Groups of four

Teacher tips

Remember to have students observe the results of their Making Algae Grow experiments and to make notes in the appropriate tables.

Read background information on page 13 of Coastal Ecosystem Curriculum Food Web prior to beginning the activity with your students.

Follow the instructions as printed. The Production/Grazing/Predation Game is a hands-on activity that summarizes the information about marine food webs learned in Activities 1-3. Students really investigate the dynamics of a marine food web with three trophic levels. The difference between this food web and the previous ones is that this game shows the important relationship between phytoplankton and krill.

Laminating the board pieces beforehand will make them last longer.

Procedures

  1. Introduce the Production/ Grazing/ Predation game from Coastal Ecosystem Curriculum Food Web (page 13) and explain the directions.
    a. Pass out all of the materials that students will need to play the game.
    b. Go through one sample round together to make sure that students understand the directions. Give the students the board pieces and the data chart sheets.
  2. Have students play round 1 and record their data.
    a. All class data should be gathered on the board and students can record the class average on their record sheets.
    b. Assign groups to play a second round of the game, assigning them to either round 2A, 2B, or 2C.
    c. Following the second round, again record class data so that all students will have information for all four rounds.
    d. Have students graph the data.
  3. Have a class discussion about the results shown on the graphs. Which animals represent which trophic level? What factors influence the change in size in the different populations?

Homework

Answer the questions on the worksheet in full sentences. Remember to give evidence to support your opinions.

Resources used

Coastal Ecosystem Curriculum Food Web
http://www.teachingboxes.org/catalog.jsp?id=DLESE-000-000-008-915

Making Algae Grow
http://www.teachingboxes.org/upwelling/lessons/lesson1_supplement/MakingAlgaeGrow.pdf

up