Teaching food web concepts
In this online PD session recorded on 19 November 2015, primary school teacher Candy Hart describes how she adapted resources from the Science Learning Hub to teach her year 7 and 8 students concepts about food webs.
Candy built on her students’ understanding of food webs by asking students to transfer their learning by applying it to their local environment – quite different from the Hub’s marine example.
I have also used the articles in reading. I love the scientific vocabulary they learn.
This PLD session was based on the legacy Science Learning Hub however all the resources are still available on the new-look Science Learning Hub site.
Food webs
This is a recording of the online webinar looking at how the hubs resources can be adapted when looking at food webs.
Barb Ryan also introduces other SLH resources related to food webs.
See links above to view the video of this professional development session (we recommend downloading the video) and also links to download the PowerPoint presentation.
Nature of science
Students are given the opportunity to explore issues within food web ecosystems (changes to the environment or within the food web) and to make decisions about possible implications and actions.
My kids have been making arrows to add to a poster of a food web and are then going to teach the lesson to another group within the class. They love the fact they are teaching others.
| Topic | PowerPoint slide number(s) | Video timecode |
|---|---|---|
About the Science Learning Hub and introducing the speaker | 1–7 | 00:00 |
Introducing Candy Hart | 8–9 | 00:58 |
Candy using SLH resources – Life in the Sea | 10 | 02:03 |
Using a food web image on an interactive whiteboard | 11–12 | 02:35 |
Learning about the food web through the Marine ecosystem interactive | 13–14 | 04:15 |
Science information for teachers and students | 15 | 07:01 |
Video – Understanding food webs | 16 | 08:33 |
A closer look at a student activity – Build a marine food web | 17–23 | 11:22 |
What Candy’s students did with this resource | 24–25 | 13:37 |
Transferring the knowledge | 26–27 | 16:39 |
Other SLH resources/student activities on food webs | 28–31 | 20:20 |
Video – Impact of freshwater on cockles | 32 | 27:23 |
Order promotional material, SLH links, thanks | 33–34 | 31:14 |
Activity idea
In this activity, Making a food web, students construct a food web using string to show connections between species.
Useful link
Check out this collection of food web related resources we curated on Pinterest.
Integration of e-learning tools
Candy is an intermediate teacher of a year 7 and 8 class. She adapted the Science Learning Hub Marine food web activity by providing an additional context to add complexity for her students to explore and apply what they had learned. The big idea for focus was the interdependence of organisms within an ecosystem, with an emphasis on how humans impact the natural balance of nature. She discusses what went well and what she would change if she did this science unit again.
