Teacher Resources. Pyramid of Energy. Answer Key. Teacher Prep Student Setup Concept Level Cleanup. Individual student 10 minutes

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1 Teacher Resources Edit File QUICK LAB Pyramid of Energy Individual student 10 minutes MATERIALS For each student none LAB RATINGS Teacher Prep Student Setup Concept Level Cleanup 7.5C diagram the flow of energy through living systems, including food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids TEACHER NOTES In this activity, students will examine the sources of energy in a common farm community. They will evaluate how the energy flows through the community using food chains, a food web, and an energy pyramid. Student Tip If you have difficulty thinking of other organisms in the farm community, brainstorm this question in small groups. Skills Focus Organizing Data, Drawing Conclusions MODIFICATION FOR Ask students to explore what types of events cause imbalances in the relationships between consumers and producers (drought, disease, etc). Have students formulate an explanation based on their research. Students should then develop a model that communicates their explanation. Students should include both quantitative and qualitative data as support. Answer Key 2. sun potatoes farmer; sun carrots farmer; sun peas farmer; sun corn farmer; sun corn chicken farmer; sun apple farmer 3. Check students food webs to make sure the connections are correct. ScienceFusion 432 Unit 6, Lesson 3

2 Teacher Resources 4. Check students energy pyramids to make sure the organisms are placed correctly. The base of the pyramid should contain the primary producers: potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, and apple. The next level up should contain the chicken and any other organisms such as birds or insects that the students added to their food web. There are no secondary consumers in this scenario unless students have added them to their food webs. The peak should contain the top-level consumer, which is the farmer. 5. the sun 6. Sample answer: A sustainable community requires more producers than consumers because each producer uses energy for life processes, so there is less energy available to the consumer that eats them. A community that contains more consumers than producers will collapse because of the lack of available energy. Teacher Prompt When an herbivore eats plants, where does all that energy go? Sample answer: Most of the energy is used by the herbivore for life processes. 7. Sample answer: The base of the pyramid represents the most available energy. The peak represents the least amount of available energy. 8. Sample answer: A pyramid is used because the shape represents less and less available energy as you move to the top-level consumers. A rectangular pyramid would represent the same amount of energy at all levels and this does not accurately model the available energy in a community. ScienceFusion 433 Unit 6, Lesson 3

3 QUICK LAB Pyramid of Energy In this activity, you will diagram and study how energy moves through living systems in a common farm community. PROCEDURE A local farmer prepares a chicken stew for dinner using only ingredients from her farm. The meal contains potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, chicken, and an apple. You will diagram the flow of energy through the living systems using food chains, a food web, and an energy pyramid. Draw a food chain for each item in the meal that diagrams the flow of energy through the living systems. Make sure that you include the farmer in the food chains. Assume that the chicken gets its energy consuming corn grown on the farm. OBJECTIVES Develop food chains, a food web, and an energy pyramid. Describe the flow of energy through living systems. MATERIALS none Use your food chains to draw a food web diagramming the flow of energy through the living systems in the farm community. Add additional organisms that are likely present in the community such as birds and insects. ScienceFusion 434 Unit 6, Lesson 3

4 An energy pyramid is a model used to represent energy flow in a community. The energy pyramid is drawn with a large base that represents primary producers. The second level drawn represents primary consumers. The third level represents secondary consumers. The peak represents tertiary consumers. Use your food chains and food web to diagram an energy pyramid that represents the flow of energy through this farm community. Examine your food chains. What is the initial source of energy for all of the food chains? Examine your food chains and your energy pyramid. Why are there more producers than consumers? ScienceFusion 435 Unit 6, Lesson 3

5 Redraw your food pyramid and food web, but this time only use the labels primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers. Which area represents the most available energy in the community? Which area represents the least amount of available energy in the community? Explain why a pyramid is used to model the flow of energy in a community instead of a box-shaped rectangular prism. ScienceFusion 436 Unit 6, Lesson 3