Welcome Ms. Birdsall's Fourth Grade Class!
Let's discover what ecosystems and food chains are by looking at some
examples of places, animals and sounds!

First, let's think about what are the elements that create an ecosystem.
An ecosystem is a habitat for living and nonliving things. Ecosystems are filled with different populations that put together, create a community of species.

Our earth has many types of ecosystems that all have their own food webs. We will discover how some of them work and why certain species live in some and not others.

These species can be put into three categories: producers, consumers and decomposers. They all have different roles to play in the inner workings of our planet, and it is important for species not to become extinct because it will throw off the balance of the food cycle.

This will lead us to learn about adaptation and some relationships between predators and prey.

Fun Facts about our ecosystem!
- There are over 100,000 types of decomposers!
- Squirrels, which are omnivores, are neither at the bottom or the top of the food chain. Since the feed from producers as well as primary consumers, one could say that they occupy two layers in the pyramid.

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Click Here for a printable handout that will test what the students know before you begin. The answer key is included at the end of the document.