Food Chain Safari Slides Science Safari • Grade 3–4 Living Things & Energy
What is a Food Chain?
How energy travels from the Sun to plants and animals.
1. The Sun
Gives energy
2. Plants
Make food
3. Animals
Eat food
1. Everything Starts with the Sun!
Step 1
The Sun Gives Energy
The Sun shines on Earth every day.
The Sun gives light and warmth .
Say it together:
"The Sun gives energy to plants."
Sunlight
Nature's Power Source
Without the Sun, plants cannot grow!
2. Producers: Plants Make Food
Step 2
What is a Producer?
A producer is a plant that makes its own food .
PRODUCE = TO MAKE
Sentence Frame:
"Plants are producers because they make food."
Examples of Producers:
Green Grass
Oak Tree
Flower
Apple Tree
Plants use sunlight + water to make food!
3. Consumers: Animals Eat Food
Step 3
What is a Consumer?
Animals cannot make their own food.
They must eat (consume) other living things!
CONSUME = TO EAT
Sentence Frame:
"Animals are consumers because they eat food."
Are humans consumers?
YES!
You are a consumer! You eat apples, bread, and chicken for energy.
• Rabbits • Birds • Lions
All animals are consumers!
Two Kinds of Consumers
Word Match
Herbivore
Eats Plants Only
Animals that eat grass, leaves, seeds, and fruits.
Examples: Caterpillar, Rabbit, Deer, Zebra
Carnivore
Eats Meat Only
Animals that hunt and eat other animals.
Examples: Hawk, Wolf, Shark, Frog
Helpful Clue: Herb = Plant | Carn = Meat
The Arrow Rule: Where Does Energy Go?
Secret Rule
Wrong Way
Fox ➔ Rabbit
The fox does not give food to the rabbit!
Correct Way!
Rabbit ➔ Fox
The rabbit gives energy into the fox's tummy!
Safari Chant:
"The arrow ➔ means: GIVES ENERGY TO!"
Practice: Build a Food Chain!
Team Work
Read the chain together from left to right:
Sun
Energy Source
Grass
Producer
Rabbit
Herbivore
Fox
Carnivore
Sun ➔ Grass ➔ Rabbit ➔ Fox
"The grass gets energy from the Sun . The rabbit gets energy from the grass . The fox gets energy from the rabbit ."
Decomposers: Nature's Cleaners
Recyclers
What do they do?
Decomposers break down dead leaves and plants.
They turn dead things into healthy soil !
Remember:
"Decomposers clean the Earth and help new plants grow."
Our Nature Cleaners:
Earthworms
Mushrooms
Now let's practice on your Safari Worksheet!
Food Chain Safari Teacher Guide ENL / Multilingual Learner Guide • Grades 3–4
Food Chain Safari Teacher Guide
Scaffolded life science lesson for emerging English learners (WIDA Levels 1–3).
Grade 3–4 ENL • 45–50 Mins
NGSS: 3-LS2-1 • 5-LS2-1
Content Objective
Students will identify the Sun, producers (plants), and consumers (animals), and sequence organisms in a 3- or 4-step food chain showing energy flow.
Language Objective (WIDA)
Students will use the sentence frame: "The [organism] gives energy to the [animal]" and orally classify living things using visual cards and gestures.
Core Vocabulary & Spanish Cognate Bridge
Producer Plant makes food Sp: Productor
Consumer Animal eats food Sp: Consumidor
Carnivore Meat eater Sp: Carnívoro
Energy Power to live/grow Sp: Energía
Time & Stage
Teacher Action & TPR Scaffold
Student Action & Talk
Warm-Up (8 min)
Display Slides 1–2. Model the "Sun Circle" arm gesture. Chant: "The Sun gives energy!"
Students repeat chant with arms in large circle overhead.
Visual Teach (12 min)
Present Slides 3–6. Teach Producer = Makes vs Consumer = Eats . Show the Arrow Chant.
Choral repetition using thumbs pointing into the mouth ("Gives energy to").
Guided Chain (10 min)
Slide 7. Model building Sun → Grass → Rabbit → Fox on board with magnetic cards.
Partner talk: "Who gets the energy?" Partner points and responds.
Worksheet (15 min)
Distribute Food Chain Safari Worksheet. Walk around; assist with drawing and word matching.
Complete matching, trace arrows, and sketch own 3-step food chain.
Exit Check (5 min)
Call on volunteer pairs to share their drawn food chain using sentence frame.
Complete Part 6 quick exit questions.
Food Chain Safari • ENL Teacher Guide Page 1 of 2
Instructional Supports
TPR Gestures & Language Scaffolds
Teacher Reference
Total Physical Response (TPR) Movement Routine
1. The Sun Gesture
Raise both arms above your head in a big circle. Say aloud: "The Sun gives light and energy!"
2. Producer Gesture
Crouch down low, then slowly reach upward wiggling fingers like leaves growing. Say:
Food Chain Safari Worksheet Grade 3–4 Science • Food Chains
Food Chain Safari Worksheet
Name:
Date:
Remember: Arrow (→ ) = Gives Energy To!
1 Match the Word to the Picture (Write letter A, B, C, or D)
[A] Producer
[B] Herbivore
[C] Carnivore
[D] Decomposer
Green Grass
Uses sunlight to make food.
Rabbit
Eats green grass and leaves.
Wolf
Hunts and eats other animals.
Earthworm
Breaks down dead leaves into soil.
2 Draw the Energy Arrow (→)
Draw an arrow (→) inside each green circle to show where the energy goes.
Green Leaf
Caterpillar
Field Mouse
Barn Owl
Sentence Frame: The arrow points to the animal that (eats / sleeps).
3 Order the Meadow Food Chain
Use the words from the Word Bank to put the food chain in order from 1 to 4:
• Hawk • Sun • Grasshopper • Grass
1. Energy Source
Shines bright
2. Producer
Plant makes food
3. Herbivore
Eats plant
4. Carnivore
Eats bug
Draw an arrow (→) between each box to connect your chain!
Food Chain Safari • Student Practice (ENL) Page 1 of 2
Field Investigation Continued
Build Your Food Chain
Name:
4 Ocean Food Chain: Number from 1 to 3
Write 1 for the Producer, 2 for the Plant-Eater, and 3 for the Meat-Eater:
Big Shark
Eats small fish
Seaweed
Makes food with sunlight
Small Fish
Nibbles on seaweed
Complete the sentence: The small fish gives energy to the .
5 Draw Your Own Food Chain!
Draw a picture of each living thing inside the box. Write the name on the line below. Don't forget your arrows!
1. Plant (Producer)
Name:
2. Plant Eater
Name:
3. Meat Eater
Name:
Draw an arrow (→) from Box 1 to Box 2, and from Box 2 to Box 3!
6 Quick Exit Check
Food Chain Safari Answer Key ENL Scoring Guide • Grades 3–4
Food Chain Safari Answer Key
Quick-check grading answers and language scoring notes.
Total Score: 20 Points
Grade 3–4 Level
1 Part 1: Match Word to Picture (4 Points • 1 pt each)
Green Grass (Uses sunlight) [A] Producer
Rabbit (Eats grass) [B] Herbivore
Wolf (Eats other animals) [C] Carnivore
Earthworm (Breaks down leaves) [D] Decomposer
2 Part 2: Draw the Energy Arrow (3 Points)
Green Leaf → Caterpillar
Field Mouse → Barn Owl
Sentence Frame Answer: The arrow points to the animal that eats .
3 Part 3: Meadow Chain Order Key (4 Points)
1. Energy Source Sun
2. Producer Grass
3. Herbivore Grasshopper
4. Carnivore Hawk
Full Sequence: Sun → Grass → Grasshopper → Hawk
Food Chain Safari Scoring Guide • ENL Key Page 1 of 2
Scoring Guide • Part 2
Ocean, Student Drawing & Exit Check Key
Missions 4–6 Key
4 Part 4: Ocean Food Chain Key (4 Points)
Seaweed #1 (Producer)
Small Fish #2 (Plant Eater)
Big Shark #3 (Meat Eater)
Sentence Answer: The small fish gives energy to the Big Shark .
5 Part 5: Student Drawn Chain Rubric (3 Points)
Exemplar Chain 1 (Garden/Farm): Carrot (Plant) → Rabbit (Plant Eater) → Fox (Meat Eater)
Exemplar Chain 2 (Field): Corn (Plant) → Mouse (Plant Eater) → Owl (Meat Eater)
Grading Rubric:
1 pt for starting with a plant/producer.
1 pt for a realistic animal consumer sequence.
1 pt for drawing correct energy arrows (→) between drawings.
6 Part 6: Quick Exit Check Key (2 Points)
1. All plants need light from the Sun to grow. (1 pt)
2. Animals eat plants and other animals to get Energy . (1 pt)
Food Chain Safari Scoring Guide • ENL Key Page 2 of 2
