Sun to Snack Slides Science Explorer Life Science • Step by Step
Unit: Living Things
☀️ ➜ 🌱 ➜ 🐛 ➜ 🐦
Sun to Snack!
How Energy Moves from the Sun Through Plants and Animals
1 Sun gives energy
➜
2 Plants make food
➜
3 Animals eat food
Question What is a Food Chain?
Step 1 of 5
⚡
Energy Flow
Every living thing needs energy to live, grow, and move!
A food chain shows who eats what to get that energy.
👀 Key Rule to Remember:
➜
The arrow means:
"GIVES ENERGY TO"
The arrow points to the tummy that gets full!
💡 Teacher Tip: Have students make an arrow motion with their arm pointing to their belly!
Start Here The Sun: Source of All Energy
Step 2 of 5
☀️
The Sun
Super Power: Light & Heat
1️⃣
Food Chains ALWAYS Start with the Sun
Without sunshine, no plants can grow on Earth.
2️⃣
The Sun Feeds the Plants
Sunlight shines down on green leaves every morning.
☀️ ➜ Sunlight shines into green plants!
🗣️ Say it out loud: "The Sun gives power to everyone!"
Role 1 Producers: The Plant Makers
Step 3 of 5
Vocabulary Word
PRODUCER = Plant that makes its own food
Plants do not need to go to the grocery store. They catch sunshine!
🌱
Green Grass
Drinks rain & sun
🌻
Sunflower
Grows sweet seeds
🌿
Pond Weed
Makes food underwater
🌱 Plants are ALWAYS right after the Sun in a food chain!
Role 2 Consumers: The Animal Eaters
Step 4 of 5
Part A 🐛 🐰
Plant Eaters (Herbivores)
These animals only munch on green leaves, stems, seeds, and plants.
Examples:
Caterpillar, Bunny, Grasshopper
Part B 🐦 🦊
Meat Eaters (Carnivores)
These animals hunt other animals to get their fuel and energy.
Examples:
Bird, Frog, Fox, Hawk
Animals cannot make food from sunshine—they MUST eat other living things!
Model Putting the Chain Together
Step 5 of 5
Read from Left to Right: Follow the Arrows!
1. Energy Source
☀️
Sun
Gives light
2. Producer
🌱
Plant
Makes food
3. Herbivore
🐛
Caterpillar
Eats leaf
4. Carnivore
🐦
Robin Bird
Eats bug
gives energy to ➜ gives energy to ➜ gives energy to ➜
Ready for practice? Let's check our understanding together!
Quick Quiz Who Goes First?
Whole Class Practice
Which one starts EVERY food chain? Point your finger!
🪨
A. Rock
Not living
☀️
B. The Sun
⭐ Shines energy!
🦊
C. Fox
Carnivore
✂️ Next Activity: Cut and Paste Your Own Food Chain!
Get Your Scissors & Glue Ready
Food Chain Builder Activity Hands-On Lab Special Education • Life Science
Name:
Date:
Food Chain Builder Mat
Cut the cards from Page 2. Paste them in order from energy source to predator!
✂️ ➜ 🧴 ➜ ⭐
A
Chain 1: Sunny Garden Chain
Habitat: Backyard Garden
1. Energy Source
☀️
Paste the Sun here
Gives energy ➜
2. Producer
🌱
Paste the Plant here
Gives energy ➜
3. Herbivore
🐛
Paste Plant Eater
Gives energy ➜
4. Carnivore
🐦
Paste Meat Eater
Chain Complete!
B
Chain 2: Fresh Pond Chain
Habitat: Quiet Pond
1. Energy Source
☀️
Paste the Sun here
Gives energy ➜
2. Producer
🌿
Paste Water Plant
Gives energy ➜
3. Herbivore
🐟
Paste Small Fish
Gives energy ➜
4. Carnivore
🐸
Paste Bullfrog
Chain Complete!
✅ Student Check: Did your chains start with the Sun?
Yes! Need help
✂️
Cutout Cards Station
Page 2: Cut along the dotted lines
📌 Tip for Helpers: Use thick lines for easy cutting. Each card fits directly onto Page 1!
☀️
Energy Source
The Sun
Gives warm sunlight to plants.
☀️
Energy Source
The Sun
Powers the pond habitat.
🍃
Producer
Green Leaf
Catches sun to grow big.
🪷
Producer
Pond Lily
Floats on water in the sun.
🐛
Herbivore
Caterpillar
Munches green leaf leaves.
🐟
Herbivore
Little Minnow
Nibbles tiny pond plants.
🐦
Carnivore
Songbird
Eats crawling caterpillars.
🐸
Carnivore
Bullfrog
Snaps up swimming fish.
🦗
Herbivore (Choice)
Grasshopper
Chomps on garden grass.
🦊
Apex Hunter
Red Fox
Chases small animals.
✂️ Cut out each rectangle carefully. Keep extra cards in your science folder!
Chain Matchmaker Worksheet Guided Practice Science Skill: Food Chain Roles
Name:
Date:
Food Chain Matchmaker
Let's practice together! Follow each step to trace the energy flow.
🌱 ➜ 🐰 ➜ 🦊
1 Part A: Circle the PRODUCER (Plant that makes food)
Choose 1
Look at the 3 pictures below. Draw a big circle around the one that is a plant!
🐰
Rabbit
Animal
🌻
Sunflower
Plant
🦊
Fox
Animal
2 Part B: Draw the Energy Arrow ( ➜ )
Arrow points to who receives energy
Draw an arrow ➜ from the food to the eater in each pair.
☀️
The Sun
Gives warm light
Draw ➜ here
Green Grass
Grows tall
🌱
🌱
Green Grass
Producer
Draw ➜ here
Caterpillar
Plant Eater
🐛
3 Part C: Draw a Line to Match
Connect the pairs
☀️
1. The Sun
Warm star
🌿
2. Pond Weed
Green plant
🐸
3. Frog
Jumps & eats
A. Producer (Makes food)
B. Consumer (Eats food)
C. Energy Source (Shines)
Great job practicing! Turn to Page 2 for your Check for Understanding.
Check for Understanding Exit Ticket Assessment
Name:
Score:
Show What You Know!
Answer the 3 questions below to prove you are a Food Chain Champion!
⭐ 🏆 ⭐
1 Where does all energy in a food chain start?
Fill in the bubble
☀️
The Sun
Choice A
🪨
A Heavy Rock
Choice B
🚗
A Toy Car
Choice C
2 Write 1, 2, and 3 to show the correct order:
1 = First, 2 = Second, 3 = Third
🐰
Rabbit
☀️
The Sun
🍀
Green Clover
3 Build Your Own 3-Step Chain!
Draw pictures or write words
Fill the 3 boxes below in order.
1. Energy Source
Label:
2. Producer (Plant)
Label:
3. Consumer (Animal)
Label:
🌟 Teacher Feedback: [ ] Independent [ ] Visual Prompts [ ] 1:1 Support
Goal Met: Yes / In Progress
Food Chain Helper Guide Teacher & Para Guide Special Education • Life Science
Target: Grades K–5 SpEd / Resource • Time: 45–60 min
Sun to Snack Facilitation Guide
Instructional pacing, SpEd accommodations, tiered prompting, and answer keys.
📋 💡 🎯
1 Instructional Flow (I Do • We Do • You Do)
Pacing: 45 Minutes
10 min I Do (Slides)
Present slides 1–6. Emphasize the rule: "Arrow points to the tummy that gets energy!" Model arm-to-belly motion.
20 min We Do (Cut & Paste)
Use Food Chain Builder Mat. Guide students to identify the Sun first, then find the green plant producer.
15 min You Do (Worksheet)
Students complete Chain Matchmaker. Use Page 2 as an exit ticket to assess baseline IEP mastery.
2 IEP Accommodations & Assistive Modifications
Universal Design
✂️ Fine Motor / Grip
Pre-cut cards into strips for single-snip completion.
Use loop / spring-assisted scissors.
Attach velcro dots or tape loops to cards for reuse.
👀 Visual & Color Support
Color-match tags: Yellow = Sun, Green = Plant, Blue = Bug/Fish.
Fold worksheet in half to reduce visual clutter.
Use a highlighter to spotlight arrow directions.
🗣️ Speech & Non-Verbal
Accept pointing / eye gaze to select cards.
AAC Device: program buttons for "Sun", "Plant", "Eats".
Pair with physical organism toy figures if available.
3 Least-to-Most Prompting Script
Support Scaffolding
Level 1: Independent "Look at your board. What goes in box number 1?"
Level 2: Indirect Verbal "Remember our chant: who gives energy to the plants?"
Level 3: Direct Visual/Point Point to the yellow Sun card: "Does this start the chain?"
Level 4: Hand-under-Hand Guide student hand to place the card in the dashed box.
4 Master Answer Key
Quick Reference
Activity Mat Sequences:
Chain A (Garden):
Chain B (Pond):
Worksheet Answers (Pages 1 & 2):
Part A: Circle Sunflower 🌻 (Producer)
Part B: Sun ➜ Grass; Grass ➜ Caterpillar
Part C: 1 ➜ C, 2 ➜ A, 3 ➜ B
Exit Ticket: Q1 = Choice A (Sun ☀️) • Q2 = 1 under Sun, 2 under Clover, 3 under Rabbit • Q3 = Any valid 3-step chain
IEP Progress Monitoring Tip: Record whether student required Level 1, 2, 3, or 4 prompts on their IEP data sheet.
