Engaging energy pyramids activity! Students construct their own real-world food web using provided organism pictures and information. They follow up their food web construction by adding the organisms to an energy pyramid and answering analysis questions.
Two versions to pick from! This activity includes an activity for an OCEAN food web as well as an activity for an EASTERN FOREST food web.
To complete this activity, students will need prior knowledge of the following terms: food web, food chain, energy pyramid, heterotroph, autotroph, carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore.
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In this activity, students will:
- Cut out organism cards.
- Analyze diets. Students read each organism’s description and highlight what each one eats.
- Color-code by role. Students outline cards with different colors based on ecological function (producer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore).
- Arrange feeding relationships. Students physically lay out the cards to show how organisms connect in the ecosystem.
- Draw energy flow arrows. Students add arrows pointing from food source to consumer to show all feeding relationships.
- Create an energy pyramid. Students organize the organisms into trophic levels on a pyramid diagram, labeling each level.
- Complete analysis worksheet. Students answer questions about classifying organisms (autotrophs, heterotrophs, carnivores, etc.), energy flow and trophic levels, and ecosystem disruption scenarios.
This resource includes:
- 11 Bio cards and line drawings for forest ecosystem organisms
- Instructions for constructing a food web
- Blank energy pyramid for students to complete based on their food web
- Worksheet with follow-up analysis questions
- Teacher notes
Teacher Notes:
- Answer keys are always included.
- This energy pyramids activity is not editable.
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