Food Chains
Videos
Grades2, 3, 4, 5Science
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Crash Course Kids
What it is
- This 16-minute compilation video from Crash Course Kids talks about eating, explains how eating is common to all living things, and explores food chains, habitats, energy in food chains, and ecosystems.
- Students will understand the basics of how organisms are related to each other via the transfer of energy, how animals are suited to their habitats, and how plants make their own food.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Students will enjoy the presence of familiar characters' images from SpongeBob, Animal Crossing, and other media.
- The video is conveniently time-stamped to help teachers select specific sections depending on their needs.
Prerequisites
- Students should have a general understanding of the difference between plants and animals and what each requires to survive.
- You can slow down the playback speed for younger learners and pause the video between sections to reinforce the concepts covered.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can perform the plant experiment by monitoring two seeds, giving one of them plant fertilizer. Teachers may want to do this before students watch the video, so students can form their own hypotheses.
- This is a compilation, so teachers can show isolated segments of the video depending on their needs. Alternatively, this video as a whole can be used to review or introduce concepts from an ecosystem or food chain unit.
- To make connections to climate change, teachers can have students consider how climate change impacts animals' habitats. This unit plan can help explain these impacts.
- Teachers can use this resource to make connections to Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life Below Water, and Goal 15, Life on Land.
From the scientist review
This resource details the flow of energy in ecosystems through food chains and food webs. The focus throughout is on asking questions, investigating, and drawing conclusions. All key terms are clearly defined. This resource presents a nuanced look at food webs and habitats and is recommended for teaching.
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