Title: “The Great Food Chain Challenge”

Objective: To help Year 11 students understand food chains and food webs through a fun and interactive task.

Materials needed: 1. Index cards or small pieces of paper 2. Markers or pens 3. Sticky notes 4. A large open space (such as a classroom or outdoor area)

Instructions:

1. Introduction (5 minutes):
   • Begin by explaining the concept of food chains and food webs to the students. Emphasize that these concepts help us understand the flow of energy and the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem.
   • Provide examples of different organisms and their roles in a food chain or food web.
2. Group Formation (2 minutes):
   • Divide the students into small groups of 4-5 members each.
3. Food Chain Creation (10 minutes):
   • Distribute index cards or small pieces of paper to each group.
   • Instruct each group to create a food chain by writing the name of an organism on each card. They should include at least four organisms, starting with a producer (e.g., plants) and ending with a top predator (e.g., lion).
   • Encourage creativity and diversity in their food chains.
4. Food Web Connection (10 minutes):
   • After completing their food chains, ask each group to connect their food chains with other groups to form a food web.
   • Provide sticky notes to each group and ask them to write down the connections between their food chains and other groups’ food chains.
   • Encourage students to think about the interactions and dependencies between different organisms.
5. Food Chain Challenge (15 minutes):
   • Designate a large open space as the “ecosystem” area.
   • Ask each group to stand in a different area of the ecosystem, representing their respective organisms in the food web.
   • Explain that the challenge is to maintain the balance of the ecosystem by demonstrating the flow of energy through the food web.
   • Start the challenge by randomly removing one organism from the ecosystem (e.g., a predator or prey).
   • Instruct the students to adjust their positions accordingly to reflect the impact of the missing organism on the food web.
   • Continue removing organisms and observe how the ecosystem adapts and changes.
6. Reflection and Discussion (8 minutes):
   • Gather the students and facilitate a discussion about the challenges faced during the activity.
   • Ask questions such as:
     • How did the removal of one organism affect the rest of the food web?
     • What did you learn about the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem?
     • How does this activity relate to real-life ecosystems?
7. Conclusion (2 minutes):
   • Summarize the key takeaways from the activity and emphasize the importance of understanding food chains and food webs in ecological studies.

Note: The time allocated for each section can be adjusted based on the available class time.