Web of Life – Aquatic (1 hour)

Learn about the interactions of the pond ecosystem. Live and mounted animals will help students learn about producers, consumers and decomposers. A hands-on food web activity will “wrap up” the program.

The aquatic ecosystem is the focus of this program. Students seated in chairs arranged in a half circle will learn about the energy flows and food chains associated with an ecosystem. Emphasis will be placed on the role producers, (green plants), consumers (animals), and decomposers (bacteria and fungi) play in the ecosystem. Mounted mammals, birds andfish, live reptiles, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates will illustrate the unique adaptations that each animal group possesses and how these qualities enhance their own individual survival within their trophic level.    A fun interactive food web activity with each student playing a different role, (algae, zooplankton, bass, snapping turtle, otter etc.) in their own “classroom” aquatic ecosystem will help the students understand the intricacies of energy flow and the interdependencies within the food web and the underlying ecosystem. An open classroom area, large enough for all the students to stand in a circle is required for the food web activity.