What are Food Chains and Webs, written by Bobbie Kalman and Jacqueline Langile, is a kid friendly book that explores food chains using illustrations and actual photographs from the wild.
The book begins by defining what a “food chain” is and what makes up an energy pyramid. From there the book dives into each category of the pyramid explaining what a producer is, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers. The back of the book focuses on the second topic “food webs”. It explores what a forest wood web would look like along with coral reef, arctic, and savannah. The conclusion of the book gives teachers ideas for games that children can play in the classroom to help them understand what a food chain is and how it works.
Curriculum Connections
What are Food Chains and Webs? could be used as an introduction tool for learning about food chains. This book can be used for SOL:
3.5 a,b,c– investigate and understand the organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include: producers, consumers, decomposers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, predator, and prey.
Additional Resources
- Food Chains and Webs, Whats for dinner?: Provides teachers with background information on food chains and webs. There are also ready-made printable worksheets that include: completing the food chain, read and response, multiple choice questions, and vocabulary matching.
- Biology Corner: A worksheet where students identify animals as producers, herbivores, etc and they also get to create their own food web.
- Food Chain Flash cards: This site provides you with printable flashcards for animals in the categories of carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, insectivores, predators, scavengers, cleaners, parasites, and filter feeders.
Book: What are Food Chains and Webs?
Author: Bobbie Kalman and Jacqueline Langile
Illustrator: Barbara Bedell
Publisher: Crabtree Publishing Company
Publication Date: May 1998
Pages: 32 pages
Grade Range: 3-5
ISBN: 978-0865058767