The way an organism obtains its energy in an ecosystem determines its role in that ecosystem. In this video, students will be briefly introduced to the three classes that operate the flow of energy in an ecosystem — producers, consumers, and decomposers. Producers (mainly plants) are organisms which produce their own food via photosynthesis. Consumers are organisms that consume other organisms to obtain energy. Consumers can be classified as herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores depending on whether they consume plants, animals, or both. Besides producers and consumers, some organisms consume dead plants and animals. These organisms are known as decomposers.
This video satisfies the 5-LS2-1 requirement of fifth-grade science proficiency.
Students who demonstrate understanding can: 5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
