This video will help students understand how energy is transferred through a food chain. Energy moves into food chains through plants, which harness sunlight to produce food via photosynthesis. As we progress through producers to different levels of consumers, we observe that in each level, some of the energy is stored, while the rest of it is used up as cellular respiration, heat, and waste. This shows us that energy moves up the food chain in one direction and only stored energy is passed from one level to another.
This video satisfies the 5-PS3-1 requirement of fifth-grade science proficiency.
Students who demonstrate understanding can: 5-PS3-1. Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.
