This document provides instructions for an activity where students create a food web based on their fantasy daily meal plan. Students list the foods in their meals and the organisms that produce the ingredients. They then draw arrows to show feeding relationships between plants, animals and themselves. Finally, they add five competing animals and identify producers, consumers and detritivores in their food web.

2. Meal Food Web This activity is to see how we, as humans, still fit into our natural food web Start by coming up with your fantasy daily meal plan (FDMP) Your FDMP must include a breakfast, a lunch and a dinner. You may include one snack

3. Instructions Each meal must include an “Entrée”, at least 2 sides (may be more if you want), a drink (can use water for only one of the meals), desserts are optional, but separate than the 2 sides. Write them down in your notes, doesn ’t have to be a new piece of paper

4. The Table On a clean sheet of paper, put your name & hour at the upper right Put a title at the top “Meal Food Web” Create a 5 column table You need to have space for all of your food

5. Your Table Might Look Like This Your Meals Parts of your Meals Ingredients Organisms that create those ingredients What those animals eat

6. The Web On the back of your table, list out all of the plants from the column “organisms that make those ingredients” and “what those animals eat” Spread them out! Don ’t group them or list them List out all of the animals that are in the column “organisms that make those ingredients” Be sure to include YOU… again, spread them out!

7. The Web Draw arrows to show “what eats what” Add in arrows to show “potential” food sources for animals Example: Your table may say that a cow eats hay, oats and corn, but in your web there is also grass…you should add an arrow from the grass to the cow

8. The Contenders You will now add in some competition in your food web Think of 5 animals that will compete with YOU for your food Your food is anything that is in your web right now. Add those animals in, CIRCLE them then connect them in with arrows as many times as possible.

9. Conclusion What is the ultimate source of energy for your food web? If all of the corn or any other one of your producers disappeared, how would that affect your web? Separate your web into: Producers, 1 st level Consumers, 2 nd level Consumers, 3 rd level Consumers

10. Conclusion (con ’ tinued) What levels would be considered: Herbivores Omnivores Carnivores What is a detritivore? Put three in on your web, put a square around each of them and link them each with at least 3 things. What level has the most organisms in it, in most food webs?