Ocean Food Webs

CONCEPTUAL

Science›Ocean Life|Ages 7—9|ID: mt_OnV_DTp5i8

Understand ocean food webs: multiple interconnected food chains where energy flows from phytoplankton (producers) through zooplankton, small fish, and large predators, and that removing one species affects the whole web

Mastery Evidence

Distinguish a food web from a simple food chain
Trace at least two paths of energy through an ocean food web
Explain what could happen if one species in the web were removed

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] explain why catching too many of one type of fish doesn't just affect that fish — it affects the whole food web, including the animals that eat it and the things it eats?”

Prerequisites2

Classifying Ocean Animals
softAges 7—9
Ocean Food Chains
hardAges 5—7

Show full prerequisite tree

Classifying Ocean Animals soft
Food webs benefit from knowing animal classification groups
- Whales & Dolphins Are Mammals hard
  Classifying marine mammals vs fish builds on whale/dolphin are mammals concept
  - Ocean Animal Variety soft
    Mammals vs fish distinction benefits from knowing ocean animal variety
- Ocean Animal Variety hard
  Classifying ocean animals builds on knowing the variety exists
Ocean Food Chains hard
Food webs extend simple food chains to interconnected networks
- What Ocean Animals Need soft
  Food chains explain how animals meet their need for food
  - What Is the Ocean? soft
    Ocean animal needs are contextualised by knowing what the ocean is
- Ocean Animal Variety soft
  Food chains benefit from knowing the variety of animals that eat each other

Unlocks4

Ocean Pollution & Harm
softAges 9—11
Food Chains & Energy Transfer
softAges 8—9
Ocean Animal Migrations
softAges 9—11
Ocean Ecosystems
hardAges 9—11