The Food Chain

According to the text, what is an organism that breaks down deceased animals into tiny pieces?

• A carnivore

• An herbivore

• A producer

• A decomposer

Answer explanation

A decomposer is an organism that breaks down deceased animals into tiny pieces. For example: worms.

What does the author list in the text?

• All types of producers, their location, and examples of producers.

• Different types of food chains, their locations, and animals in them.

• Vocabulary words, their definitions, and examples of the words.

• definitions of consumers, their locations, and examples of consumers.

Read the sentences from the text,

When an animal dies, decomposers break apart the animal, returning nutrients back into the environment. These nutrients then feed plants (the producers), which completes the life cycle.

• When animals are decomposed, parts of them become nutrients that go in the ground and feed plants.

• Decomposers are the most skilled hunters in the food chain because they have no other way to eat.

• Decomposers begin the life cylce of the food chain because they are the first step in the process.

• When an animal is decomposed, a carnivore must eat the decomposer to complete the life cycle.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Based on the text, what role do omnivores play in the food chain?

• Omnivores are the most important part of the food chain because they eat more than one part.

• Omnivores are most like decomposers because they also eat meat from the dead animals.

• Omnivores are both primary and secondary consumers because they eat plants and animals.

• Omnivores are the least effective consumers because they eat both producers and consumers.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

What is the main idea of the text?

• Decomposers are the last part of the food chain because they break apart dead animals.

• The food chain is a cycle of nutrients in the environment made up of producers, consumers, and decomposers.

• Consumers eat plants or meat, and they can be primary of secondary.

• Producers are at the top of the food chain because primary consumers eat producers to begin the cylce.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Read the sentences from the text.

All food chains begin with a producer. A producer is usually a type of plant. The producer is then eaten by a consumer. There are two main types of consumers: Primary and secondary. Herbivores are primary consumers. They eat plants. Carnivores, secondary consumers, eat primary consumers.

As used in these sentences, what does the word "primary" most nearly mean?

• Last

• Third

• Second

• First

Choose the word that best completes the sentence.

Nutrients from deceased animals and plants feed producers, ____ completes the cycle of the food chain.

• after

• which

• becuase

• despite

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Match the following

• Animals that eat plants and meat. For example: Humans

• Carnivore

• Animals that eat only meat. For example: cats

• Producer

• Plants that are eaten by other animals. For example: Grass

• Omnivore

• An organism that breaks down deceased animals into tiny pieces. For example: worms

• Consumer

• Animals that eat producers or other consumers: For example: mice, birds, or bears.

• Decomposer

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Label the food chain.

c

d

e

f

b

a

Sun

Energy

Producer

Primary Consumer

Secondary Consumer

Decomposer

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

All food chains begin with a ________.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3