Grade 4 Science TEKS 4.12B:Matter Cycling and Energy Flow in Food Webs

Learning Target: I can identify the roles of organisms in a food web and describe how energy flows through the.

Focuses On:

• Energy players
• Energy flow

Builds On:

3.12B:

identify and describe the flow of energy in a food chain and predict how changes in a food chain such as removal of frogs from a pond or bees from a field affect the ecosystem

Next Level:

5.12B:

predict how changes in the ecosystem affect the cycling of matter and flow of energy in a food web

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This lesson is designed to support student understanding of how energy flows through a food web.

The lesson begins with an in-depth look at the key components of an ecosystem—the Sun, producers, consumers, predators, and prey—and allows students to identify their roles within a food web. It then analyzes the directional flow of energy, illustrating various food chains within a web that always originate with the sun, and explains how energy is transferred incrementally between organisms.

This lesson provides a review of standard 3.12B and establishes the foundational knowledge required for 5.12B, where students must predict how changes in a food web affect the flow of energy.

Learning Target: I can explain the processes of photosynthesis and how the matter used in the process cycles.

Focuses On:

• Photosynthesis
• How matter is cycled between plants and animals

Builds On:

This is the first time students are introduced to photosynthesis.

Next Level:

B.11A:

explain how matter is conserved and energy is transferred during photosynthesis and cellular respiration using models, including the chemical equations for these processes

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This lesson is designed to establish a fundamental understanding of photosynthesis and the cycling of reactants and products between plants and animals.

The lesson begins by defining photosynthesis, using diagrams to illustrate the inputs and outputs of the process. It then explores the interdependent relationship between plants and animals, demonstrating the continuous cycle of gases and matter that sustains both.

This lesson serves as the students' sole introduction to this foundational concept, providing the essential knowledge that will not be revisited until high school-level science courses.