BACKGROUND:
In order for people to live in harmony with nature,
we must understand the delicate and complex biological, physical, and chemical
systems that exist in the world we share with all living and non-living
things. The goal of this unit is to make children aware of the intricate
balance that exists between all levels of life and more importantly, how
any break or change of a "link" will affect the "chain" as a whole, including
the human species.
Consumers eat producers, but how can you distinguish the differences
between them. Producers tend to be green because they produce their
own food. They are usually green because they have chlorophyll-A
which is used by plants to produce food through photosynthesis. Consumers
are everything else.
PROCEDURE:
- Put pictures around the room and have students label
them as producers or consumers. Give each child a few of the consumer/producer
cards. Have the students compare the inside of the classroom
with outside. They will notice that there are more producers outside.
Why is this? Because the outdoors has natural sunlight that allows
producers to produce. You won't find vegetables growing in a cellar,
because there is no sunlight.
- After the students have identified different producers
and consumers talk about each of the pictures that you may have out and
if they are consumers discuss what that animal would eat.
