NEW Project ESC@ESC: Eat or Be Eaten: Eat or Be Eaten

In this unit, students will explore the principles of ecology and learn what organisms’ needs must be met in order for them to survive in a specific environment. Organisms need space, food, shelter, water and air in order to survive in an "Eat or Be Eaten" environment. One way in which animals are grouped is by the food they eat. Carnivores eat only meat, herbivores eat only plants, and omnivores eat both meat and plants. Food chains exist in all habitats and can be used to demonstrate the energy flow in an ecosystem. Producers (plants) capture the sun’s energy to make their own food, while consumers rely on eating those plants or other consumers to get their energy. Secondary and tertiary consumers eat the primary consumer. During this unit of study, students will dissect an owl pellet and discover the predatory behavior of barn owls in their ecosystem. Through active play, students will experience the transfer of energy in a food chain, and gain an understanding of the challenges involved in surviving and thriving in a particular habitat. Older students will investigate the interrelatedness of life in a food web, and the essential role of all life forms in a healthy ecosystem.