Mrs.
Carr, Library Information Specialist
Pathfinders are created to guide students through the research process. This pathfinder was created to for fifth graders to find quality information about food chains from books, web sites, DISCU (South Carolinas Virtual Library), and videos. A food chain shows how living organisms get energy. Food chains begin with producers and end with decomposers who start the cycle all over again. Living organisms need energy to live. This energy originates with the sun, and the energy from the sun is passed as a consumer eats the producer. This linear chain continues until an organism moves or dies in the community or ecosystem. This pathfinder was created to help you find more quality information about food chains including how they are created, how energy is passed from one organism to another, and will help explain what causes a food chain to essentially stop or start over. Source: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/foodchain.htm Assignment: Create a food chain and explain the process of passing energy from organism to organism. You can choose your medium for delivering the information. Here are some examples: poster, PowerPoint Presentation, Video, iPad apps like Phoster, Popplet, Storyrobe, or your favorite. Perhaps you have an idea not listed, go for it, I am here to help!
What is DISCUS? DISCUS is South Carolinas Virtual Library and will provide you with newspaper, magaz ine, and reference books. This is a free resource for you to use. There may be some databases provided by DISCUS that require a password. Please see Media Center staff for help if you should run into this problem. DISCUS will provide best bets for your topic once you have chosen key terms to search (refer to the search terms provided under Books at the top of this page). Accessing DISCUS: http://scdiscus.org You can search using the SmartSearch feature or DISCUS Kids for starters. Suggestions: Search terms including Boolean terms such as AND, OR, and NEAR should be used to narrow down specific types of food chains. For example: ocean and food chains as a search term gives you hits in 7 different databases. I chose SIRS Discoverer from the list and it gave me the following article: Braaf, Ellen R. "Life in the Food Chain." Ask! (Vol. 7, No. 7). Sep 2008: 6-13. SIRS Discoverer. Description: "Living things that make their own food are called producers. All others--including humans--are consumers. They need to eat other living things to survive. Food chains link producers and consumers together." (Ask!) Learn more about food chains and food webs. Search term used: Food Chains NOT Fast Food in SmartSearch box on home page. 8 databases were searched. The following article came up: "Food Chain." Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia. Encyclopdia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Description: The term food chain describes the order in which organisms, or living things, depend on each other for food. Every ecosystem, or community of living things, has one or more food chains.
Tips: Write your notes in your own words as much as possible. If you are copying a quote or specific sentences use quotation marks. Remember to record a citation for each source from which you take notes. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/3/ The tips and things to remember can also be found using this site. You will find many helpful tips here for helping during your research and writing process. Plagiarism and how to avoid it! Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EqPkMN5S3g This video was uploaded by the Simplek12 team on March 9, 2011. The video is 11 minutes and 45 seconds long. It includes examples of what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
To find books on food chains you will have to access Destiny (our online catalog). Directions at school: -Start Menu -Student Menu -Destiny Library Search -Catalog Directions away from school: -Internet Explorer or other browsers www.horrycountyschools.net -Select a School (found in the upper right hand corner) ---Lakewood Elementary School -Media Center -Destiny -Catalog
Recommended search terms: food chains; producers; consumers; herbivores; carnivores; omnivores; decomposers; organisms; feeding relationships; habitat; scavengers; parasites The following books can be found in our schools media center: Non-Fiction Books: Explanations of each book were taken directly from Destiny. Fiedler, J. (2011) Learning about food chains and food webs with graphic organizers New York: PowerKids Press. Call number: 577.16 Fie Text and diagrams explain what food chains and webs are, exploring the roles played by habitats, herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores as well as causes of change in food chains and webs. Kalman, B. (1998) What are food chains and webs? New York: Crabtree. Call number: 577 Kal This book provides a simple introduction to food chains and webs, featuring both herbivores and carnivores and discussing energy, food production, and decomposition in various ecosystems. Spilsbury, L. (2005) Food chains and webs: from producers to decomposers Chicago: Heinemann Library. Call number: 577 Spi This book explains what food chains and webs are and explains who eats whom in several different habitats. It also includes activities, a glossary, and a further reading list. Solway, A. (2011) Food chains and webs: what are they and how do they work? Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Pub. Call number 577 Sol This book describes the importance of maintaining the food chain and what happens when a species disappears from an area. Bailey, J. (2006) Staying alive: the story of a food chain Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window Books. Call number: 577 Bai This book provides simple text and illustrations that describe food chains and how plants and animals are connected through them. Levete, S. (2010) Toxins in the food chain. St. Catharines, ON; New York: Crabtree Publishing. Call number: 615.9 Lev
This book introduces food chains and discusses toxins, such as cleaning products, oil, and plastics, that pose threats to plants, animals, and people. Lappi, M. Decomposers. New York: Weigl Publishers, 2005. Call number: 577 Lap The book presents an introduction to natures food chain, and looks at the role of decomposers in the cycle, explaining what they are, examining different types of decomposers, and describing their habitats.
Dewey Numbers (Call Numbers)
574 577 591 595 599 615
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/foodchain.htm This resource provides a simple explanation of food chains. It has advertisements on the page, but the content is boldly displayed and easy to navigate. This site provides opportunities for you to explore and build food chains to check your understanding of the topic. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/foodchain/ This resource provides definitions for producers and consumers. It provides an explanation for the different levels of consumers, as well as, simple food chains for grassland, ocean, and pond ecosystems. http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm This resource gives you an animated explanation of what a food chain is. You get the chance to build your own food chain to test your knowledge. Give it a try! Note to Students! The Web resources above were found doing a search using Google and the search term food chains.
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0309/quickflicks/ This National Geographic Kids site provides a short BrainPOP video with notes along the side of the clip, and a quiz is provided as well. http://www.kidsknowit.com/interactive-educational-movies/free-online-movies.php?movie=Food%20Chains Kids Know It Network provides a free interactive video where you can control the pace of the video and replay it as many times as needed. The video ends with a quiz so that you can check your understanding of the content. www.unitedstreaming.com The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten is approximately 23 minutes long and provides a look into how food chains work. You will need to get your username and password from your teacher or the Media Center in order to view the video. This video can be viewed using any browser from any computer once you have your log on information.
