What is a food chain?
All the energy in an ecosystem starts with the Sun. A food chain is a way of showing how energy passes from one living thing to the next as they eat and are eaten.
A food chain always begins with a producer — usually a plant, which makes its own food using energy from the Sun. Next come the consumers — animals that cannot make their own food, so they eat other living things to get energy.
Your turn: build a food chain
Q1. Fill in the blanks using the words in the box.
producer • consumer • Sun • energy
The gives light to plants. A plant is a because it makes its own food. An animal that eats other living things is a . Food chains show how passes from one living thing to the next.
Q2. Look at this food chain. Draw an arrow between each living thing so the arrows point the correct way. Then write producer or consumer under each one.
gum leaves koala wedge-tailed eagle
Q3. Are humans producers or consumers? Circle your answer and explain how you know.
producer / consumer
Q4. Make your own food chain using living things that live together in one Australian habitat. Draw at least three living things and join them with arrows that point the right way. Label the producer and the consumers.
Q5. Explain what your arrows show. Use the words energy and Sun in your answer.