You will learn
- Name sources of food in a habitat.
- Describe different shelters.
- Draw a simple food chain.
- Explain how living things depend on each other.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Plants make their own food.
- Animals eat plants or other animals.
- A food chain shows who eats what.
- Living things depend on one another.
Words to know
a line showing who eats what
a plant that makes its own food
an animal that eats other living things
to need something
1. Discover: The pond lunch
By the pond, Joy sees algae floating, a tadpole nibbling it and a fish chasing the tadpole. A heron stands still, watching the fish. “Everyone is eating someone,” says Joy’s mother. “It is a chain.”
Think: Who eats the fish?
2. Understand: Food and shelter
Idea 1: Producers and consumers
Plants are producers: they make their own food using light. Animals are consumers: they eat plants or other animals.
Idea 2: Food chains
A food chain shows who eats what, with arrows pointing to the eater: grass → zebra → lion. If one link is lost, the others suffer.
Idea 3: Shelter
Living things also need shelter: nests in trees, burrows in soil, shells, caves and leaf litter. Plants give much of this shelter. Animals depend on their habitat.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Draw a chain
Grass, goat, person.
- Grass is the producer.
- Goat eats grass.
- Person eats goat.
Answer: Grass → goat → person.
Example 2 (We do it together): Producer or consumer?
Fish and algae.
- Algae make food.
- Fish eats.
- Producer and consumer.
Answer: Algae are producers; fish are consumers.
Example 3 (You try): Shelter
Bird and nest.
Show the steps and answer
- Nest in a tree.
- Protects eggs.
- Tree gives shelter.
Answer: Trees give shelter.
Did you know?
The tiny plants and algae in the sea make about half of the oxygen we breathe.
Why this matters
Food chains show why protecting one kind of living thing helps many others.
4. Explore: Food chain strip
Make a paper food chain with arrows.
- Draw four living things.
- Cut them out.
- Glue in a line.
- Add arrows from food to eater.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Every chain starts with a plant.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Plants are ___.
- Animals are ___.
- Arrows point to the ___.
- Chains start with a ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a producer?
A plant that makes food.
Question 2. What is a consumer?
An animal that eats.
Question 3. What does a food chain show?
Who eats what.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a producer?
- What is a consumer?
- What does a food chain show?
- What do arrows show?
- Name a shelter.
Level 2: Grow
- What starts a food chain?
- What if the grass is lost?
- Why do animals depend on habitats?
Level 3: Stretch
- Draw a food chain of four links.
- Explain what happens if one link is lost.
- Compare producers and consumers.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
What food chains are near you?
Show a sample answer
Grass, goat and people.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They point to the eater.
Fix: Plants do.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name sources of food in a habitat.
- I can describe different shelters.
- I can draw a simple food chain.
- I can explain how living things depend on each other.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Plants make their own food.
- Animals eat plants or other animals.
- A food chain shows who eats what.
- Living things depend on one another.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Habitat protection. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a producer? [2 marks]
- What is a consumer? [2 marks]
- Draw a food chain. [3 marks]
- What if one link is lost? [2 marks]
- Name two shelters. [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Plant [1]; makes its own food [1]
- Animal [1]; eats other living things [1]
- Three parts [1]; arrows [1]; right direction [1]
- Others lose food [1]; chain breaks [1]
- Any two [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a producer?
- What is a consumer?
- What does a food chain show?
- What do arrows show?
- Name a shelter.
- What starts a food chain?
- What if the grass is lost?
- Why do animals depend on habitats?
- Draw a food chain of four links.
- Explain what happens if one link is lost.
Homework
Draw a food chain from your area with at least three living things.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a producer? | A plant that makes food. | 1 |
| 2. What is a consumer? | An animal that eats. | 1 |
| 3. What does a food chain show? | Who eats what. | 1 |
| 4. What do arrows show? | Food moves to the eater. | 1 |
| 5. Name a shelter. | Nest or burrow. | 1 |
| 6. What starts a food chain? | A plant. | 1 |
| 7. What if the grass is lost? | Animals lose food. | 1 |
| 8. Why do animals depend on habitats? | Food and shelter. | 1 |
| 9. Draw a food chain of four links. | Four items with arrows. | 1 |
| 10. Explain what happens if one link is lost. | Others suffer. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 A plant that makes food.; 2 An animal that eats.; 3 Who eats what.; 4 Food moves to the eater.; 5 Nest or burrow.. Level 2: 1 A plant.; 2 Animals lose food.; 3 Food and shelter.. Level 3: 1 Four items with arrows.; 2 Others suffer.; 3 Make vs eat..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name sources of food in a habitat | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Describe different shelters | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Draw a simple food chain | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Explain how living things depend on each other | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Arrows point to the food.” They point to the eater.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Draw and explain a food chain.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about food chains and shelter. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about meals and where food comes from.
- Ask, “Who eats whom?”
- Draw a food chain.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name sources of food in a habitat; describe different shelters; draw a simple food chain; explain how living things depend on each other.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: animals around us, plants around us and caring for our environment.
Materials. Paper strips, crayons, glue, safe scissors and pencils. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Print animal and plant cut-outs. Prepare strips.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “Who eats the grass?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach producers and consumers.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners build chains.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners explain links.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Who eats whom? Where do arrows point?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Arrows point to the food.” They point to the eater.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Draw and explain a food chain. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 4, topic 8; Next Generation Science Standards, biodiversity and interdependence (habitats and the living things in them); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 2, living things and their environment; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.