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Patricia NewmanPatricia Newman
Sibert Honor Children's Book Author & Environmentalist
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    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
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    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
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"Shark"-by-bryan- scott-photography-is-licensed-under-CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0.

LitLinks: An easy food web simulation that opens eyes (and hearts)

August 20, 2025 LitLinks, LitLinks-Grade 3-5, LitLinks-Grade 6-8, LitLinks-Grade K-2 No Comments
LitLinks Logo-2022

BY PATRICIA NEWMAN


I had the good fortune to work with a group of environmental educators who created the educator guide for Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger. (To download the educator guide, scroll down to Free Resources to download). They created an entire unit on overfishing so we understand why sharks are important to healthy ocean food webs.

Sharks-Unhooked-cover

The following lesson, the Ocean Food Web Web, is one of those lessons. It is actually a simulation and will get your students out of their chairs to experiment with different human effects on the food web.

Science and speaking/listening are integrated within this lesson along with critical thinking and interdependence. Have fun — and send me pictures if you use this lesson. Thanks!

Materials

  • Yarn or string
  • Species cards (see next pages – cut and copy as needed)
  • Tape or clips


Engage

Begin with a brief discussion about what students know about food chains and food webs. Pose the question: “What happens if we remove one of the species from the ocean?”

food-web-species-cards
Example species cards. To see them all, download this lesson here — pages 11-14 (under the Free Resources column).

Explore

Role Assignment

  • Distribute one species card to each student.
  • Give the time to become acquainted with their species.

Building the Food Web

  • Instruct students to stand in a circle.
  • Have them use yarn to connect to the species they eat, forming a visual representation of the food web.
  • Encourage students to think about the connections and relationships as they create the web.

Explain

  • Discuss the roles of different species in the food web.
  • Explain key terms: producers, consumers, and apex predators.
  • Transition into the concept of overfishing and its potential impacts on the food web.
  • Ask guiding questions to facilitate understanding:
    • What would happen if a predator like tuna was overfished?
    • How would that affect the smaller fish and the entire food web?

Elaborate

Simulating Overfishing

  • Remove one species card (e.g., tuna) from the web and observe the changes.
  • Discuss how removing this species affects other species connected to it.
  • Encourage students to notice the “ripple effects” on the food web.

Group Discussion

  • Discuss how the removal of one species can lead to overpopulation of its prey and the decline of other species.
  • Discuss real-world examples of overfishing and its consequences on marine life.

Evaluate

Assess students’ understanding through participation in the activity and their written reflections.

Standards addressed

  • NGSS 5-LS2-1: Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and theE environment.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7: Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

Featured image credit: “Shark” by bryan scott photography is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.


Click for more LITLINKS STEM + Literacy activities

Tags: STEM+LiteracySTEM+Literacy Natural Science
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  • Home
  • Books
    • Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
    • A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
    • Neema’s Reason To Smile
    • Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
    • Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
    • Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    • Ebola: Fears and Facts
    • Jingle the Brass
    • Nugget on the Flight Deck
    • Surviving Animal Attacks
    • Elite Operations series
    • Energy Lab series
    • QuickReads Fluency Library
    • Books for English language-learners
    • Writers write all kinds of things
  • Author Visit Programs
    • FAQs
    • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Educator Resources
    • Teach the Hope
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
    • Teacher Guides
    • STEM + Literacy Activities
    • LitLinks
    • KidLit creators who make kids want to read
  • Writer Resources
    • Writing Classes
    • Manuscript or Proposal Critiques
    • How I got my start
  • Who is Patricia Newman?
  • Contact
    • Stay In Touch
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
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