Science · Life Science

Food Webs & Energy Flow

Energy flows one way through living things: from the Sun → to producers → to consumers. A food web shows how everyone is connected!
🔄How Energy Flows
SUN energy source PRODUCERS plants make food CONSUMERS eat other living things DECOMPOSERS recycle nutrients
The arrow always points to whoever does the eating — that's the direction energy travels.
🍽️Three Jobs in a Food Web
🌱PRODUCER
Its jobMakes its own food using sunlight
EnergyCaptures energy straight from the Sun
🌳 trees · 🌾 grass · 🌻 plants
🦌CONSUMER
Its jobEats other living things for energy
TypesHerbivore, carnivore, or omnivore
🐇 rabbit · 🦊 fox · 🦅 hawk
🍄DECOMPOSER
Its jobBreaks down dead stuff & waste
EnergyRecycles nutrients back to the soil
🍄 fungi · 🦠 bacteria · 🪱 worms
🔺The Energy Pyramid
Producers 1st consumers 2nd top most energy least ⬆
🔺 Energy shrinks as you go up!
Producers form the wide base — they hold the most energy 🌱
Only about 1/10 of the energy moves up to the next level 🔟
The rest is lost as heat, so top predators are few 🔥
🕸️Food Chain vs. Food Web
FOOD CHAIN one single path 🌾 Grass 🐇 Rabbit 🦊 Fox FOOD WEB many chains, all linked 🌾 🐇 🐁 🦊 🦅
🔑Key Terms
🌱Producer Makes its own food using sunlight — like plants.
🦌Consumer Eats other living things to get its energy.
🍄Decomposer Breaks down dead stuff — like fungi & bacteria.
➡️Food Chain One path of energy: Sun → grass → rabbit → fox.
🕸️Food Web Many overlapping food chains, all connected.
📶Trophic Level One step (or "rung") in a food chain.
🐰Herbivore Eats only plants.
🦁Carnivore Eats only meat (other animals).
Remember: energy flows one way — Sun → producers → consumers — and decomposers recycle the leftovers back into the soil to start it all again!
✏️ ClickClass Anchor Chart · Food Webs & Energy Flow
From ClickClass — hundreds of free printables at clickclassedu.com/printables