Focus Question
Where does the energy in a food chain come from and how does it travel from one organism to another?

Activity Synopsis
The students will participate in an active game in which they learn the identity of organisms in two salt marsh food chains. They will discover the roles (niches) that the organisms play in each food chain. They will also examine the way that energy flows through the food chain, including the loss of energy.

Time Frame
1hour

Student Key Terms

• apex consumer
• blue crab
• diamondback terrapin
• diatom
• fiddler crab
• food chain
• food web
• marsh snail
• primary consumer
• producer
• river otter
• secondary consumer

Teacher Key Terms

• niche
• organism
• photosynthesis
• tertiary consumer
• trophic level