Antarctic Food Chain
Learning Objectives/Lesson GoalsStudents describe an Antarctic food chain. Students learn a food chain song. Students make a food chain mobile.
WHEREClassroom
WHOClassroom Volunteers
MATERIALS

  • Illustrations of plankton, krill, leopard seal, penguin, and killer whale

  • Large Song sheet sample

  • Student Page

  • 24” of Yarn for each student

  • 2 ½ x 9 colored paper topper

  • Colored pencils

  • Scissors

  • Glue sticks or Tape

  • Sample of completed mobile

ACTIVITIES

  1. Ask students what they think the penguin might eat. (fish & krill)

  2. Show students the krill. Explain that Antarctic krill can be about the size of a child’s little finger. Ask students what they think a little animal like krill might eat. (plankton)

  3. Show the plankton. Explain that these kinds of plankton are microscopic plants that drift in the sea. Like plants on Earth, plant plankton get energy from the sun.

  4. Ask students what might eat a penguin. (killer whales, sharks, various kinds of sea lions, and leopard seals) Show students the illustrations of the leopard seal.

  5. Can your students name a predator that might eat a leopard seal? (killer whales)

  6. Teach students the Antarctic Food Chain Song. Use the large song sheet sample.

  7. Explain to students that they will make an Antarctic Food Chain Mobile.

  8. Distribute Student Page and materials needed. Students will color the illustrations, cut out, and arrange them in order from top to bottom (killer whale, leopard seal, penguin, krill, plankton) and glue or tape on the yarn.


RESOURCESAdapted from SeaWorld.com/Education