Food Webs in an Ecosystem Science Games

5 games

In this series of games, your students will learn how organisms consume and transfer energy in an ecosystem. The Food Webs in an Ecosystem learning objective — based on NGSS and state standards — delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as demonstrated by research.

Scroll down for a preview of this learning objective’s games and the concepts they drive home.

Concepts Covered

All of the energy in an ecosystem comes from the sun. Organisms like algae and green plants, known as autotrophs or producers, use photosynthesis to convert the sun’s energy into usable energy for themselves.

Heterotrophs, or consumers, cannot make their own energy, so they have to consume it from other sources. Herbivores get their energy directly from eating plants, so they are first-level consumers. Small carnivores that eat herbivores are second-level consumers, and larger carnivores that eat them are third-level consumers.

Decomposers, like fungi and bacteria, break down the dead remains of producers and consumers. This returns their nutrients to the soil, where they can be used by plants, continuing the cycle.

Trophic pyramids are useful tools for showing the structure of an ecosystem. Autotrophs are at the bottom, and with each level of the pyramid, energy is transferred. The higher up the pyramid, the less usable energy there is, which explains why there are smaller populations of high-level consumers.

Another visualization of an ecosystem is the food web. Food webs illustrate predator/prey relationships, and scientists can use them to predict how a change in one species’ population will affect the others in its ecosystem.

A preview of each game in the learning objective is found below.

You can access all of the games on Legends of Learning for free, forever, with a teacher account. A free teacher account also allows you to create playlists of games and assignments for students and track class progress. Sign up for free today!

Image for Food Web IMPOSTER!
Food Web IMPOSTER! Estimated Duration: 15 minutes Some of these creatures are acting pretty sus... Use your knowledge of food webs to examine the actions of these creatures and figure out which ones are imposters. Once you've found an imposter...eject them from the Food Web Lab! ... Read More Read Less See Game
Image for Raco the Raccoon and Food Webs
Raco the Raccoon and Food Webs Estimated Duration: 15 minutes Join Raco in discovering the different food ecosystem chains and web. See Game
Image for Dogtor Woof - Food Webs of the Forest
Dogtor Woof - Food Webs of the Forest Estimated Duration: 15 minutes Travel through time and space with Dogtor Woof to unravel the mysteries of nature! You will join Dogtor Woof as they explore a forest and its inhabitants. Each of them takes a unique role in a Food Web. Experience the world through the eyes of five different organisms with unique special abilities to find out how Food Webs work! ... Read More Read Less See Game
Image for Food Webs in an Ecosystem
Food Webs in an Ecosystem Estimated Duration: 3 minutes Educational video about food webs and the flow of energy from one organism to another. See Game
Image for Galaxy Escape
Galaxy Escape Estimated Duration: 20 minutes 10 Bright Monsters have been captured in space and they need your help to cross the galaxy jumping between platforms, finding them, and releasing them by correctly answering each question. Each monster that you release and unlock will be available to play with in the next level, in the search for the next monster. In your journey, you’ll be able to find power-ups, like ‘Double points’ and ‘Slow down’, which can be activated by finding gems, and their duration can be extended by correctly answering a question. Unlock and release the 10 different monsters and a spaceship along 10 different levels, while you make the most possible points. ... Read More Read Less See Game
Image for Robot Chef
Robot Chef Estimated Duration: 18 minutes Congratulations, you are creating the first all-robot restaurant in the city! As you serve more customers, you will be able to build more robots to assist in delivering tasty treats. Attend Night School and answer questions to earn advanced robot chefs! ... Read More Read Less See Game
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