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 Wave Interference - Waves
Wave Interference - Waves Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Make waves with a dripping faucet, speaker, or laser. Adjust the frequency and amplitude, and observe the changes in the wave. Design experiments to measure wavelength and wave speed. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Wave Interference - Interference
Wave Interference - Interference Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Explore how a pair of wave sources create an interference pattern. Adjust the source frequency and separation, and determine how to change the interference pattern. Identify points of constructive and destructive interference by eye, and by using the detectors. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Wave Interference - Slits
Wave Interference - Slits Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Put up a barrier to see how the waves move through one or two slits, and discover the resulting interference pattern. Determine how to change the pattern by adjusting the slit width and separation. Predict the location of the interference maxima and minima, and verify your predictions. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Basketball Master
Basketball Master Estimated Duration: 12 minutes Shoot a basketball through the hoop and answer some questions along the way! The game does not have any instructional content, it simply has review questions spread throughout.
Image for Waves Intro - Sound
Waves Intro - Sound Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Make sound waves with a speaker, and hear the tone it produces. Adjust the frequency and amplitude, and observe the changes in the wave. Design experiments to measure wavelength and wave speed. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
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!
Image for Wavebot
Wavebot Estimated Duration: 16 minutes Join Dr. Camila and Wavebot as they discover the effects of waves on their environment. Play through all 8 levels of this puzzle and compete for the high score!
Image for Earthquake!
Earthquake! Estimated Duration: 20 minutes How good are you at predictions? Can you figure out when—and how powerfully—an earthquake will hit Square City? Triangulation is the key!
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