Food Chains and Diets

Overview

This 60-minute session is the final lesson in the unit Exploring Living Things and Habitats. It aims to deepen EYFS and KS1 pupils’ understanding of animal diets and food chains within their local rural environment. The lesson integrates cross-phase teaching with differentiated activities suited to developmental stages, ensuring engagement and mastery of National Curriculum objectives.

National Curriculum Links (England)

Key Stage 1 Science – Animals, including humans

Pupils should be taught to:
- Identify and name a variety of common animals including carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
- Describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including pets).
- Identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amounts of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat.
- Construct and interpret a simple food chain, identifying producers, predators and prey.

Learning Objectives: - I can...

I can name animals that are carnivores, herbivores or omnivores.
I can explain what a food chain is and why it is important.
I can create a simple food chain using animals and plants from our local environment.
I can describe how energy moves through a food chain.

Success Criteria

I name at least one carnivore, herbivore and omnivore.
I connect animals and plants correctly to form a food chain with at least three links.
I explain in my own words how animals get energy from food.
I follow instructions and work with my peers respectfully in group tasks.

Lesson Outline

1. Starter (10 minutes) — Engaging Prior Knowledge

Whole Class Discussion:
Use visual flashcards of local animals (e.g., sheep, robin, fox, grass) and ask: “What do you think this animal eats?”
Categorisation Game:
Pupils sort animal pictures into three hoops labelled Carnivores, Herbivores, and Omnivores on the floor.
Extension: For KS1, discuss why certain animals fit into categories — introduce terms like “prey” and “predator” gently.

2. Main Activity Part A (15 minutes) — Food Chain Introduction

Teacher-led interactive explanation of what a food chain is: a sequence showing how plants and animals are connected by what they eat and how energy flows.
Using a simple, local example: Grass → Caterpillar → Robin → Fox.
Use laminated cards with images and arrows to physically build the chain on a magnetic whiteboard or display area.

3. Main Activity Part B (20 minutes) — Creating Food Chains (Differentiated)

EYFS Focus:
- Provide cut-out images of animals and plants common to Kendal’s rural environment in a ‘small world habitat mat’ (grass, flowers, caterpillars, robins, foxes, sheep). Children will place them in order with adult support to create simple chains of 2-3 steps. Use sentence starters on a card (e.g., “The ___ eats ___.”) for scaffolding.
- Sensory element: include textures on mats or model animals for tactile engagement.
KS1 Focus:
- Pupils work in pairs/trios to construct longer food chains (e.g., plant → herbivore → carnivore → decomposer if possible).
- Challenge: Write or dictate simple sentences to describe each step and explain energy transfer.
- Introduce vocabulary: producer, consumer, predator, prey.

4. Plenary (10 minutes) — Reflection and Sharing

Invite volunteers to share their food chains and explain their choices.
Discuss why food chains are important to keep animals alive and healthy.
Reinforce that energy starts with plants (producers) and moves through animals.

5. Assessment (Formative)

Observe pupil contributions during categorisation and food chain construction activities.
Use quick oral questioning: “What kind of eater is a robin?” “Who does the fox eat?”
Review pictorial food chains created for accuracy and concept understanding.
Use ‘I can’ checklist to self or peer assess at lesson end.

Differentiation Strategies

Group	Support/Challenge	Resources/Adaptations
SEN / EYFS (younger children, emerging learners)	One-to-one or small group adult support, sentence starters, tactile materials, use of visuals and gestures	Sensory mats, picture cards, simple sentence frames
KS1 Lower Ability	Reduced steps in food chains, focus on naming animals and diets only, paired work to support language	Paired discussion prompts, concrete examples
KS1 Higher Ability	Extend food chains to include decomposers, explain energy transfer in simple scientific language	Writing frames for sentences, extension cards about food webs

Extension Activities (for Advanced Learners)

Research and create a poster or booklet about LOCAL food chains beyond those taught (e.g., pond foods chains).
Introduce the term ‘food web’ and investigate how real ecosystems contain many interconnected food chains.
Use digital tablets to create animated food chains using simple apps (if technology available).
Write a short story from the perspective of an animal explaining its diet and predators.

Resources Needed

Laminated animal and plant picture cards (local species)
Three hoops or labelled mats for sorting animals by diet
Magnetic whiteboard or equivalent display area
Small world habitat mats and tactile materials
Sentence starter cards
Pencils, paper, colouring materials for KS1 recording
Optional: tablets or laptops for extension activities

Classroom Environment and Management Tips

Use your rural environment familiarity: reference local animals and plants children may know from home or outdoor learning spaces.
For mixed ages, use clear instructions and visual cues to keep EYFS engaged while KS1 are challenged appropriately.
Encourage collaborative learning through pair and group work while circulating to scaffold and assess.
Embed moments for children to move (sorting hoops, handling materials) to suit young learners’ attention spans.

This detailed approach combining interactive, sensory, and language-rich activities aligns closely with the National Curriculum’s aims at KS1, nurturing holistic child development and building confidence for early career teachers in mixed-age settings.