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Contributor: Meghan Vestal. Lesson ID: 11004
What food do you like? How about rotten vegetables? Bleh! Maybe you can stand in the sun and not eat at all! What every organism eats — including you — plays a large part in the ecosystem
Look at the different organisms in the pictures below.
Find out!
It probably does not surprise you that all the organisms pictured eat different food.
All living organisms can be divided into producers, consumers, and decomposers. These terms describe what types of food the organism consumes and help us know how they secure their food source.
Producers are living organisms that can make their food through a process called photosynthesis.
Plants use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to make food. This process occurs inside the plant, so they do not have to relocate to find their food source.
Look around you.
Consumers are living organisms that are not capable of creating their food.
Consumers are broken down into three categories: primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.
Copy the chart below onto a sheet of paper. As you re-write the information from the chart, think about the definition of each type of consumer.
When you have finished creating your chart, complete the third column by providing at least two examples of each type of consumer.
| Type of Consumer | Definition | Examples | |||
| primary | Primary consumers are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. | ||||
| secondary |
Secondary consumers are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. Secondary consumers eat the primary consumers. In other words, they eat animals that only consume plants. Some secondary consumers are omnivores who eat plants and animals. |
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| tertiary |
Tertiary consumers are also carnivores. Tertiary consumers eat the secondary consumers. This means that they eat other carnivores. Some tertiary consumers are also omnivores. |
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When you are finished, review your chart.
As you watch the video below to learn more about producers and consumers, continue adding examples of consumers to your chart.
Now, move on to the last group.
Decomposers break down materials by consuming dead plants and animals. Some people call them nature's cleaners because they clean up the dead remains that no other organisms want.
As you watch the video below, list all the decomposers you see or hear about in the clip.
Look out the window or briefly walk with someone.
Explain your answers, then continue to the Got It? section to continue identifying the groups.
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