In this activity, we will learn about the relationships between predators and their prey. We will take a look at food webs and how predators like wolves affect their environments. So, where are you in the food chain? Let's find out!

Predator-Prey Relationships

Simply put, everything's food for something else. Animals rely on other animals, as well as plants and non-living components of the environment, to survive. Even humans belong to food webs. Vegetarians and vegans depend on animals to help tend the fruits and vegetables we eat. When we start digging deeper into the world of predators and prey, it becomes a tangled web indeed!

Let's talk about some highlights from this video:

Primary consumers eat producers, which are all plants. This means that a primary consumer might be an herbivore—a plant-eater—or an omnivore—an organism who gets their nourishment from both plants and animals. Another way to look at it: in a food web, the primary consumers are all of the animals who prey on plants. In the Food Chains & Food Webs diagram, the primary consumers of the grass are the grasshopper, the deer, and the rabbit.

Secondary consumers are predators who prey on primary consumers. They might be carnivores—meat-eaters—or omnivores. For example, in the Food Chains & Food Webs diagram, two secondary consumers are the mouse and the songbird, who both prey on the grasshopper (a primary consumer.) Predators who then prey on the songbird or the mouse would be called tertiary consumers.

Quick Review

Let's review what we already know! Take a look at the diagram below and see if you can answer these questions:

1. How is a food chain different from a food web?

2. How are they related?

3. Can you come up with a food chain that includes five plants/animals? Write it out.

4. Feeling adventurous? Add in five more plants/animals that interconnect and see what kind of food web you can come up with. Be creative. Try to think outside the backyard and include things like fish or jungle animals that you don't see every day.

You Are What You Eat

Take a gander and see which best describes you...

Keystone Species

Before we continue, I ask that you pause and read read the National Geographic article, "Role of Keystone Species in an Ecosystem." When you open the article, choose your grade level—or challenge yourself by choosing the grade you'll be in next year! You can also download the article to print out and annotate, or scroll through the article below.

As you read, watch for information about gray wolves and where they are a keystone species.

• What are some examples of other species who adapt their behaviors when wolves are nearby?

• For those species, what actions might be normal when wolves are absent versus when they are present?

• The article describes multiple types of species who are vital to their communities. Which animal(s) do you find most interesting, and why?

Did you hear about the waiter who became the restaurant manager?

He worked his way up the food chain.

Outdoor Adventure Challenge

Teachers: For this activity, I want to give a big thanks to takeachildoutside.org. Check them out

• Location: backyard or any area with spider webs

• Best Time: any, early morning the best

• Special Materials: spray bottle that can be set to a light mist

• What To Do: Fill a spray bottle with water. Find a spider web. Is it dome-shaped, flat, bowl-shaped, funnel-shaped, messy? Now gently mist the web. Can you find where the spider is hiding? Look at the pattern in the web. Lightly touch the strands. Are they all sticky? Look for leftovers from the spider’s lunch or dinner. Can you identify any insects which became the spider's prey?
  [Insert Nuhop-Geode Video #3 of 5]

Review and Reflection

We've covered a lot of material, so let's take a moment to reflect. Maybe get a snack while you work, and think about where that snack came from. How is your food affected by animals? Grab a pencil and paper and write down your answers to the following questions—but keep an eye out for predators!

1. We've seen how wolves affect other species. Now let's think about humans. What are three ways human behavior affects plants and animals? Try to come up with at least one positive effect and one negative one.

Example: Humans need to drive to get places. When animals cross the street, sometimes they end up as roadkill. *sad face*

2. Based on your answers, do you think humans are a keystone species? Think about it. Would other species be able to thrive if all the humans suddenly disappeared? Why or why not?

3. Finally, pick an animal; any animal that was not specifically mentioned in the keystone article will do. Think about where it lies on the food web and decide what species classification it would have in its environment. The options are: keystone, umbrella, foundation, engineer, indicator, or flagship. Explain your reasoning for your choice.

Quick Quiz

Wow! We've learned a lot today. It's time to show what you know about how different plants and animals affect each other in the environment. Take the quiz to test yourself. Feel free to look back and review for each of the questions. You can do it!

About the Author

Geode*

Geode has chased her love for theatre from Oregon to Alabama and points beyond. A zest for stage management brought her to Ohio's own Trumpet in the Land in 2013, and since then, Ohio has become "home." Geode’s favorite evening activity at Nuhop is predator-prey. Her favorite classes are canoeing, geodomes, and hot air balloons. A dweeb at heart, she enjoys both ‘Stranger Things’ and Dungeons & Dragons very much, so every summer, she can be found in Maine providing campers with character sheets, questlines, and paddles for their curiosity voyages. Geode would like to thank everyone at Nuhop for their hard work and friendship, and all the students who make Nuhop come alive.

*The Nuhop Outdoor Education Staff use "nature names" when working with students. The reason for these nature names is twofold: first it gives them a built-in conversation starter with students, and second, it provides them a level of personal privacy when working with over 4000 students in a given year.