4th Grade Science

Studying Earth systems, energy transfer, and the scientific method for fourth grade students.

Advanced Topics

Food Chains and Ecosystems

How Do Living Things Get Energy?

All living things need energy, and they get it from food! A food chain shows how energy passes from one living thing to another.

  • Plants use sunlight to make food.
  • Animals eat plants (or other animals) to get energy.

What Is an Ecosystem?

An ecosystem is all the living and non-living things in a place and how they interact. Every part of an ecosystem depends on the others, like a team working together.

Why Is This Important?

If one part of a food chain or ecosystem is changed, it can affect everything else!

Examples

  • A rabbit eats grass, and a fox eats the rabbit—energy moves from plants to animals.

  • A pond ecosystem with plants, fish, insects, and birds working together.

In a Nutshell

Food chains show how energy moves through living things in ecosystems.

Key Terms

Ecosystem
A community of living and nonliving things that work together.
Food Chain
The order in which living things get energy from food.
Food Chains and Ecosystems - 4th Grade Science Content | Practice Hub