How Living Things Get Energy

In every ecosystem, living things are connected by what they eat. This is called a food chain. A food chain shows how energy moves from one living thing to another.

The Parts of a Food Chain

• Producers: Plants that make their own food using sunlight.
• Consumers: Animals that eat plants or other animals.
• Decomposers: Break down dead plants and animals.

Food Webs

In real life, animals often eat more than one thing. A food web is a bunch of food chains connected together. It shows how energy moves in many directions.

The Balance of Nature

If one part of a food chain changes (like if there are fewer plants), it can affect all the other living things in the web!

Try drawing a food web from your backyard or a local park.