All living things need energy to live.
A food chain shows how living things get energy, or food, to live.

Points to ponder...

Why is it called a "food chain?"

What do we eat to get energy?

All food chains start with the sun, because sunlight is a very important form of energy.

Points to ponder...

What does the sun give energy to? Does anything need the sun to live?

PLANTS need the sun to grow! Plants use something called "photosynthesis " to get energy from the sun....and EVERYTHING needs energy to live and grow!

In a woodland area, small animals like rabbits eat grass and leaves. The energy from the sun, that passed to the plant, now passes to the rabbit!

Just like the rabbit has to eat to live, so does everything else! While some animals are herbivores (plant eaters), others are carnivores (meat eaters).
This weasel gets energy to grow and live by eating other small animals, like the rabbit. An animal that hunts another animal for food is called a "predator. "

Points to ponder...

Does the rabbit have any other predators?

What might be a predator to the weasel?

A hawk is another predator. It eats smaller animals and is a fierce hunter because it can fly and grab animals with its strong claws, or talons.

An animal that is eaten or hunted by another animal is called its "prey."

Points to ponder...

Is a hawk prey to any other creature?

Does the hawk hunt any prey besides weasels?

The hawk is the top of the food chain. Very rarely would another animal be able to hunt it for food. Hawks may die of sickness, old age, or hunger.
When they die, they decompose, or rot, and become part of the soil.

That soil gives nutrients to the plants that grow, and the plants feed the rabbit, so we are back to the beginning again!

Everything in nature is connected, like links in a chain. I guess that's why they call it the "food chain."

Points to ponder...

What food chain might you find in a jungle? What about the ocean, the desert, or the mountains?