Serving Up the Sun's Energy

Life requires a source of energy, air, water, and certain temperature conditions. Plants contain photosynthetic pigments called chlorophyll, which they use to convert sunlight into the food they need. Plants store excess sugars in their tissue in the form of leaves, stems, bark, and flowers. Animals need food that they can break down into usable energy, which comes either directly by eating plants (herbivores) or by eating animals (carnivores) which have eaten plants or other animals. Plants and animals rely on each other and a source of energy from the Sun for their survival. The cycle of energy begins with the plant, transfers to animals and eventually returns that energy to the Earth through decomposition. The relationships among organisms can be represented as food chains and food webs. In this activity, students will model how life on Earth depends on energy from the Sun and energy from other living things.