Introduction to Food Chains | Worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve each question on the Food Chains worksheet step by step and explain the answers.

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1. What do the arrows mean? Circle the answer.

The food chain shown is:

Grass → Mouse → Owl

- The arrow points from grass to mouse, meaning the mouse eats the grass.
- The arrow points from mouse to owl, meaning the owl eats the mouse.

✔ So, the arrows mean "is eaten by" — because the organism at the start of the arrow is what gets eaten by the one at the end.

👉 Answer: *is eaten by*

> 🔍 Explanation: In food chains, arrows show the direction of energy flow — from the food source to the consumer. So, grass → mouse means grass is eaten by the mouse.

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2. Producers make their own food. What is the producer in this food chain? Circle the answer.

- A producer is an organism that makes its own food using sunlight (like plants).
- Grass is a plant — it performs photosynthesis.

✔ So, the producer is grass.

👉 Answer: *grass*

> 🔍 Explanation: Producers are usually plants or green algae. They form the base of the food chain.

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3. What is the predator in this food chain?

- A predator is an animal that hunts and eats other animals.
- In this chain:
- Grass → Mouse → Owl
- The owl eats the mouse.
- So, the owl is the predator.

👉 Answer: *owl*

> 🔍 Explanation: The owl is a carnivore that hunts the mouse, making it a predator.

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4. Here is a food chain that is in the wrong order. Write the names in the right order in the spaces below.

Organisms given:
- Eagle
- Plant
- Caterpillar
- Small bird

We need to arrange them in the correct food chain order.

Let’s think about what eats what:
- Plant → makes its own food (producer)
- Caterpillar → eats plant (herbivore)
- Small bird → eats caterpillar (carnivore)
- Eagle → eats small bird (top predator)

So the correct order is:

Plant → Caterpillar → Small bird → Eagle

Now fill in the blanks:

```
plant → caterpillar → small bird → eagle
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Then the question asks:

> One of these organisms is both a predator and prey. Which one is it?

Let’s check:
- Plant: only prey (never eats others) → not both
- Caterpillar: eats plant (prey), but is eaten by bird → prey only
- Small bird: eats caterpillar (predator) and is eaten by eagle (prey) → ✔ both predator and prey
- Eagle: eats bird → predator, but nothing eats eagle here → only predator

👉 Answer: *small bird*

> 🔍 Explanation: The small bird eats the caterpillar (so it’s a predator), but it is also eaten by the eagle (so it’s prey). That makes it both.

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✔ Final Answers:

1. is eaten by
2. grass
3. owl
4. plant → caterpillar → small bird → eagle
→ The organism that is both predator and prey: small bird

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