Secondary & Tertiary Consumers micro-lesson

Rebecca Evans

Science

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Learning time

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Looking at a food chain, for example, a daisy could be eaten by a rabbit, the rabbit could be eaten by a snake, and the snake could be eaten by an owl. The daisy is the producer making its own energy from the sun. We call the rabbit the primary consumer as it eats a producer. But what do we call the snake and the owl? We call the snake the secondary consumer or second animal to eat something. We call the owl the tertiary consumer or third animal to eat something. Another example of a food chain, this time found in the ocean, would be algae eaten by fish, fish eaten by seals, and then seals eaten by sharks. In this example, the seal is the secondary consumer, and the shark is the tertiary consumer. In this example, the shark could also be known as the apex predator or top predator in that food chain. Apex predators have no natural enemies in their environment except sometimes humans. There are lots of examples of apex predators, top predators on this planet: wolves, orca whales, lions being just a few.

Answer time

Kids earn more screen time by answering fun educational questions.

Here are some example of questions about this video that kids may be asked in the 1Question app to earn screen time.

What is another word meaning 'top' predator?

1) Apex predator

2) Awful predator

3) Big predator

4) Bottom predator
Which one of these is an example of an apex predator?

1) Crocodile

2) Mouse

3) Salmon

4) Guinea pig
What un-natural enemies may an apex predator have?

1) All of these

2) Oil spills

3) Bush fires

4) Habitat loss
What is the shark in the food chain?

1) The tertiary consumer

2) The producer

3) The primary consumer

4) The secondary consumer
If all producers (plants) died out, what would happen to the animals in the rest of the food chain?

1) They would die as there would be nothing for the primary consumers to eat, and therefore nothing for the secondary and tertiary consumers to eat

2) Their numbers would increase

3) Their numbers would stay the same

4) Their numbers would just go down a little
What is the purpose of a food chain?

1) To show how energy and nutrients flow through the environment

2) They look nice

3) They show how we can protect the environment

4) They help habitats
Which one of these is not an apex predator?

1) Worm

2) Tiger

3) Polar Bear

4) Honey Badger
Are tertiary consumers always carnivores?

1) No

2) Yes
If there were no apex predators what would happen to the population numbers of the animals they eat?

1) Increase

2) Decrease

3) Stay the same

4) They would become extinct
In the food chain is the fish an example of a tertiary consumer?

1) No

2) Yes
Could a penguin be an apex predator?

1) No

2) Yes
Are apex predators usually small animals?

1) No

2) Yes
In the food chain example is the snake the secondary consumer?

1) Yes

2) No
Humans are the only natural enemies to apex predators?

1) Yes

2) No
Are apex predators important in a food chain?

1) Yes

2) No

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Rebecca Evans

Former science and primary teacher on the Isle of Wight, UK. I am now starting up a wildlife sanctuary in Uganda where I hope children in the local area can visit to see animals and learn about wildlife and the environment.

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