Directions for Task & Product

 STEP 1 Review the habitats presented on the Chesapeake Bay Program's "Habitat" site.
  • Forests
  • Aquatic Reefs
  • Wetlands
  • Open Bay
  • Streams & Rivers
  • Shallow Water

 STEP 2 Then select one of the habitats described on the webpage (except Forests), research it, and create a food web of organisms you would find in this habitat. Be sure to consult the Variety of Sources suggested in the "Gather & Sort"section. Use this graphic organizer (MS Word) for recording information for Steps 2-4.

You should include a minimum of 10 organisms. Your food web should be a true web with multiple branches; do not use a linear pattern (example of a non-linear pattern). Arrows show the flow of energy from the organism being eaten to the organism that eats it. Consider creating your web eletronically using a graphic organizer program such as Inspiration.

Example: A Forest Food Web
 STEP 3 On your food web, identify and label each organism as one or more (all that apply) of the following:
 STEP 4 Identify and label each relationship in your food web as one of the following:
 STEP 5 Describe the effect of three of the following abiotic factors on your food web. Use this graphic organizer to record your responses for Steps 5 & 6.
  • Space
  • Water
  • Light
  • pH

 STEP 6 Technological changes provide stress on food webs. Choose one of the following technological changes and describe the effect of it on your food web:
  • Discharge of wastewater treatment plant byproducts
  • Operation of a nearby industrial plant
  • Overfertilization of farm and land with run-off
  • Building of a housing complex near the water's edge
  • Overharvesting of finfish and shellfish
  • Building of a nearby shopping mall

A. Think about about the technological change you have selected and the problems it could cause. How could this change affect:

      • the abiotic factors you described in Step 5?
      • the increase of nutrient pollution, sedimentation, air pollution, and toxins?

B. Describe the effect of these problems on your food web.

STEP 7 Create one of these products to present the findings of your research:
  • Poster
  • Pamphlet or brochure
  • PowerPoint
  • Web page

Return to main page of research model