Objectives (5 - 7 minutes)

1. The main objective is for students to understand what a food chain is, comprehend its importance, and how it functions in nature.

2. Students should be able to identify the different trophic levels in a food chain: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers.

3. Curiosity and critical thinking of the students should be encouraged, prompting them to question how food chains are influenced by factors such as the environment and food availability.

Secondary Objectives:

• Stimulate group work and communication among students, promoting the exchange of ideas and collaboration.
• Develop research and presentation skills, as students will be responsible for gathering information on the topic at home and sharing it in the classroom.
• Encourage respect and care for the environment, showing students how food chains are a fundamental part of ecosystem balance.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

1. The teacher will start the lesson by reminding students of what they have already studied about animals and plants, explaining that all living beings need food to survive. Examples from students' daily lives, such as what they eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, can be used to illustrate this idea.

2. The teacher then proposes two problem situations to the students. The first one is: 'What would happen if all the animals in the world suddenly disappeared?' The second one is: 'And if all the plants vanished?' The teacher encourages students to think about the consequences of these situations, leading them to understand the importance of all living beings in the food chain.

3. Next, the teacher shares two fun facts to spark students' interest. The first one is: 'Did you know that an elephant eats an average of 150 kg of food per day?' And the second one is: 'And that a shark, which is a predator in the ocean, can eat up to 90 kg of food at once?' The teacher explains that these are examples of how different animals occupy different positions in the food chain.

4. To introduce the topic of food chains, the teacher presents two images. The first one is of a lion hunting a zebra, and the second one is of a tree producing fruits that are eaten by birds, which are then eaten by snakes. The teacher explains that these images show examples of food chains, where each animal depends on the other to obtain food and survive.

5. Finally, the teacher connects the students' daily activities, the problem situations, the fun facts, and the images presented, concluding that all these things are related to the food chain. The teacher emphasizes the importance of the subject and how it is present in our daily lives, even if we don't realize it.

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. 'Animal Master' Activity (10 - 15 minutes)

   • The teacher will divide the class into groups of five students. Each group will receive a sheet with the name of an animal (for example: lion, zebra, monkey, ant, eagle).
   • The objective of the activity is for each group, with the help of their peers, to become experts on the animal they received, searching for information in books, encyclopedias, or reliable websites about what the animal eats (its diet) and what threatens it (its predators).
   • Students should write down this information on the sheet, in an organized and legible manner.
   • After the research, each group must present the collected information to the class.
   • With this, students will be able to understand in a more practical way how a food chain works, connecting the idea of what animals eat and what threatens them.
   • At the end of each group presentation, the teacher will organize the information on a board, showing practically the construction of a food chain (for example: grass -> zebra -> lion).

2. 'In the Garden' Activity (10 - 15 minutes)

   • The teacher will propose a game to the students where they will have to identify the living beings that live in their own garden (whether at home or at school) and imagine the food chain that could exist there.
   • Each group should be instructed to take a paper and a pencil and draw the living beings they find in the garden and, from them, outline a possible food chain.
   • The teacher should circulate, helping the groups clarify doubts and encouraging the creativity of the students.
   • In the end, each group must present their 'Garden Food Chain' to the class, explaining the connections between the drawn living beings and the food chain they traced.
   • The teacher can reinforce the learned concepts by asking questions to the class, such as 'Who is the producer in the garden food chain?' or 'Who would be the primary consumer?'.

3. 'I Am the Food' Activity (10 - 15 minutes)

   • The teacher will suggest to the students that, in a playful way, they represent the food chains with their own bodies.
   • First, the teacher will divide the class into groups and each group will be assigned the name of a trophic level (producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers).
   • The teacher will say the name of an animal or plant and the corresponding group should position themselves to represent the food relationship. For example, if the teacher says 'tree', the producers group should stand up. If 'bird' is mentioned, the primary consumers group should stand up, and so on.
   • This playful activity helps students to memorize the concepts in a more fun and interactive way.

These activities will allow students to understand the concepts of food chains in a more practical and playful way. Additionally, they stimulate group work, research, presentation, and creativity.

Return (10 - 15 minutes)

1. Group Discussion (5 - 7 minutes)

   • The teacher will gather all students in a large circle to promote a group discussion about the activities carried out. Each group will have the opportunity to share their discoveries, solutions, and conclusions. The teacher will encourage students to ask each other questions and to comment on the ideas presented by their peers.
   • The teacher will ask questions to the class, such as 'What did you find most interesting about the food chain you built in the garden?', 'Why is it important to have secondary consumers and decomposers in a food chain?' and 'How did you feel representing a food chain with your own body?'.
   • During the discussion, the teacher may correct possible misconceptions and reinforce the key concepts of the lesson. The teacher will praise the students' contributions, promoting an environment of respect, appreciation of everyone's ideas, and encouraging the participation of all.

2. Connection with Theory (3 - 5 minutes)

   • After the discussion, the teacher will make the connection between the practical activities carried out and the theory presented at the beginning of the lesson. They will reinforce the concepts of producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers, explaining how they fit into a food chain.
   • The teacher can use the board with the information from the food chains of the 'Animal Master' and the drawings of the 'Garden Food Chain' to exemplify and reinforce the concepts. They may ask, for example, 'Who here remembers who the secondary consumers are in the lion's food chain?'.

3. Final Reflection (2 - 3 minutes)

   • To conclude the lesson, the teacher proposes that students reflect for a minute on what they have learned. They will ask two simple questions to guide the students' reflection: 'What was the biggest discovery you made today about food chains?' and 'How can you apply what you learned today in your lives?'.
   • After the reflection moments, the teacher invites the students to share their answers, reinforcing the importance and relevance of the content learned. They will praise the students' answers, valuing their effort in learning and applying the new knowledge.

This return is a fundamental step to consolidate students' learning, allowing them to reflect on what they have learned, make connections with real situations, and apply the acquired knowledge. Additionally, it promotes active listening, respect for peers' opinions, and critical thinking.

Conclusion (5 - 10 minutes)

1. Lesson Summary (2 - 3 minutes)

   • The teacher will start the conclusion of the lesson by summarizing the most important points covered. They will recall the concepts of food chains, producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers, and how these elements interconnect in nature.

   • They may repeat the definitions and key concepts, such as 'A food chain shows who eats whom in nature, and all living beings have an important role in this web of relationships' or 'Producers, like plants, produce their own food, and consumers, like animals, obtain their food from other living beings'.

2. Connection between Theory and Practice (1 - 2 minutes)

   • The teacher will emphasize how the lesson connected theory and practice. They will recall the activities carried out, such as the research on animals in the 'Animal Master', the construction of food chains in the 'Garden Food Chain', and the representation of food chains in 'I Am the Food', and how these activities helped to illustrate the theoretical concepts in a concrete and meaningful way.

   • They may say, for example, 'Seeing the food chains forming with the information you researched, with the drawings you made, and even with the representation of 'I Am the Food' helps us to better understand how these concepts work in nature'.

3. Extra Materials (1 - 2 minutes)

   • The teacher will suggest additional materials for students, such as books, documentaries, educational online games, reliable websites, that can deepen students' understanding of the topic. For example, they may recommend a book of animal curiosities, a wildlife documentary, an online game that simulates the construction of a food chain, or a website from a research institution that explains the concept of food chains in a simple and clear way.

   • They may say, for example, 'If you enjoyed learning about food chains, I recommend book X, which has many animal curiosities, documentary Y, which shows several food chains in nature, game Z, which allows you to build your own food chains, and website W, which has more detailed information on the subject'.

4. Importance of the Subject (1 - 2 minutes)

   • Finally, the teacher will emphasize the importance of the learned subject for students' daily lives. They may say, for example, 'Understanding how food chains work is very important because it helps us understand the importance of all living beings in nature and how all of us, animals and plants, are interconnected. Additionally, it makes us value and respect nature and the environment even more'.

   • They may conclude, for example, 'Now, when you see a lion on TV, for instance, you will be able to tell your parents that it is a secondary consumer, feeding on zebras, which are primary consumers, that, in turn, feed on plants, which are the producers. That's pretty cool, isn't it?'.

This conclusion serves to reinforce the main points of the lesson, connect theory and practice, provide students with extra materials to deepen their learning, and highlight the relevance and application of the studied topic. Additionally, it ends the lesson in a positive and motivating way, making students proud of what they have learned and excited to continue learning.