Web of Life Activity

This activity will help one have a better understanding of how everything is dependent on everything else. It is important to remember that animals and plants have an important part on our planet.

Materials Needed:

1 spool of yarn

Label a set of cards with parts of the food chain. Examples: sun, plants, insects, bear, tiger, rabbit, spider, songbird, hawk, water, snails, fish, turtle, alligator, frog, antelope, etc. Make sure there are more plants and small critters than large ones. Add a "people" card to show the impact humans have on the environment.

Procedure: Use some of yarn to make a necklace with each card.

1. Pass out these necklace cards to all the volunteers.
2. Everyone stand in a circle. Think about which card represents what all life needs to grow (the sun). Hand the end of the yarn to the "sun" card.
3. What would be next in the chain? It would be plants, so everyone with "plant" cards would take a section of the yarn. The sun person still needs to hold tight to the end of the yarn.
4. Continue through the list in the same manner until all the labeled cards have been used.
5. When all the cards have been used discuss what would happen if one of the items were removed from the environment. Start removing things from their environment. If something will not survive with another thing, another critter must be taken out of the web. As the chain collapses, discuss the importance of each living thing in every habitat.