In this activity, you will draw a food chain to show how the residents of A Hare in the Forest depend on each other for food. You will also find a few more to add to the food chain along the way!
Explore the Food Chain in A Hare in the Forest
K-12 Resource: Activity
Draw a food chain to show how plants and animals depend on each other for energy
Project Details
- Grade Level K-5
- Subject Areas Science, Art
- Activity Type Drawing, Making Models
- Title
A Hare in the Forest
- Date Created
about 1585
- Place Created
Germany
- Material
Oil on panel
- Maker
Hans Hoffmann (German, 1545/1550–1591/1592)
- Dimensions
Unframed (With Radius Of Panel, Right Side): 62.2 × 78.4 cm (24 1/2 × 30 7/8 in.), Unframed (Without Radius Of Panel, Right Side): 61.9 × 78.4 cm (24
- Credit Line
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2001.12
About
Learning Objectives
Materials Needed
- Paper
- Pencil or colorful pencils
Assignment
Watch a Video
Learn more about a group of forest friends. To start, join Jessie and Jordan as they jump into this painting and meet them!
Review the Food Chain
A food chain shows how energy and nutrients are passed from one living thing to another in an ecosystem. Review Meet the Residents of A Hare in the Forest.
Identify the Producers and Consumers
Locate each animal in the painting. On your paper, draw a series of circles or boxes to represent each resident of A Hare in the Forest: Lady’s Mantle, Hare, Spider, and Snail.
Draw the Food Chain
Draw arrows between the circles or boxes to show the flow of energy and nutrients. Who eats who? Start with the lady’s mantle, and connect it to the hare, then the spider, and finally, the snail. Label the producers and consumers.
Add More Animals or Plants to Your Food Chain
Add three more residents you see in the painting to your food chain.
- Use arrows to show the direction of energy flow. Who gets energy from whom?
- Label whether they are a consumer or producer.
- Do you have any more thoughts about this plant or animal to share?
Review and Share
Once you’ve completed your food chain drawing, review it to make sure it accurately represents the relationships between the residents of A Hare in the Forest.
Share your drawing with a friend or family member and explain how the food chain works.
Have fun exploring the food chain! Remember, each resident plays an important role in keeping the ecosystem balanced and healthy.
Vocabulary
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants. The hare is an herbivore because it eats leaves, veggies, and berries.
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals. The spider is a carnivore because it eats other creatures.
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and other animals. Omnivores, like humans, eat a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish. They have a diverse diet that includes both plant and animal matter.
Scavenger
An animal that eats dead plants or animals. The snail is a scavenger because it helps clean up the forest by munching on plants, fungus, and rotting food.
Producer
In nature, a plant or organism that makes its own food. It uses sunlight to create energy through a process called photosynthesis. Plants, like lady’s mantle, are examples of producers because they make their own food by capturing sunlight and growing leaves.
Photosynthesis
How plants make food for themselves. They use sunlight, water, and air to create energy. It's like a magic trick where plants turn sunlight into food! So, photosynthesis is how plants grow and stay alive.
Resident
Someone who lives in a particular place.
Related Materials
Meet Hans Hoffmann: A Renaissance Painter of Nature and People
Read about an artist who enjoyed painting nature
Let’s Build Our Local Ecosystem
Create a food chain model to show how plants and animals work together in your community
Critter Cuisine Creations
Design menus with yummy foods for animal friends
Extensions
Use magazines or web images of plants and animals to cut out and add to your food chain.