Using shapes to complete a food chain: Add shapes to Slide 2 to trace the energy flow through an ecosystem. Slide 2 contains several organisms in the food chain. Add shapes to connect the flow of energy from the sun through the food chain. On Slide 2, you will see six images representing the organisms in a food chain. Move the images to order the organisms according to their place in the food chain. To do this, click on the image, and when the cursor changes to four arrows, hold the mouse button down and drag it to the correct location on the slide. To resize an image, holding down the mouse button, click and drag the anchors around the image to increase and decrease the image’s size. Now you will insert shapes to add arrows that show the direction of the food chain. To insert a shape, click on the Insert tab. In the Insert ribbon, select the Shapes drop-down menu. Choose one of the arrows from the menu to add to the slide. Go to the slide, hold down the mouse button, and drag the cursor diagonally to draw the shape. To move the shape, click on the shape and when the cursor changes to four arrows, hold the mouse button down and drag it to the correct location on the slide. To resize the shape, hold down the mouse button and then click and drag the anchors around the shape to increase or decrease the shape’s size.

1 answer

To complete the task of outlining a food chain on Slide 2, follow these steps:

Step 1: Organize the Organisms

  1. Identify the Organisms: First, look at the six images representing the organisms in the food chain. Common levels include:

    • Producers (e.g., plants)
    • Primary Consumers (e.g., herbivores)
    • Secondary Consumers (e.g., carnivores that eat herbivores)
    • Tertiary Consumers (top carnivores)
    • Decomposers (e.g., fungi, bacteria)
  2. Drag and Drop: Click on each organism image, and use the four-arrow cursor to drag them into the correct order:

    • Place producers at the bottom.
    • Follow with primary consumers above them.
    • Then place secondary consumers.
    • Finally, add tertiary consumers at the top.
    • If present, place decomposers at the side or bottom to signify their essential role in the ecosystem.

Step 2: Adding Arrows to Indicate Energy Flow

  1. Insert Arrows:

    • Click on the Insert tab in your toolbar.
    • Navigate to Shapes and select an arrow shape from the dropdown menu.
  2. Draw the Arrows:

    • Click and drag diagonally on the slide to draw the arrow from one organism to the next, indicating the direction of energy flow (e.g., from producers to primary consumers).
    • Repeat this for each connection within the food chain.
  3. Positioning and Resizing:

    • If needed, move any arrows by clicking on them and using the four-arrow cursor or resize them by dragging the anchors around the shape.

Step 3: Completing the Slide

  1. Final Adjustments: Once all organisms are placed and arrows drawn, adjust the placement of images and arrows for clarity and neatness.
  2. Labeling (Optional): If desired, you can add text boxes to label each level of the food chain (e.g., "Producers," "Primary Consumers," etc.) for further clarity.

Conclusion

Once these steps are completed, Slide 2 should visually represent the energy flow through the ecosystem effectively. Ensure the images are well-organized, and the arrows clearly indicate the direction of energy transfer. If you need to print or present your slide, check the alignment and make sure everything is clear and legible.