What Are Producers, Consumers and Decomposers?

Producers, consumers and decomposers each play a specific role within food chains. 

• Producers use energy from the sun to create their own food through the process of photosynthesis. The most common producers are plants.
• Consumers cannot make their own food. They must source food in the form of plants and other animals.
• Decomposers source their energy from organisms that are dead and/or breaking down. Through this process, they return nutrients to the soil for producers to use. 

This sorting activity has been designed to familiarize your students with examples of various producers, consumers and decomposers. It contains:

• 1 x  instruction page
• 3 x sort headings
• 24 x task cards
• 1 x recording sheet
• 1 x answer sheet

How to Use This Food Chains Sorting Activity

Using this resource in your classroom is easy! Just follow the simple instructions below.

1. Place the sort headings out on a flat surface.
2. Choose a photo card. Determine if the card is displaying a producer, consumer, or decomposer. 
3. Place that card under the correct heading and record the answer on the recording sheet.
4. Repeat until all cards have been distributed.

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown arrow on the Download button to select between the editable Google Slides or easy-print PDF version of this resource.

As this download contains an answer sheet, we recommend printing one copy of the resource, then removing the answer sheet before continuing to prepare the resource.

Print the cards on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access.

This resource was created by Brittany Kellogg, a teacher in Ohio and a Teach Starter collaborator.

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