Primary Science Readers' Theatre
ACTIVITIES FOR
"HOW RACHEL RABBIT FIXED THE FOOD CHAIN"
Prereading Activities
Students can enter their vocabulary into their Science Picture Dictionaries or
the teacher can orally review the words with the class before reading the
play.
camouflage
predator
carn'woree
prey
consumers
producers
herbivores
nocturnal
Draw what you ate for dinner last night. Does this make you a consumer or a
producer? Explain your answer.
Purpose For Reading
Find out how the Rabbit family changed the food chain to solve a problem. As
we read along, try to decide if you like their solution.
Post-reading Activities
Write the problem and solution that the Rabbit family used in this play. Tell
whether you agree or disagree with their solution. List at least two reasons
for your answer.
Diagram an example of a real life food
chain. Start with a producer (plant) and
then draw the sequence of consumers
until your food chain is completed. Label
each step of the food chain.
Research an example of an herbivore
and a carnivore. Find out what each one
eats. Find out if the herbivore and
carnivore are eaten by other animals.
Use the Activity Sheet for How Rachel
Rabbit Fixed the Food Chain to help you
complete this activity.
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© 2002 Pieces of Learnir
Primary Science RearWs' Theatre
ACTIVITY SHEET
HOW RACHEL RABBIT FIXED THE FOOD CHAIN
Name.
Draw the herbivore and carnivore you researched. List what foods they eat
arm what amrnalo oof +l,~v~
and
what animals eat them.
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Herbivore
Carnivore
What do they eat?
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What do they eat?
Who eats them?
©2002 Pieces of Learning
Who eats them?
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Hrimarv Science Readers' Theatre
HOW RACHEL RABBIT FIXED THE FOOD CHAIN
A play to teach about the food chains of animals
Characters
Mother Rabbit
Rapid Rabbit
Father Rabbit
Rachel Rabbit
Henrietta Hawk
Henry Hawk
Grass
Narrator
Samantha Snake
Sneaky Snake
Vocabulary camouflage, carnivores, consumers,
herbivores, predator, prey, producers, nocturnal
rabbit ears, snakeskin shirts, hawk hats, green
shirts (grass)
SCENE I
The prairie in the morning
Narrator: The Rabbit family is having a dinner meeting on a grassy hill. Father
Rabbit is upset.
Father: Mother, Rapid, and Rachel, I have bad news. Your sister Rebecca
Rabbit has been eaten by a hawk while
she was eating her lunch on the prairie.
Mother: Oh, no! That's my fifth baby to
be eaten this year! Between the hawks
and the snakes, we'll become extinct!
This will have to stop!
Rachel: How can it be stopped, Mother?
We're herbivores; we feed on plants and
grass.
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© 2002 Pieces of Learning:
I
Primary Science Readers' Theatre
ipid: When we're eating, it's scary because a
iake or hawk might sneak up and eat me.
i
lother: I know because your five brothers and
|sters have been eaten this year!
father: I've thought of a plan. It means we'll have
change our habits, but if we stick to it, we'll all
urvive.
fRachel and Rapid: What's your plan, Father?
Father: Well, our fur is a good camouflage, but not good enough for hawks and
snakes. I propose that we become nocturnal.
Mother: If we only come out at night, the hawks and snakes will be sleeping.
Then we'll be safe.
Rapid: It's morning now, so let's go to sleep.
Rachel: I'm hungry, but I guess I can wait until dark.
Narrator: The Rabbits quickly hop into their hole.
Rabbits: Long live herbivores! Down with carnivores!
Narrator: The Rabbit family falls asleep.
SCENE 2
The prairie, a few days later
Narrator: Henry and Henrietta Hawk are searching for food.
Henry: Henrietta, I'm hungry. I haven't seen any rabbits lately. Where could they
be?
Henrietta: Beats me! Do rabbits take vacations?
© 2002 Pieces of Learning
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Primary Science Readers' Theatre
Henry: If this keeps up, we'll have to eat those little rats and mice. Yuck!
Henrietta: We could eat the snakes, but they've been mighty skinny and tough
lately.
Narrator: While Henry and Henrietta look for rabbits, the Rabbit family is
sleeping snugly in their rabbit hole. Samantha Snake and Sneaky Snake slither
in the grass, looking for something to eat.
Samantha: You're looking rather thin, Sneaky.
Sneaky: Well, I only have these little prairie mice to munch on. I haven't seen a
rabbit in days!
Samantha: We carnivores need meat to eat. I wouldn't waste my time eating
plants.
Samantha and Sneaky: We need a juicy, chubby bunny rabbit!
Sneaky: Look out for those hawks. Remember our dear sister Sally who was
eaten by one just last week?
Samantha: I hope we find a rabbit soon. After all, we're the consumers.
Sneaky: Consumers?
Samantha: A consumer eats living things like
plants and animals.
Sneaky: Goodie! I like being a consumer. Is a
rabbit a consumer?
Samantha: Yes, because rabbits eat grass and
other plants to survive.
Sneaky: Then is grass a consumer?
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© 2002 Pieces of Learnjii
Primary Science Reader;' Theatre
itor: Just then the Grass family
iks up.
js: We most certainly are NOT
tfsumers! We are producers.
baky: Producers?
iss: We make our own food. We
>n't have to hunt for food. Our gorgeous
jen blades soak up the sunshine to
lake food.
Rlarrator: The hawks and snakes look
I
puzzled. They wonder how the grass can
lake its own food.
Grass: We store our food in our lovely roots and leaves. It's too bad that all
those herbivores eat us when we never bother anyone.
Sneaky: I see those hawks up there in the tree. Let's hide over there on the
rocks. Our bodies will be camouflaged to protect us.
Narrator: As the rabbits sleep, the hawks and snakes look desperately for food.
SCENE 3
The prairie, the next morning
Narrator: Rachel Rabbit was so hungry, she snuck out of the rabbit hole while
everyone was sleeping.
Rachel: (whispering) This nocturnal stuff is for owls, not rabbits. I need sunshine.
Narrator: Rachel is spotted by Sneaky Snake who quickly swallows her up.
Samantha: Sneaky, you didn't leave any for me!
© 2002 Pieces of Learning
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Sneaky: It sure feels good to have a full stomach for a change.
Narrator Just as quickly, Henrietta Hawk swoops down and gobbles up Sneaky 1
Samantha: Help! Help! It's a predator!
Narrator: All of the shouting woke up the Rabbit family. They hop outside to see
what is happening.
Rapid: The sun is hurting my eyes!
Mother: We're not used to the sun anymore.
Father: Watch out for those hawks and snakes. We will
NOT be their prey anymore!
Mother: Where is your sister, Rachel Rabbit?
Rapid: Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since last
night.
Narrator: Samantha Snake sneaks up and tries to eat
Rapid Rabbit, but he was too fast for her.
Samantha: You Rabbits make me sick! Your precious Rachel was eaten this 1
morning by my brother, Sneaky Snake.
Narrator: Samantha begins to cry.
Samantha: Henrietta Hawk swooped down and ate HIM. Woe is me.
Narrator: Henry and Henrietta Hawk shout down from their tree.
Hawks: You Rabbits have upset the whole food chain on this prairie. We
carnivores are starving!
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©2002 Pieces of Lear
Primary Science Readers' Theatre
js: We don't like being eaten at night by you Rabbits. We want to sleep and
at night. Give us a break!
er: Well, I guess I just can't change nature. We'll
||e to take our chances our here on the prairie. Poor
hel.
>ther: Before we hide, we'd like to leave you with
is song:
f0~o the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel")
All around the food chain,
The snake ate the rabbit.
Then the hawk ate the snake,
Oh, my, what a habit!
The consumers ate the producere,
The predators ate their prey.
That's the way the food chain goes,
Day after day.
Rabbits: Let's hop on out of here before they get us!
THE END
© 2002 Pieces of Learning
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