6.+Plants+and+animals+depend+on+each+other+and+their+physical+environment.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDINGS 6.1a Green plants are producers because they provide the basic food supply for themselves and animals. 6.1b All animals depend on plants. Some animals (predators) eat other animals (prey). 6.1c Animals that eat plants for food may in turn become food for other animals. This sequence is called a food chain. 6.1dDecomposers are living things that play a vital role in recycling nutrients. 6.1e An organism's pattern of behavior is related to the nature of that organism's environment, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and other resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment. 6.1f When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. 6.2a Plants manufacture food by utilizing air, water, and energy from the Sun. 6.2b The Sun's energy is transferred on Earth from plants to animals through the food chain. 6.2c Heat energy from the Sun powers the water cycle (see Physical Science Key Idea 2). 