Sc 2: Life Processes
4. Characteristics
of Living Things
P.O.S.
Key Stage 1 Sc 2: 1a, 1b, 2b, 2f, 2g, 3a, 3b, 3c
Key Stage 2 Sc 2: 1a, 1b, 2b, 2f, 3c, 3d
Key Stage 3 Sc 2:
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
· To be able to differentiate between alive and never alive.· To know some of the features of living things.
· To begin to know that all living things move, feed, reproduce, use senses, breathe and grow.
· To know that animals include minibeasts, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals (not classifications).
· To know that there is a range of ways animals move, feed etc.
· To know that all animals move, feed, grow, use senses and reproduce.
· To know that plants grow bigger and change in shape and appearance.
· To know that plants do not take in food through the roots.
· To be able to describe life processes using correct vocabulary.
· To know that nutrition is eating and drinking and all animals to this.
· To know that all animals move about.
· To know that all animals get bigger as they get older.
· To know that plants make more of themselves.
· To know that all animals make more of themselves.
ICT
Use junior pinpoint to make a database
Use PowerPoint
Use microscope / LINKS
Art
Geography /
VOCABULARY
Living, non-living, dead, alive, move, grow, feed, sense, animals, plants, humans, minibeast, insect, (reproduce) or ‘make more of themselves’, growth, nutrition, nutrient, roots, shoots, leaves, stem, flower, movement, reproduction9
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ACTIVITIES
· Ask pupils to draw sets of things they think are living, and never lived. Discuss with friends to see is they agree and then make changes.
· Sort/classify objects into living/never lived.
· Go on a walk, collect items and sort them.
· Discuss how they know something is alive.
· Sort items according to whether they move, feed, grow, sense etc.
· Compare a live rabbit to a stuffed toy and a live plant to a plastic one.
· Compare a dead plant to a live plant and a dead insect to a live one.
· Research work on animals that are extinct or in danger of dying out.
· Draw pictures of plants and animals that are alive and ones that are not. Discuss.
· Make a list of the things that ‘move and are alive’ and ‘move and aren’t alive’.
· Is a candle alive? Discuss.
· Discuss what pupils need to keep them alive. Do their pets (other animals) and plants need this?
· Compare movement in different animals – use PE and drama.
· Look at paint footprints.
· Discuss what different animals eat. Sort them into plant eaters and meat eaters.
· Match a food to an animal.
· Consider life cycles of frogs, butterflies, birds etc.
· Match pictures of young to adult.
· Consider a range of animals that sense differently e.g. insects – antennae, worms/snails – no eyes.
· Make up an imaginary living thing. How does it move, feed, sense, grow, reproduce etc?
· Discuss how things change as they grow e.g. butterflies, tadpoles.
· Discuss with the pupils how they know plants are alive.
· Draw a picture of a plant and show on this what a plant needs to grow well.
· Measure plants in the garden and in pots over a number of weeks – use different ways, e.g. number of leaves, flowers, shoots and so on.
· Look at how quickly mimosa reacts.
· Grow duckweed (no soil!) - 25ْC, bright light and some nutrients in the water they grow quickly. Count the number of leaves each day.
· Look at carnivorous plants (Venus fly trap or sundew). Use a fine pin to touch hairs. Touch once, twice in quick succession etc. Drop ‘raindrop’ on plant– why doesn’t it close? Put different substances in plants – they reopen if it is something they can’t digest. Discuss.
· Research and find out about some of the different ways animals feed e.g. butterfly, fly, whale, snake.
· Discuss with pupils how they know something has grown.
· Compare the ways in which animals move.
· Look at how an animal’s shape helps movement, e.g. stream-lining; fish fins to keep it balanced.
· Take plant cuttings e.g. geranium, buzy lizzie, begonia, coleus, wandering Jew. Grow in soil and water and compare results.
· Look at spider plants, mother of thousands, strawberry plants.
· Try leaf cuttings (African violets). Cut through central vein and grow cut-side down in compost.
· Try growing plants from conkers, acorns, pips, avocados, and tomatoes.
· Use secondary sources and discussion to look briefly at sexual reproduction in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects.
· Compare numbers of offspring to the amount of paternal care.
· Find out which animals have live young or lay eggs.
· Look at insect life cycles.
· Keep stick insects.
· Keep meal worms.
· Pupils research one animal and present to the rest of the class. / RESOURCES
· Selection of objects, but avoid ones that were once alive unless pupils very able. Pictures also useful.
· Stuffed toy, plastic plant, live plant.
· Dead plant, live plant, dead insect, live insect.
· Reference books, pictures.
· Videos of animals e.g. “Lets ask the Animals”.
· Paint.
· Food samples or pictures of food.
· Books/posters about butterflies, birds etc.
· Pictures of young and adult animals.
· Research books.
· Mimosa pudica.
· Duckweed, tank, water, bench light.
· Carnivorous plants – garden centres and ‘Blades Botanical’.
· To help speed up plant growth a ‘light bank’ is useful.
· Research books/videos e.g. Scientific Eye – What is Life?
· Plants, pots, compost.
· Plants, compost, sharp knife.
· Seeds collected in autumn; fruits.
· Research books, CD Roms.
· Stick insects, container/ cage to keep them in. / POINTS TO NOTE
· Check pupil’s understanding of the concept ‘living’ and why they classify things as living or never lived.
· Avoid ‘once-alive’ unless pupils are secure in conceptual understanding.
· In discussion try to get pupils to focus on the broader characteristics of living things.
· Revisit living and not living to ensure pupils have understood this concept.
· Focus on other animals not just humans.
· Unless pupils are ready, leave the word ‘reproduce’ until KS2.
· Pupils may also mention breathe and drink.
· Reinforce the connection between living and the life processes.
· Ensure that pupils meet a variety of plants including trees, bushes and cacti.
· Introduce the idea that growth is not just an increase in height.
· Revise names of plant parts from KS1.
· Pupils need to understand that growth is not always linked to a change in size.
· Check that pupils are clear about alive, not alive and never-been alive.
Continued ….
· Pupils need to understand that nutrition is feeding and this means taking in useful substances.
· Details of how different types of animals reproduce is not needed. It is to make pupils aware that there needs to be a male & female, that some lay eggs and that many animals don’t care for their young.
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POSSIBLE INVESTIGATIONS
· Can minibeasts sense, e.g. shine a light on them, touch gently with paintbrush, spray with water? Give them a choice of 2 conditions.
· Investigate how the Death’s Head Hawk-moth lavae grow – take measurements over a couple of weeks. Death’s Head Hawk-moth lavae grow very quickly and are large. Available as kits from Stratford on Avon Butterfly Farm.
· Investigate how Giant African Snails sense, move and feed. Available from Stibbington Centre for Environmental Education.
· Set up two “mini” ponds in 3 litre plastic bottles. Give one continuous light and one “day and night”. Compare any differences.
· Set up two “mini” ponds as before, one with duckweed and one with water mint. Measure growth – which is most productive?
· Use mini-ponds to investigate the effect on different amounts of plant ‘foods’ on growth compare with no plant ‘food’ (SAFETY SYMBOL).
· What do birds prefer to eat e.g. bread, crisps, bacon rind etc. Resources: selection of foods, bird table
· What do snails prefer to eat e.g. dead leaves, fresh leaves, leaf type, fruit etc. Resources: snails, containers, ‘food’ selection
· What is the best shape for fish’s fins? Resources: Dolly pegs as fish, card, water tank
· Try growing dandelion roots. Does size matter? Does it matter if it comes from the top, middle or bottom part of the root? Resources: dandelion roots, knife, pots, compost.
Name:
Date Record Began:
Outcomes: NC Level 1 è NC Level 4
1 / · Can name a feature common to living things e.g. move.· Can name some things that are alive more accurately.
· Can give example of animals (mainly mammals!).
· Can give examples of plants (probably not trees!).
· Know that plants grow.
1+ / · Can name some things that were never alive.
· Can name two features common to living things.
· Can give an example of an animal that senses differently to humans.
2 / · Will realise that some things were once alive.
· Can name three or more features common to living things.
· Know what an animal is (give a range of animals).
· Can describe a range of ways animals move and feed.
· Can tell you that plants need food to grow.
· Know that some plants grow slowly.
· Will be using some of the right vocabulary.
· Can take a simple plant cutting.
2+ / · Can describe some of the changes in plants as they grow.
· Can describe some of the changes in animals as they grow.
3 / · Can tell you all the things animals have in common.
· Will tell you that plants don’t take in food through the roots.
· Can explain how an animal’s shape is important in movement.
· Know that plants can reproduce other than from seeds.
· Can tell you that reproduction is necessary to replace plants as they die.
· Can explain simply why animals need to reproduce.
· Can name an animal that lays eggs and one that has living young.
3+ / · Can explain what is necessary to take a plant cutting e.g. reduce numbers of leaves on cutting; take from correct part of plant.
· Can explain why some animals have to produce large numbers of offspring.
4 / · Can name the 7 life processes.
Further Comments
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