Where do plants and animals live? Why can certain animals only live in specific places? Is a food web related to spiders? In this topic we're going to learn about plants and animals, and where they live.... 3...2...1... Let's learn more!
The lessons covered in this unit are: 1. Habitats 2. Feeding relationships 3. Food chains and food webs 4. Animal adaptations 5. Plant adaptations 6. Different species |
1. HABITATS
🡺 I can link some plants and animals with their habitats.
A habitat is a place where a species makes its home. A habitat meets all the environmental conditions an organism needs to survive. The main components of a habitat are shelter, water, food, and space. For an animal, that means everything it needs to:
For a plant, a good habitat must provide the right combination of:
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2. FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS
🡺 I can identify animals as consumers and plants as producers.
🡺 I can identify different feeding relationships such as herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. 🡺 I can explain the difference between predator and prey. Feeding relationships in an area tell us what the organisms eat. A producer is an organism that makes their own food. This is usually a green plant, because plants can make their own food by photosynthesis. A consumer is an animal that eats a plant or another animal. A consumer that only eats plants is called a herbivore and a consumer that only eats meat is called a carnivore. An omnivore is an animal who can eat both plants and animals. A predator is an animal that hunts and eats other animals, and the prey is the animal that gets eaten by the predator. |
Geo-check!
1. For each definition, write down the feeding relationship term and an example.
a. A species that makes their own food. b. An animal that eats another plant or animal. c. A consumer that eats only plants. d. A consumer that eats only meat. e. A consumer that eats both plants and meat. f. An animal that hunts and eats other animals. g. An animal that gets eaten by other animals. 2. Fill in the blanks with examples of animals or plants.
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3. FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEBS
🡺 I can describe photosynthesis in a simple way.
🡺 I can draw and explain a food chain and a food web. 🡺 I can describe that energy flows through a food chain. PHOTOSYNTHESIS For photosynthesis to take place, plants need to take in carbon dioxide (from the air), water (from the ground) and light (usually from the sun). Sunlight provides the energy needed for photosynthesis to take place. In this process carbon dioxide and water are converted into oxygen (a waste product that is released back into the air) and glucose (the source of energy for the plant). Food chains Food chains always start with producers. Producers are able to make their own food by the process of photosynthesis. Food chains show us how energy travels through a number of animals. They always start with a producer and always end with a consumer. Here is an example of a simple food chain. The arrows in the food chain show the direction in which energy is moving. The plant is the producer and the animals are consumers:
Food webs When all the food chains in an ecosystem are joined up together, they form a food web. To the right is an example of a food web. Although it looks complex, it is just several food chains joined together. |
Here are some games you can play:
Food Chain Challenge https://toybox.tools.bbc.co.uk/activities/id/gm2zlfh9hq/exitGameUrl/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fbitesize%2Ftopics%2Fzbnnb9q%2Farticles%2Fz93vdxs/palette/colour-palette-7/language/en-GB/project/blocks-bitesize Food Web Maker https://games.legendsoflearning.com/games/WyJnYW1lcyIsNjIxXQ== Ecosystem in a box! https://games.legendsoflearning.com/games/WyJnYW1lcyIsMTAyMF0= The food chain game https://www.cserc.org/sierra-fun/games/build-food-chain/ Food webs in Antarctica www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.life.eco.oceanfoodweb/antarctic-food-web-game/ |
Geo-check!
1. Draw two food chains with four links. One must be on land and another in the sea.
2. Answer the questions below. a. Why are plant called producers? a. What three ingredients to plants need to create energy? a. What is the process of plant making energy from light called? a. What happens to a plant if it does not get enough light? 3. Look at this food web. a. Where do you think this food web may be found? b. Write down the names of the four producers. c. How many consumers are there? d. List the primary consumers. e. List the secondary consumers. f. What does the wolf prey on? g. What is the predator of the butterfly? h. Which animal is the predator to THREE animals? i. Which animal is the predator to FIVE animals? |
4. ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
🡺 I can identify some animal adaptations to survive in their habitat and describe their functions.
An adaptation is a change in an animal that helps it survive in its environment. Adaptations can either be a part of the animals’ body (skin, colour) or change in the behaviour of the animal (hunting at night). Here are some adaptations for these habitats. TOO DRY
TOO HOT
TOO COLD
OTHER ADAPTATIONS
Here are some game you can play:
https://web.archive.org/web/20101224132920/http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm The adaptation game https://games.legendsoflearning.com/games/WyJnYW1lcyIsNjQ2XQ== Test your knowledge http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/animals/animal-adaptations.htm |
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Geo-check!
1. Match these animals with their adaptations.
Penguin Ostrich Iguana Eagle Clown fish Lion Polar bear Hummingbird Camel Giraffe Cheetah Puffer fish a. Long eyelashes and hairy eyes help protect this animal from sandstorms. b. It can also close its nose to keep the sand out when needed. c. Its tiny winds help it hover in mid-air. Its long slender beak allows it to drink nectar from plants and flowers. d. Talons help it hold prey during flight, its curved beak is used to tear prey apart while eating. e. It huddles together with other birds to keep warm. Its wings look like flippers to help it swim. f. It is a fast-running bird. It can outrun predators. It also kicks to protect itself. g. This animals’ large front paws are slightly webbed to help it swim. Its white coat help it blend in with its surroundings. h. When threatened, it drinks lots of water. Then it puffs up to protect itself from predators. i. This cat can run up to 70 mph to catch prey. Its fur coat helps it hide in the grassy plains. j. Its long neck helps this animal reach leaves high up in the leaves. It also helps it see predators across the savanna. k. This animal’s mane helps protect its neck. It also helps the animal look bigger than it really is. l. This fish has developed an immunity to the poisonous anemone. When predators are hunting it, it goes into the anemone to shelter. m. This lizard has toes fringed with spiny scales to help them run across the sand without sinking. They also help them burrow into the sand. |
5. PLANT ADAPTATIONS
🡺 I can identify some plant adaptations to survive in their habitat and describe their functions.
We live in the Mediterranean. Here plants need to adapt to the high temperatures and lack of water in the summer months. Here are some of the adaptations for the Mediterranean region:
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Geo-check!
1. Look at the fact file about the Olive Tree on the right.
a. What THREE factors is the Olive tree adapted for? b. List THREE of the olive tree’s adaptations below. c. Where is the Olive tree found? d. How do you think this tree is threatened? 2. Look at this part of the Maltese landscape below. What do you notice about the plants?
3. Taking a closer look at the plants in the photo, write down any other adaptations for the lack of water and heat. |
Adaptations:
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6. DIFFERENT SPECIES
🡺 I can describe the word endemic, indigenous, alien, endangered and extinct species and give examples.
Plants and animals live in different places. Here are some terms to describe where they are found. Endemic species Species that are found only in a particular area. Species only found in Malta are said to be endemic. Indigenous species Species that naturally occur in a large geographical area. Species that are found in the Mediterranean climate (like Malta, France, California, Australia) are said to be indigenous. Alien species Species which do not occur naturally in an area, but are brought in by humans. Sometimes, alien species benefit the area, but other times, they thrive so well that it damages the species living there. Endangered species Species which are at risk of becoming extinct. There are many reasons animals become extinct, including over-hunting and their habitat being destroyed. Extinct species Species that there are no more of on Earth. |
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Geo-check!
1. Look at the table showing the plants found in Malta.
a. Why do you think there are more Indigenous plants in Malta? b. Why do you think there are so few Endemic plants in Malta? 2. Write down the status of these species, using the description given. Maltese Rock-Centaury Found only on the Maltese islands. Its natural habitats are cliffs and coastal valleys which are being built up. There are very few remaining. Great Reed Non-native species, but introduced in ancient times, at least 500 years ago after Columbus discovery of the New World. Sandarac Gum Tree This species which has been labelled as being endangered worldwide. It only grows in Malta, in the western part of North Africa, and within a small region of Spain. Mediterranean Chameleon This species was introduced in the 1800s by missionaries who brought specimens over from North Africa. It has now spread to all parts of Malta and is also found on Gozo. Maltese Ruby Tiger Moth This moth is only found in Malta. It is common throughout the Maltese Islands. |