Science Year 2
Biology Strand: Living things and their habitats
Children explain differences between things that are living, dead & that have never been
alive. Discuss what living organisms need to stay alive & well. Investigate the habitats that
they live in. Study simple food chains & how animals obtain their food.
Description of sessions
Discuss with chn how we know that something is alive. Introduce
Session A
some life processes of animals & plants (i.e. organisms). Explore what
Alive or
animals and plants need to stay alive and healthy. Introduce chn to
dead?
the idea that all living things are made of cells.
Look in more detail at the characteristics of living things using MRS
Session B
NERG as a reminder of the seven life processes: movement,
Life
reproduction, sensitivity, nutrition, excretion, respiration & growth.
processes
Read & add to a poem. Chn draw & act out life processes.
Sort a range of things into living and non-living. Include objects that
Session C
were alive once, e.g. dead leaf, wooden ruler, cotton T-shirt &
Living v nondiscuss what they were part of. Chn identify living & non-living things
living
around school & draw & label some for display.
Recap on the basic needs of animals & plants to keep them alive &
Session D
healthy. Establish that plants & animals live in particular habitats
Habitats
which serve their needs. Discuss how many animals provide the
needs of their offspring initially & how we help pets.
Explain that animals & plants depend on each other for survival in
Session E
their habitats. Animals depend on plants for food & shelter & plants
Dependency depend on animals for seed dispersion. Chn draw an oak tree & its
animal dependents plus seeds spread by animals.
Locate the different habitats in the school environment, including
Session F
micro-habitats, e.g. under a log or stone, in leaf litter. Identify plants
Local
& minibeasts found in these locations. Discuss responsible behaviour
habitats
when collecting minibeasts/plants.
Compare the plants & animals found in local habitats with those
Session G
found further afield, e.g. the seashore, an ocean, a rainforest, a
Other
woodland or a desert. Go on a real or virtual field trip to a
habitats
contrasting habitat! Chn research living things in a habitat.
Give chn the opportunity to carry out an enquiry to see what affects
Session H
the number of a chosen minibeast in a habitat using a choice
Habitat
chamber. Suggested enquiries involve woodlice, meal worms, worms
enquiry
or snails. Chn draw conclusions from their findings.
Remind chn that a suitable food source is one of the main criteria for
Session I
animals to survive in a particular habitat. Plants make their own food,
Food chains but animals eat plants &/or other animals. Introduce vocabulary
involved & study some simple food chains.
© Hamilton Trust 2014 Y2 - Science
Science Strands KS1
Year 1
Plants Biology
Animals, including humans Biology
Everyday materials Chemistry
Seasonal changes Physics
© Hamilton Trust 2014 Y2 - Science
Year 2
Living things and their habitats Biology
Plants Biology
Animals, including humans Biology
Uses of everyday materials Chemistry
Hamilton Trust
Science Year 2
Biology Strand
Living things and their habitats
© Hamilton Trust 2014 Y2 - Science