*Return to Mrs. Shirley on test day. Please keep this in your home folder. Take it out to study, then return to the home folder so you’ll have it on the day of the test and earn 5 bonus points!
I can explain how seasons in the savannah biome are different from ours and how life is adapted to living in this biome.
In the savannah, there is only a rainy season and a dry season.
Animals migrate and follow the growth of the grass (herbivores) or follow other animals (carnivores) during the dry season. During the rainy season, animals return as the vegetation starts to grow again.
Plants in the savannah are designed to store water in the rainy season so they can last through the dry season.
I can explain the transfer of energy in ecosystems in the savannah biome.
All energy begins with the sun. The sun allows producers (plants) to make their own food. The consumers that are herbivores eat the plants. Consumers that are carnivores eat the herbivores. When animals die, their bodies decompose and go back into the soil.
Plants get nutrients from the soil and the circle of life continues.
I can select a plant living in the savannah and describe its life cycle.
Plants that begin from seeds must first have the right conditions to germinate (sprout). The tiny plant grows into a seedling with roots, stem and leaves. The seedling grows into a mature adult plant. We will be talking about the thorn acacia tree, candelabra tree, the
Baobab tree and elephant grass.
I can select an animal living in the savannah and describe its life cycle.
The stages in an animal’s life cycle in the savannah are birth, dependency on mother, adult, and finally death. We will be talking about the life cycles of the lion, cheetah, and zebra.
I can describe adaptations of plants and animals of the savannah and explain how they help them survive.
An adaptation is anything that helps an animal survive. It can be a body part, a special skill or a particular behavior. We will be talking

about specific adaptations of the African elephant, cheetah, ostrich and giraffe.
I can explain the effects the loss of an adaptation would have on a plant and/or animal.
The loss of an adaptation may result in the animal’s inability to get food and ultimately cause its death.
I can explain how living things in the savannah are similar to and different from living things in other biomes we have studied.
Ask your child to compare savannah animals to those living in the rainforest, the desert, and Antarctica. Why could these animals not switch homes and survive?
I can describe the habitat of a plant or animal living in the savannah.
We will be discussing the habitats required of various savannah plants and animals (see those already mentioned).
I can explain why offspring are similar to but not exactly like their parents.
Offspring are similar because they are the same species. Their differences are a result of a different combination of genes from their parents which produce different characteristics . You don’t look exactly like your brother or sister … right?
I can describe a possible disturbance to a food chain in the savannah and what the effects might be.
When any part of a food chain is disturbed, whatever eats the species disturbed ends up starving. This affects the whole food chain!
I can explain the differences between a food chain and a food web and how the two are interdependent.
A food chain is a smaller part of a food web. A food web is made from many food chains. Any disturbance in a food chain can affect the entire food web.
I can describe a possible natural disaster and how this would affect life in the savannah.
A common disaster in the savannah is wildfire. However, these fires usually only affect the plant layer but do not do much damage to the few trees. The fires do, however, kill seedlings that would grow into groups of trees and form a canopy that would stop the grass growth.
Some think fires are an enemy of the savanna. But for hundreds of

years, they have helped to keep the savanna ecosystems functioning, preventing some species from overpopulation.
I have helped my child, ________________________________________, study this information.
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