Junior Science – Living things
Living things – Learning objectives
1. Understand how to use a simple key to identify
plants and animals, including vertebrates and
invertebrates.
2. Investigate the variety of living things by
direct observation of animals and plants in
their environment; classify living organisms
as plants or animals, and animals as
vertebrates or invertebrates.
3. Identify the basic life processes and characteristics common to all living
organisms: nutrition, respiration, excretion, growth, reproduction, movement
and response.
Living things – Notes
•
Biology is the study of living things (organisms).
•
Living things have the following seven characteristics:
– nutrition
– movement
– respiration
– response.
– excretion
- growth
– reproduction
•
The main differences between animals and plants are:
– Animals move from place to place but plants do not.
– Animals take in food but plants make their own food.
– Animal cells do not have a cell wall but plant cells do have a cell
wall.
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Junior Science – Living things
•
Invertebrates are animals that do not have backbones.
•
Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone.
•
Living things can be identified and named using keys.
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Junior Science – Living things
Use the plant key below to identify these trees
1 = ____________ 2 = ___________
3 = _________
1. Are the leaves single
Are the leaves divided into leaflets?
2. Are the leaves divided into many lobes
4 = ____________
Go to 2
Go to 4
Oak
(rounded parts)?
Are the leaves not divided into many
Go to 3
Lobes
3. Is the edge of the leaf spiked?
Is the edge of the leaf smooth?
4. Are the leaves arranged like the fingers
Holly
Beech
Horse Chestnut
of a hand?
Are the leaves arranged in pairs?
Ash
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Junior Science – Living things
Living things – Keywords:
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Junior Science – Living things
Name: ………………………
3.5 Living Things
1. Underline the correct word in the following list to complete the sentence. Vertebrates
have ____________ .
hair
a backbone
feathers
legs
2. Using the list below underline which group fish
belong to?
Invertebrates
Vertebrates
3.
Animals can be divided into two groups based on
whether they have a backbone or not. Which group do
spiders belong to?
4.
You have been given a long twig with a dry pinkish red
bud. Now, use the key below to identify the plant.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Are the buds dry?
NO
Horse chestnut
YES
Go to 2
YES
Ash
NO
Go to 3
Is there a group of
YES
Oak
buds at the tip?
NO
Go to 4
Are the buds thin?
YES
Beech
NO
Go to 5
YES
Lime
Are the buds black?
Are the buds red or pink?
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Junior Science – Living things
5. Match each characteristic of living things with its description.
movement
(i)
(a) Taking in food or making food
respiration
(ii)
(b) Increasing in size or complexity
sensitivity
(iii)
(c) Reacting to stimuli
feeding
(iv)
(d) Moving towards food or light
excretion
(v)
(e) Increasing in number
reproduction (vi)
(f) Releasing energy from food
growth (vii)
(g) Getting rid of waste
6. Which characteristic(s) of living things is shown in this picture
of a boy sweating?
7. In this question, you have a choice. Choose either (a) or (b) or (c) or (d). You only
have to complete one of them.
(a) Describe the seven characteristics of living things using one animal or plant as an
example.
OR
(b) Design a new type of animal or plant using the seven characteristics of living things,
e.g. how does it move, feed or excrete etc.?
OR
(c) Create a rhyme or song to help you remember the seven characteristics of living
things.
OR
(d) Draw images on a poster to show the seven characteristics of life. Label each
characteristic with a short sentence.
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Junior Science – Living things
Keyword Scramble:
goibylo
vngiil nights
msanogrsi
notirutni
whogrt
teoevmnm
strevbaetre
batservnieert
syek
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Junior Science – Living things
Word Search
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Junior Science – Living things
Cross word
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Junior Science – Living things
Revision test (edco questions)
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