Science Medium Term Planning – Spring 1 ( Year 4)

Science Medium Term Planning – Summer 2 ( year 4) Unit - 4B - Habitats Lesson Activity Learning Learning Vocabulary Resources Objectives Outcomes Children learn: Children: 1 Sorting organisms To sort To recognize and Insect Pictures of animals/plants understand the Invertebrate plants and Organism animals Elicit children's understanding of 'plant' and 'animal'. using criteria term ‘organism’ Segment PM1 Introduce the term 'organism' as a general term for all and sort Wings Example of living things. to group organisms using venn diagram organisms own criteria Obtain a list of various types of organism and arrange according to them on the board into loose classes, e.g. birds, mammals, observable reptiles, shrubs, flowers, trees, moss etc. Finish by putting features identify the classes into either plants or animals. similarities and to identify differences Use pictures of eg vertebrates, invertebrates(animals different types between similar without a backbone), humans, small flowering plants, trees of habitat organisms and challenge children to sort them according to their own criteria and then into plants and animals. Let children group animals choose how to record their groupings. (numbers of legs, and explain wings, no wings, leaves, shape) criteria eg number of legs, Introduce the idea of some organisms being in more than wings/no wings one group – show using a venn diagram. on which the groups are See photocopiable – PM1 for pictures of invertebrates. based

More able children – encourage to sort into sets based upon something more scientific – e.g.how the animal moves, or the shape of the plant. To identify local habitats and Pose questions – Is it possible for an organism to have recognise those wings and not have any legs? which are similar in scale or Identifying different habitats diversity Introduce children to the word 'habitat' using pictures to illustrate meaning. Explain the meaning of 'habitat'. recognise that Explain that it is the natural home of plants and animals animals and and a place which offers them food, protection and plants are found shelter. in many places Explain to children that they will be studying local eg on window habitats. sills

Go for a walk round the school and/or immediate locality to find and make a list of habitats. (Pond, school field, wooded area, grass, trees) Sketch the habitats as we travel around the school grounds. Review the final list with the children and group habitats of similar scale or diversity together eg pond, field, wood, tree, hedge, flower bed, grassy patch, plant trough, under leaf, under stone. Ask children to record the habitats identified through illustrations. 2 Finding habitats that different make and justify Habitat Insect animals are a prediction eg Organism collecting Invertebrate Remind children of different types of organisms and found in the woodlice will apparatus discuss the habitats we identified last week. different be under the habitats stones because Soap and Using pictures of places in the immediate locality or similar water it's damp there to those in the locality as stimuli, ask children to predict to make where a particular organism will be found eg woodlice, predictions of describe a snail, butterfly, bee. organisms that habitat in terms will be found in a of the Ask: habitat conditions eg leaf litter is What kinds of organisms do you think might live in each to observe the cool, damp and habitat? conditions in a dark local habitat and Explain to children that today we will be exploring make a record state that different habitats to find out where different organisms of the animals animals and live. found plants are found in some places Visit locality to check predictions. Explain that collecting that animals are and not in animals must be done with care so that the animals are not suited to the others and damaged. Help children to collect invertebrates and record environment in explain why eg locations in which they were found. Ask children to which they are worms are found observe and describe the conditions eg light, water, soil, found in the soil not in shade, temperature. Ask children whether they found the tarmac because organisms they expected. they cannot find food or burrow Record pictorially habitats and the organisms found there. through tarmac

Help children return any animals collected to their habitat. 3 Branching databases of organisms (ICT links) to use keys to use simple keys habitat, Examples of identify local to identify local condition, branching diagrams Present children with an organism (or picture of an plants or animals plants and organism, Pictures of organism) from the local environment which is likely to be animals prey, key. organisms unfamiliar to most of them. Ask them to write down two or to know how a three things about it. Show children to how to develop decision tree simple branching diagrams using questions about organisms. key can be used to classify and Children work in groups to write questions which could be identify animals used to collect information about the organisms.

Develop a branching database of organisms, using information collected over past couple of weeks.

Show children a simple key and how to use it. Practise with other keys and other organisms.

4 Science investigation to pose suggest a Nutrition, questions about question which habitat, Ask children to generate a question to investigate or offer organisms and relates to an condition, alternatives eg the habitat in organism in its organism, which they live natural habitat predator, o How do we know that woodlice prefer damp and make and say what prey, conditions? predictions they think will producer, o How do we know mealworms prefer dark? happen consumer, o How can we find out what snails prefer to to decide what food chain, eat? evidence to recognise what key. o Do earth worms live above or below collect and to evidence is ground? design a fair needed eg test woodlice should Discuss the questions with the children and help be able to them to decide how to collect evidence for their to make reliable choose between investigation and what equipment to use eg observations of a damp and a o How many woodlice should we use? organisms dry place and o How long should we leave them to find out? that a o What sort of food should we give the to indicate reasonable snails? whether their number of o How can we see worms if they're prediction was woodlice should underground? valid and to be used explain findings Help children to carry out the investigation and to make in scientific make careful observations. Discuss their results and ask children terms observations to explain these in terms of what they already know about which are the animals and their usual habitats. relevant to the question under LA - As a group with a teacher, design an experiment investigation together using the support frames for help. draw conclusions which match the Discuss questions raised and the answers they discovered. observations Reassure those whose answers where uncertain and discuss made and relate the need for repeated tests. these to their prediction and to their knowledge about the habitat 5 Food chains to identify the describe what a Consumer Reference food sources of particular animal Food chain books – animals and their food Show powerpoint on www.primaryresources.co.uk different eats and explain Organism chains. animals in that it can only Predator  Food Chains (Lorna Kimberley) different live where its Prey Large paper  Food Chains (Felicity Parr) habitats food source is producer and string for mobiles available and Food chain Discuss the food chains.Give each child a small piece of where conditions sheet for LA bread to eat and ask them where it came from? eg warmth, moisture are Food chain Q where do we get our energy from? What different suitable game things do we eat? List suggestions on board. Take one suggestion and trace backwards until reach green plant. (don’t show arrows yet) Where do chickens get their food from? Trace where does cheese come from? What Is at the beginning of each of these foodchains?

Show example:

Grass – rabbit – fox (replace the arrows with the words – ‘is eaten by’) Explain terms producer and consumer and predator (something that eats prey)and prey. e.g. rabbit is prey and the fox is predator.

Using secondary sources eg reference books, CD-ROMs, videos investigate the food needs of a chosen animal from a local habitat, and where it finds its foods. Remind them of kinds of organisms found in their habitat survey. Use one that is found locally eg bird, small mammal, mollusc.

Ask children to construct food chains for the organisms they found locally – e.g. pondlife.

LA – provide sheet with woodland animals and example food chain.

Extension – create a mobile to show the food chains, with the consumer at the top and the producers underneath.

Play food chain game – give each child a card and ask them to make a food chain accordingly.

6 Protection of the environment (links with geography) to recognise identify the Argument Large sheets ways in which effect of Pollution of paper Felt pens Ask children: living things and changes to the environment the environment habitat on some Would draining the school pond and replacing it with an need protection organisms adventure playground be a good idea?

What would happen to the organisms that live in and around the pond?

Ask children to think about the effect on plants and animals of changing conditions in the pond.

Divide the class into 2 groups and ask one group to develop a debate in favour of the proposal and the other group to develop a debate against the proposal.

Ask each group to find out as much information as possible on the chosen issue and to prepare a poster to illustrate their case.

Carry out the debate but make sure the rules are clear: No shouting out, listen to others points of view.

7 Assessment test – Mini SAT Assessment test Expected learning outcomes (mini SAT’s)

Some children identify some local habitats; name a few of will not have the organisms that live there and, with help, made so much identify these using simple keys and make progress and observations of animals and plants will:: Most children identify some local habitats; name some of will: the organisms that live there; use simple keys to identify organisms; state the food source of some animals; distinguish between those which eat plants and those which eat other animals and plan how to investigate some of the preferences of small animals found in the habitat Some children represent feeding relationships within a will have habitat by food chains; explain that food progressed chains begin with a green plant which further and will 'produces' food for other organisms and also: explain why it is necessary to use a reasonably large sample when investigating the preferences of small invertebrates Mini SAT To recognize that Can understand that Air pressure straws Carry out assessment activity in order to assess children’s knowledge the air pressure is the pressure Gravity straws with pin and understanding of forces at the end of the unit. greater on the Can understand that holes surface of the liquid the holes in the cups of water Carry out a ‘six minute science activity’. than in the mouth straw make the when the person pressure in the Why doesn’t the straw work? sucks and the person’s mouth and pressure difference on the surface of Provide the children in each table group with two drinking straws and two causes the water to the liquid about the beakers of water. Prior to the lesson make a pinhole about 2cm from the move up the straw same so it is very end of one of the drinking straws. against the force of hard to drink Ask children to try to drink the water through the two straws and gravity. through this straw. identify what happens.

Why can you not drink anything using the straw with a hole?