Meldrum Academy Science Faculty

S1 Pupil Booklet Life and Our Environment

Name: ……………………………………………..

Class: ………………………………… Variety of Life Learning Outcomes  

Level C

 Name and describe the 7 life processes  State that all living things are made of cells  State that vertebrates have a backbone  Name the 5 vertebrate groups - fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals  Name some of the distinguishing features of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals  Be able to use simple branched keys to identify plants & animals

Level D

 Name all the groups of plants - Algae, Mosses, Ferns, Conifers, Flowering plants  Name the main distinguishing features of algae, mosses, ferns, conifers

Level E

 Be able to create and use both branching and paired statement keys to identify living things.

 Give examples of both continuous and discontinuous variation.

2 Variety in Humans

Humans show a lot of differences or variation. These differences can be divided into continuous and discontinuous variations.

1 a) Note the definition of discontinuous variation.

b) Collect information about yourself and other in the class and record in the table below.

Left or right Ear lobes Freckles Tongue roll Name handed yes no yes no yes no left right

c) Draw bar charts for each feature. Stick into your jotter. d) Which features are most common in your class?

3 2 a) Note the definition of continuous variation.

b) Measure the right and left hand span of everyone in the class to the nearest whole cm and record your results in the tally table.

Right hand span tally Left hand span tally

Hand span Number of Hand span Number of Total Total Cm people Cm people 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23

c) Draw 2 histograms (bar charts) to show your results.

d) Are there any differences between left and right hand results? If so describe them.

4 A look at life

All living things or organisms have many things in common. Look at the objects around the room and complete the table to show if the object is alive, dead or has ever lived, and give a reason for your decision.

Has it Is it Is it Object ever Reason alive? dead? lived?

With the help of your teacher, list all the things you can think of that all living things can do or need.

5 Life processes With the help of your teacher create a mind map to illustrate all the life processes and what they are for.

Classifying living things

There are millions of different organisms on earth. All of these can be divided into groups depending on what they have in common. For example, we can put most organisms into the groups’ vertebrates, invertebrates, plants or micro organisms.

6 Vertebrates

1. What do all vertebrates have in common?

2. There are 5 groups of vertebrates. These are: ……………….., …………………….., ……..……………………, ……………………………., and ………………………….. .

Look at the pictures of different vertebrates. Decide which belongs to which group and stick into your booklet.

Underneath the pictures, note the characteristics that each group has in common. Include features of their body, where they live, type of blood, skin /covering, how they reproduction. Use class resources to find as much information as possible.

Characteristics of fish

Amphibians

Characteristics of amphibians

7 Reptile

Characteristics of reptiles

Characteristics of birds

Mammals

Characteristics of mammals

8 ANIMAL FACT FILE Choose an animal that you are interested in. In the space below draw a colour diagram of your chosen animal living in its natural habitat. Think about how your animal moves, what it eats and how it is adapted to live in the habitat it does. Complete the fact file questions. You will need to use the internet or other classroom resources to help you find all the answers.

Animal Name: ______

Natural habitat where lives: ______

General description: ______

______

Weight: ______

Height/length: ______

Average age: ______9 Diet (what does the animal eat): ______

What structural features does the animal have to help it move through its environment?

______

What features does the animal have to help it catch food and eat?

______

What type of behaviour does the animal have, which helps it survive in its environment?

______

10 Plants Watch the presentation on different groups of plants.

Look at the following pictures. Decide which plant type it is and write your answer under the picture. Choose from fern, moss, flowering plant, conifer.

Plant type Description of main features

11 Create a poster or power point presentation about one of these non flowering seed producing plants - Cycads, Ginkgoes or Gnetophytes.

12 Using and Making Keys

Keys are diagrams that help us to identify organisms that we do not know the name of by looking at the features they have. There are 2 types of key, branched key and paired statement key.

1. Use the branched key to identify the names of the 4 aliens.

a = b = c = d =

2. Work through the activities on page 4 in the Practical and Activities booklet. Write your answers in your jotter.

3. Choose 8 people from your class. In your jotter, make a key to help identify them.

13 Cells and Reproduction Learning Outcomes  

Level D

 Be able to use a microscope and to make a microscope drawing.

 Identify and name the male and female parts of the flower

 Describe where ovules and pollen are produced

 Describe fertilisation in flowering plants

 Describe what pollination is and the 2 ways it can happen

 State the sequence of the main stages of reproduction in flowering plants  Describe what the ovule and the ovary become after fertilisation

 Describe the different ways seeds can be scattered

 State that seeds contain an embryo plant & food stores

 Name the conditions required for germination

Level E

 Identify an animal cell and label its parts

 Identify a plant cell and label its parts

 Describe the functions of the nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm, cell wall, vacuole and chloroplasts.

14 Using a microscope 1. Your teacher will show you how to use a microscope properly. The instructions are also on p5 of the Practical and Activities booklet.

2. Label the diagram of a using the following words: -

eyepiece lens focusing knob objective lenses stage light source rotating turret clips

2. The total magnification is calculated by: -

objective lens magnification x eye piece lens magnification

The 3 possible magnifications of the school microscope are: -

………………………. X ………………………… = …………………………

15 Making microscope drawings

Read the information on page 6 of the Practical and Activities booklet on how to make a microscope drawing.

1a) Collect a microscope slide with a piece of newspaper text on it. Look at it under the microscope and make a drawing in the circle below.

Title ………………………………………………………………………………………..

X …………….

b) What do you notice about your letters?

2. In your jotter make some more microscope drawings using the prepared slides provided by your teacher.

REMEMBER, draw with a pencil and draw what you see! Always include a title and the total magnification.

16 Looking at cells under the microscope

You are now going to compare plant cells and animal cells.

Animal cells 1 a) Read page 7 of the Practical and Activities booklet “Looking at animal cells” on how to make a microscope slide of your own cheek cells.

b) Make a microscope drawing of a cheek cell in you jotter. Try to label some of the parts.

2. With the help of your teacher or a text book make a labelled drawing of a typical animal cell in the space below.

3. Complete the table to show the functions of each part of an animal cell. Plant cells Part of cell Function

nucleus

cytoplasm

cell membrane

17 1 a) Read page 9 of the Practical and Activities booklet “Looking at plant cells” on how to make a microscope slide of onion cells.

b) Make a microscope drawing of some onion cells in you jotter and try to label some of the parts. If you have time, look at some pondweed too.

2. With the help of your teacher or a text book make a labelled drawing of a typical plant cell in the space below.

3. Table showing the functions (jobs) of each part of a plant cell.

Part of cell Function

Reproduction

18 Reproduction is the process by which organisms increase their numbers. It involves two specialised cells called sex cells. Each contains half the genetic information to make a new organism. The two sex cells have got to join together in a process called fertilisation to make the new organism.

Reproduction in Plant The flowers on a plant are actually the way that many plants reproduce. Your teacher will show you the different parts of a flower and explain what they do to help a plant reproduce. You may also be allowed to dissect a flower to look at each individual part.

1. Label the diagram of a flower using the information on page 11 of the Practical and Activities booklet.

2. Draw a table below to show the function of each of these structures.

19 Pollination In plant reproduction, getting the two sex cells (pollen and ovules) together happens in 2 stages, pollination, then fertilisation. Pollination happens when pollen grains are transferred from the anther to the stigma. This is the first step in. Pollen can be transferred by insects (e.g. bees) or by the wind.

If the pollen lands on the stigma of the same flower this is called self-pollination. If the pollen land on the flower of a different plants flower this is called cross- pollination.

1. What is pollination?

2. What 2 ways can pollen be transferred to a stigma?

3. What is the difference between self and cross pollination?

4. Find out at least 2 differences between insect pollinated and wind pollinated flowers.

Look at pollen under the microscope (see p12 of Practicals and Activities booklet) and make some microscope drawings of grains in your jotter. 20 Fertilisation When pollen lands on the stigma it grows a pollen tube down into the ovary. The nucleus of the pollen travels down the tube and joins with the nucleus of the ovule. This is fertilisation. The fertilised ovule becomes a seed and the ovary enclosing it forms a fruit.

1 a) Use the information above to label the diagram.

b) Describe how fertilisation occurs after pollination has happened.

2. a) What is a seed?

b) What does the ovary become after fertilisation?

21 Scattering Seeds

Many seeds develop inside a single ovary. If they all fell to the ground where they stood there would be far too many seeds trying to grow in the same place and not enough space or nutrients for them to grow well. Plants solve this problem by using a variety of ways to scatter, or disperse, their seeds.

1. Note the meaning of seed dispersal.

2. Which part of the flower develops into a “transporter” for seeds.

3 a) The ways that seeds can be scattered are:-

4. Decide which method these seeds would be dispersed by and note it below the picture.

22 Germinating Seeds 1. Note the meaning of the term germination.

2 a) You will now carry out an investigation to find out the conditions required for seeds to germinate. b) Write up the investigation fully in your jotter or investigation booklet. 3 a) Note down the 3 conditions that seeds need in order to germinate.

b) What do seeds not need on order to germinate?

Plant Lifecycle

23 Energy for Life Learning Outcomes

Level E

 State that plants make their food by photosynthesis

 Name the raw materials and products of photosynthesis

 Name the conditions needed for photosynthesis

 Explain what a producer is and give examples

 Explain what a consumer is and give examples

 Explain the terms herbivore, carnivore and omnivore

 Explain what predators and prey are and describe the relationship

 Draw a simple food web

 Explain what the arrows in a food web/chain show

 Describe the effect(s) of removing/adding organisms from a simple food chain and from a food web

 Give examples of the resources in the environment that organisms have to compete for

 Give an example of competition between members of the same species and members of different species  Explain the importance of successful competition for the survival of the species

Level F

 Draw a pyramid of numbers from a given set of data

 Explain what the term biomass means. Explain why the total dry mass of organisms at each level of the  pyramid decreases as you move away from producers

. Draw a pyramid of biomass from a given set of data

24 Energy for Life

THINK!

 What do we need energy for?  Where do you get energy from????

In groups come up with ideas for both questions and then pick the best to share with the class?

1. Note down what you had for breakfast today (or supper last night).

Where did everything come from?

Green plants use sunlight to make food in a process called photosynthesis.

2. Try to trace everything you ate this morning back to the sun. Note the route you take for each food.

25 Leaves and Photosynthesis

1. Why do plants need leaves?

Structure of Chloroplasts

Chloroplasts are found in plant cells and contain green pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll absorbs light from the sun.

2. Find out what is needed by plants for photosynthesis.

26 Testing a leaf for starch 1. Carry out the investigation described on page 14 of the Practical and Activities booklet, “Testing a leaf for starch”.

1. Draw a labelled diagram of experiment.

2 a) Why did you boil the leaf?

b) What did the ethanol do?

c) Why must the Bunsen burner be switched off before you use ethanol?

d) What happens to the colour of iodine when starch is present?

e) What could you tell was present in your leaf from the iodine test?

f) Why is starch important for:-

(i) the plant?

(ii) us?

h) What is the name of the process that plants use to make food?

Try to find out what food group starch and sugar belong to.

27 Photosynthesis Use a textbook or watch the presentation about photosynthesis and answer the questions below in your notes. a) Name the two raw materials and where they come from. b) Name the two products and what happens to them. c) Note the two other essential factors needed for photosynthesis.

Add all this information to the diagram to summarise photosynthesis.

d) Note the photosynthesis equation.

Work through the “Measuring Photosynthesis” problem solving activity on page 15 of the Practical and Activities booklet. Food chains and Food webs 28 The feeding relationships between plants and animals can be illustrated by food chains and webs.

For this activity you are going to use an interactive presentation called “Feeding Relationships”. Your teacher will provide a laptop or access to a computer suite. You may have to share a computer.

1. Draw food chains for these: -

a) A fox eats a dormouse which eats grain.

b) Thrushes eat slugs which feed on lettuce. The thrush is eaten by a sparrow hawk.

c) Greenflies eat roses and are eaten by chaffinches that are eaten by sparrow hawks.

2a) The arrows in a food chain show the flow of ……………………………… .

b) …………………………….. are always at the start a food chain.

c) The energy in a food chain first comes from the ……………….. .

3 a) What is a producer?

b) What is a consumer?

4 a) Consumers can be herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. What does each of these consumers eat.

29 b) What is: - (i) a primary consumer?

(ii) a secondary consumer?

(iii) a tertiary consumer?

5 What is a predator and what is prey? Give an example.

6. Answer the questions about this food web. Watch how the food chains are put together to make a food web.

Chiffchaff

Owl Bluetit Spider Stoat

Ladybird Vole

Moth larva Aphid

Plant s a. Name the producer.

30 b. Name two herbivores.

c. Name a species that is both a secondary consumer and tertiary consumer.

d. Name two species that are eaten by owls.

e. Write one food chain that includes a blue tit.

7. Seashore Food web

In the food web above, what would happen if:- a) The grey mullet died of a virus?

b) The crab population increased?

31 Pyramids of Numbers and Biomass

A pyramid of numbers is a special of bar chart that shows the numbers of different organisms living in an area. Producers are organisms that make their own food. Consumers eat other organisms. A pyramid of biomass is a bar chart showing the mass of living things at each level of a food chain.

The diagram shows a pyramid of numbers for a farmland habitat.

1 a) Work out the total number of consumers in the pyramid.

b) How does this compare with the number of producers?

2a) Use the following food chain to draw a pyramid of numbers.

rose greenfly ladybird bluetits 1 4000 100 5

32 b) Try to explain why is this pyramid of numbers not a true pyramid shape? (Hint - think about how large a rose bush is).

3 a) Complete this pyramid of biomass for food chain in 2a.

b) Try to explain why there is a difference between the shape of the pyramid of numbers and pyramid of biomass for the same food chain.

c) Why do you think the biomass of organisms gets less at each step in a food chain? Your teacher may need to help you with this.

33 Competition

Competition happens when different living things need the same limited resources from their environment. Your teacher will show you a power point presentation about competition. Complete the following questions after you have watched it.

1. Explain in your own words why competition happens.

2. Name 4 things that plants may compete for.

3. Name 4 things that animals may compete for.

4. a) What is the difference between interspecific and intraspecific competition?

b) Which type is most intense?

5. Carry out the investigation described on page 18 of the Practical and Activities booklet, “Competition in Cress Seeds”. Write it up in your jotter and answer these questions.

a) In which dish of seeds was there most competition and why? b) What type of competition was there between your cress seeds? c) What might they have been competing for?

34 The Environment Learning Outcomes  

Level D

 Explain that an environment means the surroundings or external conditions that affect living organisms  Give the meaning of the terms “habitat” “population” and “community”

 Explain what an ecosystem is

 Describe at least one thing that humans can do which is good for the environment  Describe at least one thing humans can do which is bad for the environment  Give an example of how a plant responds to environmental change and state how this increases its chance of survival  Give an example of how a plant responds to seasonal change and state how this increases its chance of survival  Give an example of how an animal responds to local environmental change and state how this increases its chance of survival  Give an example of how an animal responds to seasonal change and state how this increases its chance of survival

Level F

 Explain what a biotic factor is and give some examples

 Explain what an abiotic factor is and give examples  Describe a method by which an abiotic factor can be measured  Examine the effect of changing abiotic factors on living organisms  State that when the environment becomes disrupted, species that were previously successful may be at a disadvantage and become extinct.

35 The Environment

The environment is made up of all the living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth. There are many different environments in the world. Your teacher will show you some pictures of different environments.

1 a) Give some examples of environments of the world.

b) Describe the environment in which the school is located.

2. The table lists different parts of an environment. Note the meaning of each, and give an example from the school grounds.

Term Meaning Example

Population

Community

Habitat

All environments contain ecosystems. Ecosystems are made up of many living and non-living physical factors.

ecosystems = community + habitats + abiotic factors (biotic factors)

36 Physical Factors Physical factors affect the type of organisms that live in an environment. All these factors are either living or non-living. Living factors are called biotic factors and non-living factors are called abiotic factors.

Competition Predation Organisms compete for Organisms are often either the same resources hunted or are hunters themselves.

Disease Moisture Caused by an infection of How much water is present microbes e.g. myxamatosis.

Grazers Animals that eat vegetation (often grass).

Light Intensity How much shade there Temperature is in an area. How hot or cold an area is. pH Air Decomposers how acid or alkali Contains gases for vital break down dead and soil or water is. chemical reactions decaying organisms

1. Decide which of the physical factors above is biotic, and which is abiotic and place in the appropriate column of the table. Biotic factors Abiotic factors

37 2. Follow the instructions on p19 of the Practical and Activities booklet, “Measuring Physical Factors” on how to measure some biotic factor. Note any measurements in your jotter.

3. Beside the picture describe how you used each piece of equipment.

Light and moisture meter

pH meter

You may now use these techniques to find out if the physical factors of light intensity, moisture and pH affect where plants grow in the school area.

38 See “Investigating the abundance of different plant species on the school grounds” described on p20 of the P&A booklet.

39 Adapted for life

Living things have developed special feature to help them to cope with the surrounding conditions. They are adapted to their environment.

Look at the picture of the fish.

1. Complete the table by explaining how each labelled feature helps the fish to survive in its watery environment.

Feature How it helps fish survive

2. Dolphins are mammals like us. Explain why the dolphin have these feature.

a) a blow hole (nose) on its back.

b) no hair

c) flippers

d) a thick layer of blubber under their skin

40 Animal Adaptations Collect the cut-out of different animal and use classroom resources to find out how each adapted to the environment it lives in.

Environment Adaptations Animal lived in (with reasons)

41 Plants Adaptations

1. Collect the cut-out of different plants from different environments and discuss the adaptations that each has which increase their chances of survival. Complete the table.

Environment Adaptations Plant grows in (with reasons)

42 Surviving change

Animals and plants have to respond to local and seasonal changes in order to survive. Things like migration, hibernation, coat colour changes and shedding leaves are all examples of such changes.

Can you spot the mountain hare? 1. For each type of response named above: -

. note an example of an organism that uses this response . a description of the change it responds to . how it responds . the reason why its response helps it to survive.

Migration

Hibernation

Coat colour change

43 Protecting the environment

Man has had a tremendous impact on planet Earth. Many of our activities have greatly influenced our lives bringing great benefits. However many activities have brought about harmful effects on the environment. Quite often a benefit is linked to a harmful effect i.e. one benefit can often result in something harmful happening to the environment.

Below is a list of headings. For each one show the harmful and beneficial effects on our environment. This can be done in groups.

Beneficial effect for man Harmful effect for man or the environment or the environment Fishing in the North Sea

Extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea

Removal of timber from Rainforests

Factory farming

44 Rubbish survey

About 30 million tons of rubbish is buried in landfill sites each year. There are fewer and fewer places where rubbish can be buried. Recycling as much of our rubbish as we can is the only way to avoid us being buried in our own waste.

1. What could have been recycled?

2. Give reasons why it is important to recycle as much as possible.

3. Where is the nearest recycling centre to your house?

45 Rare and extinct

1) List the species mentioned.

2) How has the number of species threatened with extinction changed since 2000?

3) What has caused the slender billed vulture and the Indian vulture to become so close to extinction?

4) Explain why the Saiga antelope is critically endangered.

46 5) a What is the habitat of the Bactrian camel?

b Give three reasons for the decline in numbers of Bactrian camels.

6) a What is so worrying about the decline of the Iberian lynx?

b What is the rate of decline of the Iberian lynx?

c Why do you think the destruction of woodlands in Spain has lead to the decline in the lynx

7 Explain the difference between “endangered” and “critically endangered”.

Extra Try to find out the names of some animals that are now extinct in Scotland or find out about animals that were rare or extinct but have been saved or reintroduced to Scotland.