Download Grade 4 Book 5 Animals and their Habitats 1 - Nest

Grade 4
Book 5
Life and Living 2
Animals and their Habitats 1
1
Animals and their
habitats 1
“The wild things of this earth are not
ours to do with as we please. They
have been given to us in trust, and we
must account for them to the generation which will come after us and
audit our accounts.”
– Leo Venenatis
Book 5 - Animals and Their Habitats 1
Grade 4
Term 3
(Natural Science)
THEMES
Animal Structures
Classifying Animals
Animal Habitats
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
1. Why are animals and plants so important to our dunes?
2. How do I research and record information independently?
SKILLS
Summarising - identifying key points, mind mapping
Research and Recording - collecting and organising data
Thinking and Reasoning - draw warranted conclusions and evaluations
Creativity - making use of questions, self-initiated discovery
CONCEPTS
Adaptation - adaptation of animals to their environment
ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Empathy - listening with understanding, showing compassion, giving feedback
Responsibility and Meeting Deadlines - tasks completed on time, group and peer respect
ASSESSMENTS, TASKS AND PROJECTS
Animal Structures (20)
Animal Structures brainstorm (15)
Classifying Animals 1 (15)
Classifying Animals 2 (10)
Classifying Animals 3 (15)
2
Animal Structures
All living things can be divided into two groups - plants and animals. We can examine the
different plant structures to classify them. We use a similar method to compare animals.
Just like plants, animals also have a basic structure. The basic structure of an animal is:
head
tail
body
limbs
sense organs
Head
Most animals have a part of their body that we call the head. The head has:
•
a brain (or brain-like structure)
•
sensory organs - like the eyes and ears
•
feeding structures - like the mouth and jaws
Tail
Most animals have a tail at the back end of their body. The tail has many important
functions. It helps the animal to:
Move
Kill their prey
Swim
Provide warmth
Chase away flies
Communicate
Balance
Distract predators
3
Body
Animals have different body coverings. Body coverings need to protect the animal's
organs, bones and muscles from their environment. Many animals also need to blend into
their environment and use their body coverings to do so.
Limbs
Most animals use their limbs to move. Animals can walk, run, climb or swim using their
limbs. Animals can have wings, webbed feet, tentacles, fins, legs, arms, flippers and long
slithery bodies.
Sense Organs
Some animals have senses that are much better developed than those of humans. For example, sniffer dogs help to find people who are trapped under building rubble, mudslides
or snow and tell the rescue workers where the victims are. These dogs can also smell
drugs or bombs and alert the police.
A beagle sniffer dog working at an airport.
4
Research and Recording Task - Animal Structures 1
Watch this video as a class before starting your task:
Why do animals have tails?
1. Refer to page two and reread the information about the functions of a tail. There are
eight pictures, each showing a different function. Write a sentence to describe each function. You may need to do a little research!
(8)
For example: warn others of possible dangers - Some deer flash the white underside of
their tails to other deer to warn them of possible danger.
2. Scientifically label this drawing to show the animal’s basic structures.
(12)
HEAD
TAIL
BODY
LIMBS
SENSE ORGAN - SKIN
SENSE ORGAN - EYES
SENSE ORGAN - EARS
SENSE ORGAN - NOSE
THE BASIC STRUCTURES OF AN ANIMAL
Total: 20
5
Adaptation Task - Animal Structures 2
Animals have different body coverings:
feathers
fur
shells
skin
scales
Can you identify specific animals/animal groups that fit into each category?
Create a brainstorm using Popplet Lite and include each of the areas. Alternatively, you
can work in your Thematic Book. You should have at least 3 points per topic.
Total: 15
Extension - watch this video about the different types of body coverings.
Animals have feathers, fur, skin, scales or shells for a reason. Their body coverings can provide
protection or camouflage - some animals, such as the peacock, even use their bright colours to
attract a mate!
6
Classifying Animals
Discuss: Vertebrates are animals with backbones. Invertebrates are animals without backbones. Name each
animal and decide whether you think it is a vertebrate or invertebrate. Can we classify humans in the same
way?
Animals are classified into those with a backbone (spine) and
those without. Animals with a backbone are called vertebrates
and those without a backbone are called invertebrates.
We will be learning about dune animals in this iBook. These
animals are all vertebrates as they each have a spine. There
are five groups of vertebrates:
Fish are animals that live in the water. They have gills that allow them to breathe under water. Different species of fish may live in fresh water or salt water.
Birds are animals that have feathers, wings, and lay eggs. Many birds can fly.
Mammals are warm-blooded animals that nurse their young with milk and have fur or
hair. Some examples of mammals include humans, dolphins, giraffes and horses.
Amphibians are cold-blooded animals. They start out their lives living in the water with
gills just like fish. Later they develop lungs and can move to dry land. Amphibians
include frogs and toads.
Reptiles are cold-blooded animals which lay eggs. Their skin is covered with hard, dry
scales. Reptile species include crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and turtles.
7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9
Thinking and Reasoning Task - Classifying Animals 1
Redraw this table in your workbook. It should take up a full A4 page.
VERTEBRATES
INVERTEBRATES
Cut out the pictures and place them under the correct headings. You may need to do
some research if you are unsure.
Remember, vertebrates have a backbone and invertebrates do not.
Total: 15
Research and Recording/Creativity Task - Classifying Animals 2
Create an informational poster, like the ones on page 7 and 8, to describe an amphibian.
Try to include at least 5 facts. Use your iPad to do research.
Total: 10
10
Thinking and Reasoning Task - Classifying Animals 3
Fill in the missing words using the ones provided in the block below:
vertebrate
birds
oxygen
cold
amphibians
skin
food
live
red
fish
lungs
warm
fur
frogs
webbed
two
invertebrate
three
milk
gills
1. An animal that has a backbone is called a __________________ and an animal without a
backbone is called an __________________.
2. There are five main groups of vertebrates: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and _________.
3. Mammals breathe using _________________ and fish breathe using __________________.
4. Most reptiles and fish are __________________ blooded. Mammals and birds are
__________________ blooded.
5. Vertebrates such as________________ and ________________ lay eggs. All invertebrates
lay eggs.
6. A mammal’s body is covered with either __________________ or __________________.
7. A mammal does not lay eggs. Instead it gives birth to __________________ young and
feeds them __________________.
8. Birds have __________________ legs.
9. An amphibian has __________________ feet.
Total: 15
Was your amphibian poster correct? Click on this link to find out:
11
Animal Habitats - Sand Dunes
Desert
Rain Forest
Ocean
Grassland
Forest
Arctic
Coastal
(e.g. the Cape Coastal Dune System)
Wetlands
Plants and animals choose where they live mostly because of the water, food and climate
of a specific area. The place that a plant or animal lives in is called a habitat .
Some plants and animals choose to live in the hot, dry desert. These plants and animals
do not need as much water as other types of plants and animals.
Some animals and plants live in a forest or cave habitat because they prefer cooler, shady areas.
Other plants and animals choose to live along the shoreline where the water meets the land. This is because they prefer a wet environment, but are also able to live on land.
Some animals chose to always be in the water in marine habitats.
There are even animals and plants that live in the very cold regions near the arctic poles
or in very high mountains.
Some animals rely on their habitat to escape danger or to hide from the food they are
trying to catch! To help them do this they, blend in with their surroundings. This is called
camouflage.
12
Animals use camouflage to hide from their prey. When they are hunting it helps them to sneak up on other
animals without being seen. A chameleon can change its skin colour to blend in with its surroundings.
Animals also use camouflage to hide from the predators that eat them. The endangered Western Leopard
Toad, found in the Western Cape, uses spots to blend into its surroundings and hide from predators.
13
Consolidation Task - Classifying Animals 4
Step 1: Collect data on a habitat in your co-operative group. Your teacher will give each group a different habitat. You
will need to use your iPads to search for information.
NAME OF HABITAT
SHORT DESCRIPTION
OF HABITAT
3 ANIMALS FROM
HABITAT
3 PLANTS/TREES
FROM HABITAT
2 AREAS WHERE
HABITAT IS FOUND
Total: 10
Step 2: The Reporter from each co-operative group will visit each group to:
Teach them about his/her habitat. Each co-operative group must copy down all of the visiting Reporter’s
information.
Record the information for each habitat on his/her sheet.
Step 3: The Reporter will return to his/her group. Groups will revise the work learnt. The Organiser will ensure that
each group member has all of the information copied down correctly.
14
NAME OF HABITAT
SHORT DESCRIPTION
OF HABITAT
3 ANIMALS FROM
HABITAT
3 PLANTS/TREES
FROM HABITAT
2 AREAS WHERE
HABITAT IS FOUND
15
NAME OF HABITAT
SHORT DESCRIPTION
OF HABITAT
3 ANIMALS FROM
HABITAT
3 PLANTS/TREES
FROM HABITAT
2 AREAS WHERE
HABITAT IS FOUND
Extension - What is Habitat Destruction? What can we do to preserve natural habitats?
16
Sun Valley Group of Schools 2015
xvii