Download Teachers Information Pack

Presented by
Bank Mill Nurseries and Visitor Centre
Beckfoot, Silloth, Cumbria CA7 4LF
0
Introduction
Hi I’m Charlie
Welcome to my information pack.
It contains lots of interesting facts,
questions and activities for the children.
If you have any questions please don’t
hesitate to contact me.
This information pack has been designed as a teaching aid for Key Stage 1 and 2 Science
modules.
The pack also contains some activity sheets that can be used in either the
classroom or at the Bank Mill Butterfly and Reptile house. The information pack is also very
useful as an introduction to invertebrates and makes an excellent study document prior to
one of the educational visits we offer at Bank Mill Nursery and Visitor Centre. Our educational
visits provide a more detailed and practical approach to learning about all kinds of
invertebrates.
The Key Stage elements covered by this information pack are shown below.
Ref
KS1LP
KS1HOA
KS1GP
KS1VC
KS1LTE
Key Stage 1
Life Processes
Humans and other animals
Green Plants
Variation and Classification
Living Things and their Environment
a
Y
c
Y
Y
Y
Y
b
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Ref
KS2LP
KS2HOA
KS2GP
KS2VC
KS2LTE
Key Stage 2
Life Processes
Humans and other animals
Green Plants
Variation and Classification
Living Things and their Environment
d
a
Y
b
Y
c
Y
d
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
e
f
Y
Y
e
f
g
Y
Y
Y
g
Y
References will appear in the top right hand corner of the pages that cover the relevant Key
Stage elements.
E.g. KS1LPa = Key Stage 1, Life Processes, Section a.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
1
Invertebrates
Invertebrate is a term that describes any animal without a spinal column. The group includes
97% of all animal species — all animals except those in the Chordate subphylum Vertebrata
(fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals).
The phylum Arthropoda is by far the largest group within the list of animal phyla with some
1,134,000 different species and contains a collection of invertebrate classes such as insects,
spiders, millipedes, centipedes and crustaceans (crabs, shrimp, lobsters and woodlice).
Phylum (Phyla is the plural) is adopted from a Greek word meaning “clan” or “group” and is
used for the scientific classification of life.
Arthropoda is another Greek word meaning “jointed foot”.
There is over 2,400,000 different species within the list of animal phyla.
All species of phylum Arthropoda have a hard skeleton that acts like plates of armour on the
outside of their bodies. This is called an exo-skeleton, exo means exterior or outside. The
most obvious example of this is probably a crab. The exo-skeleton is made of chitin which is
a similar material to your fingernails. Chitin not only offers protection for the animal but has
some practical uses for man in food, medical and other industries.
2
What is an insect?
All living organisms on earth have a scientific classification. The classification for insects is:
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Animalia (animal)
Arthropoda (jointed foot)
Insecta (insect)
Insect is from a Greek word and means cut into segments in reference to the insects three
body parts and segments.
Insects have an amazing number of differences in their size, shape, and behaviour, but they
all have 4 characteristics in common: they have three body parts - a head, thorax and
abdomen, and they must have six jointed legs and two antennae to sense the world around
them from inside their exoskeleton.
Insects are a major group of arthropods and the most diverse group of animals on the Earth,
with over a million different species, that is more than all the other animal groups combined.
Insects may be found in nearly all environments on our planet. A very small number of insect
species occur in the oceans but crustaceans are the dominant species there.
Some experts believe that there could be up to 50 million species of insects yet to be
discovered although more modern thinking estimates that the figure is much lower at
between 6 and 10 million species.
The smallest recorded adult insect is the male Mymarid wasp measuring in at a tiny
0.139mm, about the size of a pin head. The largest known insect is a Giant Stick Insect
measuring in at a massive 55.5cm, almost 3 times the width of this paper.
Insects are invertebrates and have segmented bodies supported by an exoskeleton. The
body is divided into a head, a thorax, and an abdomen.

The head supports a pair of sensory antennae, a pair of compound eyes, and mouth
parts.

The thorax has six legs, one pair per segment and wings (not all insects have wings).

The abdomen (made up of eleven segments some of which may be reduced or fused
together) has respiratory, stomach, excretory and reproductive structures.
Insects breathe differently to us; they have small openings called spiracles along their body.
These are connected to a network of tubes that carry the air throughout the body of the
insect. These spiracles often have hairs that filter the air before it enters the insects’ body.
3
Insect Anatomy
A = Head
B = Thorax
C = Abdomen
1
Antenna
17
Anus
2
Lower ocelli (miniature light sensing eye)
18
Female reproductive organ
3
Upper ocelli (miniature light sensing eye)
19
Nerve cord
4
Compound eye
20
Malpighian tube (part of digestive system)
5
Brain
21
Pillow
st
6
Prothorax (1 3 segments of thorax)
22
Claws
7
Dorsal artery
23
Tarsus
8
Spiracle and tubes
24
Tibia
9
Mesothorax (middle 3 segments of thorax)
25
Femur
10
Metathorax (last 3 segments of thorax)
26
Trochanter
11
First wing (if a winged insect)
27
Fore-gut
12
Second wing (if a winged insect)
28
Thoracic ganglion (Part of nervous system)
13
Stomach
29
Coxa
14
Heart
30
Salivary gland
15
Ovary
31
Subesophageal ganglion (Part of nervous system)
16
Intestine
32
Mouth parts
4
Feeding
If you look at the mouth of an animal you can usually tell what kind of food they eat.

Dogs have sharp canine teeth for ripping and chewing meat

Cows, sheep and horses have cutting teeth at the front for cutting grass and plant
material then use flat broad teeth at the back of their mouth for grinding their food
up.

Birds have many variations to the shape of their beak but if you look close enough you
should be able to get an idea of what they eat. Birds that have short stout beaks
usually feed on seed that normally needs to be crushed. Waders have a long thin
sensitive beak that enables them to probe and locate their food in the wet mud of
river estuaries. Parrots have immensely powerful, sharp curved beaks for cracking
open nuts and other food with tough shells.
You can usually do the same with insects. Looking carefully at their mouth parts should
give you an idea of what they eat.
Insects have four basic types of mouthparts.

Biting and chewing:
Mouth parts are usually for biting and chewing vegetation
but can also be used for eating other insects. Insects with this type of mouthparts are
caterpillars, beetles and mantids.

Sponging: Mouth parts for mopping up pre-digested food. The common house fly
is sick on its food before it can eat it. The fly actually regurgitates some stomach acid
which breaks the food down into a liquid and then the fly mops up the liquid dinner.

Piercing and sucking: These mouthparts are very thin and sharp as they need to
pierce through an outside layer to get to the liquid meal inside. Mosquitoes and
midges are good examples of this. Chemicals in mosquito saliva reduce sensitivity so
that you do not feel the “bite” and also prevent blood from clotting until it’s had its
meal. Only the female mosquito feeds on blood as they need protein for their own egg
production. Males feed on nectar and have mouthparts suitable for that.

Sucking:
These mouth parts are used to drink liquid such as nectar from flowers
or the juice from rotting fruit. Butterflies have a long tongue called a proboscis to
drink nectar from flowers.
5
Insect Mouthparts
Types of mandible
Caterpillar
Honeybee
6
Food and food chains
KS2LTEd
All living organisms need food or energy to live. Plants get their food from the soil and
energy from the sun. Animals get their energy from the food that they eat.
A food chain is a simple way of showing what animals eat and how this is linked with other
plants and animals in the surrounding area or same habitat. It can also show how one
species is dependant on another and the devastating effects that can happen should a
species in the lower order of the food chain become endangered or extinct.
A simple example of a food chain is:

Plant

Caterpillar eats plant

Chicken eats caterpillar

Man eats chicken

Crocodile eats man. This can happen and shows than even a top predator can be at
risk from a stronger top predator.
Each stage of the food chain has a name. Starting from the bottom of the food chain we
have:

Producers: Green plants and algae. These get their energy from the sun.

Consumers: These species are called herbivores and eat green plants as a major part
of their diet but do not eat other animals.

Predators: These species are usually carnivores (meat eating) but some species can
be omnivores (plant and meat eating). They will prey on consumers and smaller
predators. These predators are sometimes a tasty meal for larger and top predators.

Top predators: Also called “Apex predators”. These species can also be omnivores
or carnivores as some will eat both consumers and predators. These predators are not
normally preyed upon by other species. Man is a top predator and will eat producers,
consumers and predators.
Exercise
Ask the children to draw their own food chain.
Ask the children to list 3 producers, 3 consumers, 3 predators and 3 top predators.




Producers: Grass, stinging nettles and lettuce.
Consumers: Caterpillar, sheep and deer, zebra, horse, cow
Predators: Cobra, praying mantis, ladybirds,
Top predators: Man, crocodile, killer whale, great white shark, tiger
7
Butterflies, Moths and Caterpillars
The scientific classification for butterflies and moths is:
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Moths and butterflies are both from the insect order Lepidoptera, which means scaled wings.
Lepidoptera is the second largest order in the insect class. This order has more than 260,000
species, only the order Coleoptera (beetles) has more described species, approximately
350,000 different species. In fact one in every four animals on earth is a beetle.
The table below shows the differences between moths and butterflies. These differences are
for the majority of moths and butterflies but there are a few exceptions to this.
There is another group of insects in the order Lepidoptera called Skippers. They share many
characteristics and look very similar to both butterflies and moths.
Moth
Butterfly
Antennae feathered
Antennae long and thin with clubbed ends
Bodies short and fury
Bodies long and slender
Wings held out flat when at rest
Wings held up when at rest
Vibrate wings to warm up for flight
Bask in the sun to warm up for flight
Usually quite dark colours
Usually very bright colours
Nocturnal (night time)
Diurnal (day time)
The world’s largest moth is the Giant Atlas Moth. Its wing span can be up to 30cm. (This
sheet of paper is approximately 30cm from top to bottom)
The world’s smallest moth is the Nepticulid Moth with a wing span of just 2.5mm.
2.5
The world’s largest butterfly is the Queen Alexandra Birdwing with a wing span of
approximately 28cm.
The world’s smallest butterfly is the Western Pygmy Blue with a wing span of
approximately 13mm.
13mm
8
Butterfly Anatomy & Life Cycle
Stage 1
Stage 2
Egg
Stage 4
Stage 3
9
The Four Stages of a Butterfly Life Cycle
Unlike many insects, butterflies do not experience a nymph period, but instead go through a
pupal stage which lies between the larva and the adult stage. Butterflies are termed as
holometabolous insects.
Holometabolous means complete metamorphosis or change of form during development.
There are 13 holometabolous insect orders of which 2 are extinct. Typical examples of this
insect order are:

Coleoptera (Beetles)

Lepidoptera (moths, butterflies and skippers)

Hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps, ants and bees)

Diptera (flies)

Siphonaptera (Fleas)
The four stages of an insect life cycle are:

Stage 1 = Egg

Stage 2 = Larva, known as a caterpillar

Stage 3 = Pupa (Chrysalis)

Stage 4 = Adult butterfly (Imago)
Egg
Butterfly eggs consist of a hard-ridged outer layer of shell, called the chorion. This is lined
with a thin coating of wax which prevents the egg from drying out before the larva has had
time to fully develop. Butterfly eggs are fixed to a leaf with special glue which hardens
rapidly. Each species of butterfly has its own host plant range and while some species are
restricted to just one plant species, others use a range of plant species. The egg stage lasts a
few weeks in most butterflies but eggs laid close to winter especially in temperate regions go
through a diapause (similar to hibernation) stage and the hatching may then take place in
the warmer weather of late spring.
Caterpillars
Caterpillars (larvae) are basically just eating machines. The most important job for a
caterpillar is to eat and grow. For instance, the Tobacco Hornworm caterpillar increases its
weight by an incredible 10,000 times in less than 20 days.
To give you an idea just how amazing this is:

If a human baby weighs 3kg at birth and increased its weight by 10,000 times in 20
days it would weigh 30,000 kg which is equal to the weight of 5 adult male African
Elephants.
Most caterpillars are herbivore, which means they feed only on plants and other vegetation
but there are a few species of caterpillar that feed on other insects.
10
As caterpillars grow and mature they go through a series of stages, called instars. Near the
end of each instar the caterpillar undergoes a process called apolysis during which a special
fluid is released under its skin. This causes a new larger skin (needed because the never stop
eating) to start growing and eventually the old skin is discarded.
Caterpillars are a favourite food for birds and many other predatory animals. Caterpillars
obviously do not want to be eaten so over millions of years they have evolved a number of
different ways to defend and protect themselves.

Bright colours: In nature bright colours can be a warning of something
unpleasant. Caterpillars use bright colours to warn birds and predators that they are
not a tasty meal. Ignore the warning and a predator could be left with a bad taste in
its mouth or even poisoned. Some caterpillars are not poisonous so they eat poisonous
leaves that have no effect on them but store the toxins in their body to make them
distasteful or poisonous to predators. Danger colours are usually black red and yellow.

Spikes and hairs: Some caterpillars
are poisonous and some are venomous.
If a caterpillar is poisonous it is only
dangerous when eaten. Venomous
caterpillars inject venom through sharp
spikes or hairs all over their bodies. This
happens if a predator tries to eat the
caterpillar or if you touch it. Most
caterpillars will cause mild to severe
irritation to the skin, eyes or throat. The
caterpillar of the South American
Lonomia Saturnid Moth produces venom
that is strong enough to kill a man and is
responsible for many deaths in the
Amazon Rain Forest.
The South American Lonomia Caterpillar
The most venomous caterpillar in the
world
If you look carefully you can see the
venomous spines on its body

Camouflage: Caterpillars are less
likely to be spotted by a hungry
predator if the are hidden. Some
caterpillars camouflage themselves to
look like something else. For instance
leaves or twigs, something unpleasant
like bird droppings or even something
dangerous like a baby snake. Some
caterpillars will wrap a leaf around
them and secure it with silk then eat
their way out.
The South American Lonomia Saturnid Moth
But can you see it?
It disguises itself as a dead leaf to hide away
from predators
11

Smell: Some caterpillars give off a disgusting smell that will put off even the
hungriest of birds and other predators. These caterpillars have organs or glands on
their bodies that let out an awful smelling secretion when they are disturbed.

Mimicry: To mimic means to copy or imitate something. Lots of caterpillars have no
defensive poisons, spikes, tastes or smells so they will copy the shape, markings and
features of their dangerous relatives in an effort to fool predators into not eating
them. Many other animals and even plants use mimicry to avoid being eaten.

Association: Some caterpillars get their protection by associating with ants. The
caterpillars can communicate with their ant protectors by means of vibrations as well
as by chemical scent. The ants protect the caterpillar from mainly other predatory
insects and in return the caterpillar leaves a tasty sugary honeydew secretion for the
ants to eat.

Deception: Some caterpillars have large false eyes towards the rear of their
abdomen. This is an attempt to convince predators that their back is actually their
front, giving them an opportunity to escape when attacked, others will make the eyes
appear suddenly in an attempt to startle and intimidate their enemy.
Pupa (Chrysalis or Cocoon)
Chrysalis is the pupal stage of butterflies. The term is derived the Greek word Chrysos
meaning gold as the pupae of many butterflies have a metallic gold colouration.
Most chrysalids have a hard protective outer layer and are
attached to a twig or leaf by a silken pad spun by the
caterpillar and a set of hooks (cremaster) at the tip of the
pupal abdomen.
Pupae once in their chrysalis stage are usually immovable and
have little or no defense from predators therefore a common
strategy is concealed placement and use of protective
structures however a few species of pupae are capable of
making sounds or vibrations to scare potential predators.
Moth pupae are usually dark in color and can either formed in
underground cells, loose in the soil, or their pupa is contained
in a protective silk case called a cocoon. Some moth pupae will
spin the defensive hair from their caterpillar body into the
cocoon giving them a bit of added protection. Butterflies larvae
do not spin a cocoon.
Inside the chrysalis (cocoon for moths) growth and changes
occur. This is called pupation and can be as brief as 2 weeks or
the pupa may become dormant and wait for the appropriate
season that will give the adult butterfly its best chance for survival. Eventually the adult
butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. This sudden and rapid change from pupa to adult
butterfly is called metamorphosis.
12
The Butterfly
The wings of a butterfly newly emerged from its chrysalis are folded and wet so its first job is
to pump blood into the wing veins to unfold and inflate them. Once this is done it needs to
bask in the sun for a while to dry its wings and warm up ready for its first flight. This is a
dangerous time for the butterfly because its inability to fly leaves it very vulnerable to an
attack by predators.
Butterflies feed primarily on nectar from flowers which they suck up by way of their
proboscis. Some butterflies can also get some nourishment from pollen, tree sap and rotting
fruit. Butterflies also need sodium and other minerals which are vital for their reproduction.
Some butterflies need more sodium and other essential minerals than is available in their
usual diet so they will feed from damp patches of soil or sand and even feed on animal dung
to get these minerals. Butterflies are attracted to sodium in salt which is why they sometimes
land on people, attracted by human sweat.
By visiting flowers and plants in their search for food butterflies play an important ecological
role as pollinators.
Butterflies sense the air for scents, wind and nectar using their antennae. Many butterflies
use chemical signals, pheromones, and specialized scent scales.
Vision is well developed in butterflies and most species are sensitive to the ultraviolet
spectrum.
Some butterflies have organs of hearing and some species are also known to make clicking
sounds.
Many butterflies, such as the Monarch butterfly, are migratory and capable of long distance
flights of up to 3000 miles. They migrate during the day and use the sun to orient
themselves. They also use polarized light for orientation when the sun is hidden.
Many species of butterfly maintain territories and actively chase other species or individuals
that may stray into them.
Some species will bask or perch on chosen perches. Basking is an activity which is more
common in the cooler hours of the morning. Many species will position themselves to gather
heat from the sun. Some species have evolved dark wing bases to help in gathering more
heat.
Butterflies are under threat from predators through all stages of their development and life is
no easier for the adult butterfly. They defend and protect themselves in a variety of ways.
Chemical defences are common and are often based on chemicals obtained from their food
plants.
This defence will only work if it’s well advertised so many unpalatable butterflies are brightly
coloured so that its predator can see immediately that the butterfly is not a tasty snack. This
has led to some unprotected non poisonous species of butterfly evolving forms and colouring
that mimic their bad tasting relatives. This mimicry is usually restricted to the females.
13
Camouflage is the choice of many butterflies. Some species have evolved to take the shape
and colouring of leaves so that they can blend into the background and hide from predators.
Eyespots and tails are found on some butterflies species. These are intended to divert the
attention of predators away from the more vital head region thus increasing their chance to
escape. An alternative theory is that these cause ambush predators such as spiders to
approach from the wrong end and allow for early visual detection.
It is a popular belief that butterflies have very short life spans. However, butterflies in their
adult stage can live from a week to nearly a year depending on the species.
Most butterflies and moths generally spend the majority of their time searching for a mate to
reproduce and start the four stage life cycle all over again.
There is one serious threat against which butterflies have no defence, MAN!
If man continues to cut down rain forests, plough up wild meadows for agriculture or
housing, spraying crops and fields with insecticides and pesticides and pollute the
atmosphere we are likely to lose an important ecological source for pollination and one of the
most delicate and beautiful insects on our planet.
14
Variation and Classification
KS1VCb
All living things can be grouped together with other living things that they are related to. The
variation and classification of all living things is a very complex subject and is a regular topic
for discussion and argument by the top scientists in the world.
Pictured below is the Western Pygmy Blue, the smallest butterfly in the world and the Queen
Alexandra Birdwing, the largest butterfly in the world.
We now need to work out their species classification.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Papilionidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Tribe:
Polyommatini
Tribe:
Troidini
Genus:
Brephidium
Genus:
Ornithoptera
Species:
B. exilis
Species:
O. alexandrae
Brephidium exilis
Ornithoptera alexandrae
Western Pygmy Blue
Queen Alexandra Birdwing
So you can see that both butterflies are in the same group all the way down to Family,
Papilionidae (which means butterfly), before splitting off into subfamilies and down towards
their individual species.
It is worth noting that this is a fairly simple classification as many other animals and plants
can have sub phylum, sub orders, sub species etc plus additional categories and sub
categories not shown here.
Here we have another example of the scientific classification of living things.
15
A Fruit Fly, a Human, a Mountain Gorilla, a Pea and E. coli have been chosen for this
exercise.
Rank
Fruit fly
Human
Mountain
Gorilla
Pea
E. coli
Domain
Eukarya
Eukarya
Eukarya
Eukarya
Bacteria
Kingdom
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Plantae
Monera
Phylum or
Division
Arthropoda
Chordata
Chordata
Magnoliophyta
Proteobacteria
Subphylum or
subdivision
Hexapoda
Vertebrata
Vertebrata
Magnoliophytina
Class
Insecta
Mammalia
Mammalia
Magnoliopsida
Proteobacteria
Subclass
Pterygota
Eutheria
Eutheria
Magnoliidae
Gamma
proteobacteria
Order
Diptera
Primates
Primates
Fabales
Enterobacteriales
Suborder
Brachycera
Haplorrhini
Haplorrhini
Fabineae
Family
Drosophilidae
Hominidae
Hominidae
Fabaceae
Subfamily
Drosophilinae
Homininae
Homininae
Faboideae
Genus
Drosophila
Homo
Gorilla
Pisum
Escherichia
Species
D.
melanogaster
H. sapiens
G. beringei
P. sativum
E. coli
Enterobacteriaceae
You can see immediately that E. coli is a bacteria and completely different to all the others.
E. coli is an unpleasant bacterium and is one of the causes of food poisoning.
You can see that the Fruit Fly, Human, Mountain Gorilla and pea are all from the same rank,
Eukarya. This is a Greek word meaning good nut in reference to organisms with complex
cells containing nuclei.
Moving down the list you can see that the pea has dropped out as this is from the plantae
(plant) kingdom and the others are from the “Animalia” (animal) kingdom.
Move down one more step and the Fruit Fly drops out as it is from the phylum Arthropoda,
mentioned earlier in this document. We are now left with the Gorilla and Human in the
phylum Chordata, a Greek word meaning cord in reference to the spinal cord.
16
You can now see that the Human and the Mountain Gorilla are in the same classification all
the way down to the subfamily.

Vertebrata means having a backbone or spine.

Mammalia means mammal, an animal that produces milk to feed its young.

Eutheria, a Greek word meaning genuine beast and refers to a group of mammals
whose developing baby is fed via the placenta and umbilical cord during gestation.

Primate is a Latin word that means noble or excellent. It is at this point where the
numerous monkey and ape species start to be classified into various sub species.

Haplorrhini is a Greek word meaning simple nosed or dry nosed. The nose and
gum are not directly connected to the top lip in this sub order, allowing for a greater
range of facial expressions. They are also considered to be less primitive than their
“wet nosed” cousins.

Hominidea is a category collectively known as “The Great Apes” consisting of
gorillas, chimpanzees, orang utan and humans.

Homininae, the orang utan drops from this group as they are considered to have
less in common with humans.

Homo, at this point classification for the human and gorilla splits. The Mountain
Gorilla is now in the genus gorilla, derived from a Greek word meaning “tribe of hairy
women”. The human is now in the genus homo a Latin word meaning man.
So you can now see that most living things will start out in the same domain but the closer
you look at them, the more questions you ask about them, the more differences or variations
you are likely to find that may eventually put them into a different classification category or
different species.
Key
S2VCa / ICT
17
When you are looking at a collection of plants or animals you may want to know more about
them. You may want to know what other animals they are related to, which species it
belongs to or the specific name of animal.
To find out about any living thing you could look it up in a book or on the internet. You may
be able to find a picture of the animal or plant but there may not be enough detail to allow
you to properly name it.
So this is where a Key comes in useful. The Key asks a series of questions which need yes or
no answers and should help you identify the various categories and species of the animal you
are researching.
Here is a simple Key to help you distinguish between five different invertebrates.
Question
Yes
No
Go to question 2
It could be a
slug/snail/worm
It could be a type of insect
Go to question 3
Go to question 4
It could be a spider
Go to question 5
1
Does it have legs?
2
Does it have wings?
3
Does it have more than 8 legs?
4
Does it have 1 pair if legs per body
segment?
It could be a centipede
5
Does it have 2 pairs of legs per
body segment?
It is a millipede
You must remember that this is a very simple Key and more research would be necessary if
you wanted to know the exact species of the millipede. (There is approximately 10,000
recorded species of millipede.)
Exercise 1
KS1VCa
Put the children into small groups then get each group to select 5 different animals or plant
and then get them to construct their own Key. The easiest way is to work backwards by
getting the children to list all the main features of each animal or plant, looking for
similarities and differences that can be used to identify their chosen subjects.
Exercise 2
18
Classroom Activities
Get the children to sort themselves into groups with similar features. E.g. height, hair colour,
eye colour, girl or boy
Within these groups get them to talk about how they are similar to each other and what
things about them are different.
Help them to realise that it is the similarities and differences between them that make them
what they are and that all living things deserve to be respected and treated with sensitivity
despite their differences, because if everything looked alike, the world would be a very dull
place to live.
Exercise 3
KS2VCb
Ask the children to make a list of animals and plants that can be found locally and then get
the children to put them into groups of like-things.
E.g. Plants with flowers, animals with fur, insects etc, birds
Exercise 4
Objectives:
 To know that a sequence of yes/no questions can be used to identify species.
 To produce a tree diagram to identify species.
Tasks:







Show the children a selection of similar animal pictures, e.g. all mammals or all
insects. The children then have to work out which animal you are thinking about
by asking you a series of questions that can be answered yes or no, e.g. does it
have black fur?
Discuss and point out the questions that can eliminate a large number of species
straight away and why they will work the best, e.g. does it eat meat or is it a
carnivore?
Demonstrate on the board how to create a tree diagram of branching questions
that can be used to identify each species.
Children can work in groups with a set of pictures from different species. They
should work together to create a tree diagram that can identify each species
Prepare a branching database to show the children how to search the branching
database to identify different species.
Give pairs of children a species image and get them to practice using the database
to identify it.
Show the children how to create their own branching database. Label each picture
with its name then get the children to work in groups to create a branching
database that identifies each one.
More examples of tree or branching databases
19
This is a simple database that can easily be used either way, e.g. insect class down to
common name or common name up to insect class.
A database can be as simple or as complex as required, generally the more detailed
information required means a more complex database.
20
This is a more complex branching database. You can follow the trail from Kingdom
Animalia (animals) down to Order Lepidoptera (butterflies, skippers and moths). The
Order Lepidoptera then breaks down into 128 families then 47 super families and
eventually into 260,000 species.
21
Living things and their Environment
During the past 500 years or more there has been a considerable decline in the number of
species present on earth. It is highly improbable that this rate of extinction is natural
therefore we need to investigate the causes.
There are differing estimates on the number of major mass extinctions in the last 540 million
years, ranging from as few as five major to more than twenty discrete extinctions, although it
is generally agreed that there has been five major extinction events where up to 95% of all
species on the planet were wiped out. The last time a mass extinction occurred
approximately 65 million years ago. This had great significance for humans as the dinosaurs
were wiped out allowing mammals to become the dominant land vertebrate.
All past major extinction events were caused by natural disasters. However, the majority of
extinctions in the last 500 years are due to man and his effect on the planet. Since 1500 AD,
784 extinctions have been documented by scientists. However, since most extinctions are
likely to go undocumented, scientists estimate that during the last century, between 20,000
and two million species have become extinct. It is estimated that the current rate of
extinction is 140,000 species per year and includes all forms of life on earth. It is believed
that a high percentage of these extinctions are due to deforestation of rain forests. Plant life
has suffered far more devastation and extinction since man became the dominant species.
Scientists have given mans effect on the earth a name:
The Holocene Extinction Event
This is a geological period extending from the present day back approximately 10,000 years.
We must slow down the extinction rate and reverse mans damage to our planet and not only
for the larger high profile species such as the Tiger or Panda or White Rhino but also for wild
flowers, butterflies, birds, fish and unheard of species of invertebrates.
The larger, more popular species such as tigers, pandas and dolphins get a lot of coverage in
the media with their conservation because they are nice to look at but there are many
thousands of species under just as much threat from extinction that go unheard of, such as
invertebrates.
Conservation
Conservation is managing our environment and planet in such a way that we cause it no
damage, we do not exhaust its resources and we preserve all living things.
The consumer conservation ethic is sometimes expressed by the four R's:
 Reduce
 Recycle
 Reuse
 Rethink
24
Why do we need to conserve our environment?
KS 2 LTE a
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the environment in which we live is struggling to
cope with mans activities and modern day industries. The continual increase in the human
population has led to a greater demand on earth resources with potentially disastrous
consequences. Pollution, urban development, intensive agriculture/farming are all having an
effect on the natural environment.
We must protect our planet because it is what keeps us alive. It provides food for us to eat,
water for us to drink, raw materials to build homes and make clothes and air for us to
breathe. All living things rely on a clean environment to provide the essential items needed to
sustain life.
What causes a species to become extinct?
Four reasons for concern about extinction are:




Loss of a species as a biological entity
Destabilization of an ecosystem
Endangerment of other species
Loss of irreplaceable genetic material and associated bio chemicals
There are many reasons why plants and animals become extinct. One of the major causes of
extinction is destruction of habitat. A habitat is where an animal lives and feeds, e.g. the sea
is the habitat for a whale, and the Rain Forest is the habitat for certain species of monkey. If
you destroy a creature’s habitat at best it will move to another area and potentially
destabilize that ecosystem and at worst it will die.
There are many causes of habitat destruction and most are caused by man.
 Development, building houses, factories etc and roads for the growing human
population
 Agriculture, livestock and crops to feed the growing human population.
 Pollution from industry or farming pesticides which can poison plants, rivers, fish
and soil.
Some species of animal have been hunted to extinction by man, sometimes to eat but
sometimes just for sport so that man can boast to others that he shot a ferocious animal and
mount its head on their wall and then sometimes for profit, poachers will shoot an elephant
for its ivory tusks or a rhino for the alleged medical properties of its horn.
It is not only big high profile animals that are under threat, invertebrates also need to be
conserved. Modern pesticides and insecticides are not selective and will generally kill not only
the “bad” insects that eat the crops but also the “good” insects that prey on the “bad” ones.
Invertebrates have an important role to play within our environment. They are a major
contributor to the pollination of plants and commercial crops and some produce honey. If
invertebrates were not around to pollinate crop plants, there would be no seeds for the
following year and therefore no seeds, no crop and no food for us.
Some invertebrates are living recyclers. They will clear up leaf litter and any dead animal
carcases and in the process introduce nutrients to the soil and aerate it with their burrowing.
25
In some countries insects and other invertebrates are used as food and make up a large part
of people’s diet.
A
B
C
Two of these insects are
“good” for plants and two are
“bad”. Can you work out which
is which and what they do to
plants?
D
Endangered Species
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an
international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. They estimate that
40% of all living organisms are endangered. A frightening fact is that many species are likely
to become extinct before they get added to the endangered list and many more could
potentially become extinct before being discovered.
The IUCN latest update is the 2006 Red List, released on 4 May 2006. It evaluates 40,168
species as a whole, plus an additional 2,160 subspecies, varieties, aquatic stocks, and
subpopulations.
From the species evaluated as a whole 16,118 are considered threatened.
Of these:
 7,725 are animals
 8,390 are plants
 3 are lichen and mushrooms.
Great Britain has its own share of endangered species. Butterflies are not only threatened in
other parts of the world, there are several species in Great Britain that are under threat of
extinction because of habitat loss, pesticides and collection. You can do your bit to help by
planting a butterfly garden either at home or at school.
Class room activities
KS1LTE a/b
Encourage children to find out what kinds of plants are around the school and their homes.
Help them to find several different local environments/ habitats and get them to compare the
different habitats and look at the different plants and animals present in the different
habitats .e.g. Heathland, woodland, grassland and seashore.
26
How to make your own Butterfly Garden
Find a piece of ground that is in a sheltered and sunny location and plant the following
plants. These plants will help attract butterflies and other insects to the area.
Musk mallow
Ox eye daisy
Yarrow
Buddleia
Cornflower
Field scabious
Greater knapweed
Hardheads
Why do we have butterfly farms and zoos?
Butterfly farms and zoos are very nice places to visit. You will see many animals and
beautiful butterflies that you are unlikely to ever see anywhere else. However butterfly farms
and zoos can also play a major role in both conservation and education.
Most butterfly farms and zoos offer educational visits where children can learn about insects
and other animals. They can also learn about the importance of conservation, the
environments animals live in, both on land and in the sea and about non animal species such
as trees, flowers etc. Some butterfly farms feature a miniature rain forest as it is home to
some of the more exotic butterflies.
A lot of zoos and butterfly farms have breeding programs for rare and endangered species.
This is to try to stop rare species being taken from the wild and to sometimes release captive
bred animals back into the wild to help maintain an endangered species.
27
The Tropical Rain Forests of the World
There are 3 major rain forest regions in the world and they are all to be found around the
equator. The equator is one of the hottest regions on the planet. The average temperature in
rain forests is 34 degrees Celsius with rainfall averaging 2000mm per year. The high
temperatures and high rainfall cause the environment to be very humid (hot and wet).
The Amazonian rain forest represents over half of the earths remaining rain forests and is the
most species rich area of tropical rain forest on the planet. It is estimated that this forest
covers 5.5 million square kilometres (The UK is approx 245,000 sq km) spread across 8
nations Brazil (with 60%), Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana and
Suriname.
Rain forests cover only a small part of the earth's surface but are thought to the hold about
90-95% of the total world species and estimated to have many millions of plants, insects and
micro-organisms yet to be discovered. Tropical rain forests are called the “world's largest
pharmacy"' because of the large amount of natural medicines discovered there. The basic
ingredients for many of the medicines we use today were discovered in rainforests.
The largest areas of tropical rainforests exist in the Amazon Basin (the Amazon Rainforest),
Nicaragua and the contiguous area of Central America, equatorial Africa from Cameroon to
the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, south-eastern Asia from Myanmar (Burma)
to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Outside of the tropics, temperate rainforests can be found in British Columbia, south-eastern
Alaska, western Oregon and Washington, the northern coast of California, Scotland and
Norway, the western Caucasus and parts of the western Balkans, Japan, southern Chile, New
Zealand, Tasmania, and parts of eastern Australia.
28
Habitats
A habitat is an area where living organisms live and feed. There are different kinds of
habitats and each is home to a different range of animals and plants. The environmental
conditions within the habitat determine the kinds of animals that will be found there. Some
species will happily share their habitat with members of their own species and different
species but others will fight, to the death if necessary, to protect their home.
Listed below are some of the major types of habitats

Temperate woodland: Large mature trees mostly broad-leafed deciduous,
which make a canopy over the woodland floor. Very little light gets through to ground
level so only plant species which can tolerate low levels of light will grow here. The
woodland floor is generally covered with leaf little making it an excellent habitat for
many species of insect and other mammals.

Heathland: Exposed areas often found in temperate climates but also in hotter
climates. Soils are generally acidic and only hardy plants, such as heather and gorse,
are likely to survive here.

Grassland: Wide, open areas with few trees. This could be due to insufficient
rainfall to promote tree growth or it could be due to deforestation to provide grazing
land for sheep and cattle. Major plant species here are from the grass family making it
an excellent area grass eating animals. In Africa it is a good area for herbivores such
as antelope, zebra and buffalo all of which are prey animals for large carnivores such
as lions, hyenas and cheetahs.

Tundra: Exposed arctic areas with virtually no trees and little vegetation. Only the
hardiest of plants can survive the cold temperatures here e.g. grasses, sedges and
rushes.

Desert: Very hot and dry areas with little or no rainfall. Very few animals and even
the hardiest of plants struggle to survive in this hostile environment.
Tropical rain forest: The most diverse of all types of habitat on earth. They are found
along the equator and have more rainfall and sunlight than just about anywhere else on
earth. The rainforest is divided into five different layers, each with different plants and
animals, adapted for life in that particular layer.

Emergent layer: This layer contains a small number of very large trees which grow
above the general canopy, although on occasion a few species will grow to 60 m or 70
m tall. They need to be able to withstand the hot temperatures and dry winds. Eagles,
butterflies, bats and certain monkeys inhabit this layer. This layer is only seen in a
tropical rainforest.
29

Canopy layer: The canopy layer contains the majority of the largest trees, typically
30-45 m tall. The densest areas of biodiversity are found in the forest canopy, a more
or less continuous cover of foliage formed by adjacent treetops. The canopy, by some
estimates, is home to 40% of all plant species, suggesting that perhaps half of all life
on earth could be found there. The fauna is similar to that found in the emergent
layer, but more diverse. A quarter of all insect species are believed to exist in the
rainforest canopy.

Under-story layer: There is a space between the canopy and the forest floor, which
is known as the under-story (or under-storey). This is home to a number of birds,
snakes, and lizards, as well as predators such as jaguars, boa constrictors, ocelots,
and leopards. Armadillos also live here. The leaves are much larger at this level. Insect
life is also abundant. Many seedlings that will grow to the canopy level are present in
the under-story. Only about 5% of the sunlight shining on the rainforest reaches the
under-story. This layer can also be called a shrub layer.

Shrub Layer: The layer just above the floor consists of mainly large-leaved plants
and small tress able to survive on the meagre amount of light let through by the
canopy. It is composed mostly of woody, perennial shrubs less than ten feet in height
and younger, smaller trees awaiting a gap in the canopy to grow to full height.

Forest floor: This region receives only 2% of the rainforest's sunlight. Thus, only
specially adapted plants can grow in this region. Away from river banks, swamps and
clearings where dense undergrowth is found, the forest floor is relatively clear of
vegetation, as little sunlight penetrates to ground level. It also contains decaying plant
and animal matter, which disappears quickly due to the warm, humid conditions
promoting rapid decay. Many forms of fungi grow here which help decay the animal
and plant waste.
The table below allows you to compare temperature, sunlight and rainfall for each type of
habitat.
Habitat
Temperate woodland
Desert
Heathland
Grassland
Tundra
Rain forests
Temperature
Medium
High
Medium
Medium
Low
High
Sunlight
Medium
High
Medium
High
Low
High
Rainfall
Medium
Low
Low
Medium
Low
High
Environmental conditions within a habitat will generally determine what species of plants and
animals you are likely to find there. All levels of the food chain are needed to keep a properly
balanced habitat and eco system thus preventing one species becoming too dominant or
others becoming endangered or extinct. When a plant or animal manages to cope with
changing environmental conditions or diet we say that they have evolved or adapted to live
in that habitat. Many plants and animals can do this and the best example of this is man.
Unfortunately man can, to some degree, use tools or weapons to change an environment or
habitat to suit him.
30
Plant life
KS2LTEe
Plants are the major part of the diet for many different animals. Plants are the producers and
at the bottom of the food chain. Plants take up nutrients and water through their roots and
carbon dioxide from the air with their leaves then use the energy from the sun to convert
them into growth. Plants then pass on this energy when they are eaten by animals. Plants
are a living organism so therefore have a life cycle just like any other creature on earth.
The picture on the next page shows how a plant starts its life as a seed. Inside the seed is
some stored food that gives it the energy to sprout towards the sunlight. Once above the soil
the young plant can start drawing energy from the sun. As the plant stem grows taller the
roots go down deeper into the soil to get water and nutrients. Nutrients and water are taken
in through the roots, transported through the plant up the stem and into the leaves to help
the plant grow. As the leaves get larger they catch more sunlight and give the plant all the
energy it needs to grow.
Life cycle of a flowering plant
KS2GPc and KS1GPa&c
31
Exercise
Get the children to label the picture of a flowering plant with the following names: Roots,
Stem, Branch, flower stalk, flower and leaves. (A blank master sheet is at the rear of this
teachers pack)
KS1GPa&b KS2GPa&b

Roots: Roots draw up water and nutrients from the soil that are needed to keep the
plant healthy. They also anchor the plant into the ground to prevent it falling over or
being blown over by the wind.

Stem: The stem of a plant keeps the flowers and leaves high off of the ground. This
make it easier for the pollinating insects to find the flowers and more difficult for
hungry insects to eat them. Branches grow out along the stem which allows the leaves
to be spread out to and catch as much of the available sunlight as possible. The stem
also acts as a transport system between the roots, leaves and flowers by carrying
water and nutrients to where they are needed.

Leaves: Leaves absorb energy from the sun. The plant then uses a biochemical
process called photosynthesis (photo = light, synthesis = putting together) that
uses the energy collected from the sun together with water and carbon dioxide from
32
the air. This produces a sugar that the plant needs for growth and a valuable “waste”
product called oxygen. Nearly all life on this planet depends on oxygen to survive.
Plants absorb light primarily using the pigment chlorophyll, which is the reason why
most plants have a green colour. Chlorophyll is contained in compartments in the
plants cells, these are called chloroplasts. Although all cells in the green parts of a
plant have chloroplasts, most of the energy is captured in the leaves.
Photosynthesis is an extremely complex biochemical process that the plant uses to make
glucose (a type of sugar). The glucose is what gives the plant its energy to grow.
A simple general equation for photosynthesis is:
6CO2 + 12 H2O + photons = C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 6 H2O
Carbon dioxide + water + light energy =
Cell structure for green plants
33
glucose + oxygen + water
Flowers: Flowers have the reproductive organs for the plant and is where the seeds are
produced. To produce seeds the plant must be pollinated. Plants have brightly coloured
flowers and produce a sweet sticky substance called nectar to attract insects and other
pollinators. There are a number of ways that plants can be pollinated.
Biotic pollination (by organisms)
Entomophily: pollination by insects
Zoophily: Pollination by vertebrates e.g. birds or bats
Bees and wasps
Sunbird
Beetles
Spiderhunter
Moths and Butterflies
Honeyeater
Flies
Humming Bird
Abiotic pollination
Hydrophilic: pollination by water
Anemophily: pollination by wind
Very common in grasses
Aquatic plants
Most Conifers
Many deciduous trees
About 80% of all plant pollination is biotic. Of the 20% of abiotically pollinated species, 98%
is by wind and 2% by water and sun.
Self pollination: A few plants self pollinate most of which are in the plant family legume
(Fabaceae). Soya bean is a good example of this as it is not totally self pollinating. It will
open its flowers during the day to attract insects, if unsuccessful it will self pollinate as its
flowers close in the evening.
Plants can be temperature sensitive. Some plants survive in hot climates whilst others cannot
survive in cold climates.
34
Reproduction
KS2GPd
All living things need to reproduce so that the species survives. The next section explains the
basic processes of plant pollination and reproduction.
The Flower:

The flower is the reproductive unit of some plants (angiosperms). Parts of the flower
include petals, sepals, one or more carpel (the female reproductive organs), and
stamens (the male reproductive organs).
The Female Reproductive Organs:

The pistil is the collective term for the carpel(s). Each carpel includes an ovary (where
the ovules are produced; ovules are the female reproductive cells, the eggs), a style
(a tube on top of the ovary), and a stigma (which receives the pollen during
fertilization).
The Male Reproductive Organs:

Stamens are the male reproductive parts of flowers. A stamen consists of an anther
(which produces pollen) and a filament. The pollen consists of the male reproductive
cells, these fertilize the ovules.
35
Fertilization:

Pollen must fertilize an ovule to produce a viable seed. This process is called
pollination, and is often aided by animals like bees, which fly from flower to flower
collecting sweet nectar. As they visit flowers, they spread pollen around, depositing it
on some stigmas. After a male's pollen grains have landed on the stigma during
fertilization, pollen tubes develop within the style, burrowing down to the ovary, where
the sperm fertilizes an ovum (an egg cell), in the ovule. After fertilization, the ovule
develops into a seed in the ovary.
Types of Flowers:

Some flowers (called perfect flowers) have both male and female reproductive organs;
some flowers (called imperfect flowers) have only male reproductive organs or only
female reproductive organs. Some plants have both male and female flowers, while
other has males on one plant and females on another. Complete flowers have
stamens, a pistil, petals, and sepals. Incomplete flowers lack one of these parts.
Exercise
Ask the children to think about the purpose of each part of a plant and ask them to write
down what each part does and its role in the life of the plant.




Root
Stem
Leaf
Flower
Exercise
Ask the children to write down the 3 things a plant needs for photosynthesis and what is the
valuable waste product created by photosynthesis.
Exercise
Ask the children to write down how they think plants attract insects to their flowers for
pollination and name 4 insects that they might attract.
Classroom activity
KS1GPc
You can grow a plant in the classroom and watch the different stages of its life.
You will need: Jam jar, Kitchen roll, Seeds, Water
This is what you need to do:





Wet the kitchen towel and put it in to the jam jar.
Sprinkle some seeds on to the wet towel and put the jar on a window sill.
Keep the towel moist and watch the seeds germinate.
Measure the seeds growth and watch its different life cycles
When the plants are big enough you can plant them in soil.
36
When the plant has some leaves rotate the jam jar by 180 degrees and make a note of the
position of its leaves. Check it again the next day to see if there has been any change.
Try 2 or 3 different types of plant seeds in separate jam jars and see which ones grow the
fastest.
There is a table to record the seeds growth in the activities pack.
Life processes and living things
KS1LPb & KS2LPa & b
All living things (Humans, animals, plants) need to carry out essential life processes every
day in order to stay alive.

Growth: All living things must grow. They begin life very small and continue to grow
until they become a mature adult.

Breathe: All living things need to breathe. Even those that live in water still breathe.
They take their oxygen straight from the water.

Produce waste: All living things produce waste from their bodies. Plants however
produce a waste product essential for life, oxygen.

Movement: All living things are able to move, some faster than others. Even plants
are able to move their leaves towards the sun.

Feeding: All living things need food and water, some need to feed and drink daily
others can go days or even weeks without food. Plants make their own food from
sunlight, carbon dioxide and water.

Sensing: All living things need to know what is happening around them. They do this
by sight, sound, touch, taste, smell. Not all creatures use all 4 senses. A mole has very
poor eyesight so tracks down his favourite snack, worms, with the other four senses,
especially sound and touch, the mole has very sensitive whiskers that sense
vibrations.

Reproduction: All living things are able to breed. Some species have both male and
female reproductive organs inside them but most species need a male and a female to
breed. All living things must reproduce to keep their species alive.
37
Activity Sheets
For use with
The Bank Mill Nurseries and Visitor Centre
Teachers Information Pack
38
Exercise
KS1LP c
Select 5 different animals from your local area then describe the habitat which they live.
Describe how their habitat helps them to survive.
KS1LP a
Check to see if the following things are living organisms by using the life processes.
Tick the boxes if you think the life processes apply.
Butterfly
Dog
Mole
Plant
Does it grow?
Does it breathe?
Does it produce
waste?
Does it walk?
Does it eat or
drink?
Can it sense its
surroundings?
Can it have
young?
39
Table
Tadpole
Fish
Stone
Teddy
Bear
Tree
40
Ask the children to write the correct name for each part of this plant
next to the arrow.
 Roots
 Stem
 Branch
 Flower Stalk
 Flower
 Leaves
41
Butterfly or Moth quiz sheet
42
Butterfly or Moth answer sheet
43
An example of a food chain
44
Table for recording seed growth
Height
Height
Height
Day
Day
Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
45
Blank branching database
46
The 4 stages in a butterfly life cycle
A
B
C
D
Can you name them and put them in the correct life cycle order?
Name
Order
47
Useful Websites
 http://en.wikipedia.org Excellent website, huge amount
information and pictures to be found on just about every subject
of
 http://www.google.co.uk
One of the best search engines and
very easy to use. The facility to search just for images is excellent
 www.bankmillnurseries.co.uk This is our website and is currently
under construction. Please visit it regularly as new and interesting content
is being added over the coming weeks
 www.BBC.co.uk/nature Lots of useful information here
 www.DEFRA.gov.uk UK Government website
 www.RSPB.org.uk
Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Birds
 www.rspca.org.uk
Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
 www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk
Wildlife trust is our area
 www.english-heritage.org.uk English Heritage website
48