Science
Living Things and Their Habitats
Year One
Science | Year 2 | Living Things and Their Habitats | World Habitats | Lesson 4
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World Habitats
Do you remember how plants and animals rely on the environment around them to provide them with everything they need?
This means they have to live somewhere that has the right conditions to help them stay alive and well.
Because different places around the world have different conditions, the plants and animals that live there are different too.
These different animals and plants all have special ways to survive in their special habitats.
World Habitats
We are going to find out about some of the different habitats around the world, and some of the different plants and animals that live there.
Rainforest
Arctic
Ocean
Desert
Oceans
Many kinds of plants grow in the ocean, including seaweed, grasses, algae and even flowers. The oceans contain all kinds of creatures, from giant whales to plankton so tiny that you need a microscope to see them.
There are more than 21,000 species of fish in the ocean. Fish breathe underwater using special organs called gills.
Many mammals live in the sea, such as seals, whales, and dolphins.
These creatures need to return to the surface to breathe air, like we do.
Some creatures crawl over the bottom of the ocean or burrow beneath it. They include lobsters, crabs, prawns and starfish.
Animals of the Oceans
Photos courtesy of Elias Levy, Lisa Williams, Patrik Nygen and qorize (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
The Arctic
The Arctic Circle is located at the very top of the Earth. It is very cold in the Arctic all year round.
The only plants that can grow in the Arctic region are grass and mosses. Trees are unable to grow because the ground stays frozen all year round. In some places in the Arctic it is too cold for anything to grow at all.
There are many land mammals in the Arctic including ox, reindeer, artic foxes, weasels, wolves, polar bears and brown bears.
Seals, walruses and whales live here and feed from the plankton and fish in the sea.
Animals of the Arctic
Photos courtesy of Emma, Steve Sayles, Lee Dyer and Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Tropical Rainforests
The tropical rainforests are home to gigantic trees, colourful birds, millions of bright insects, and many different mammals.
There are more trees in tropical rainforests than anywhere else in the world. These trees are home to lots of animals. Most of them live high in the branches where they can find food.
Insects, small birds and frogs feed on the fruit, seeds and leaves, or other small creatures. Tree-living lizards, chameleons and snakes feed on smaller animals.
Plant-eating mammals, such as flying squirrels, monkeys, and sloths, live in the forest canopy. Carnivores, such as jaguars and leopards, hunt in the trees to catch prey.
Animals of Tropical Rainforests
Photos courtesy of Endangered_Human, Bayucca, Kurt Bauschardt and Land Rover Our Planet (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Deserts
Because there is such little water in the desert, not many living things can survive here. Animals and plants that live here are specially adapted to the harsh, dry conditions.
Many desert plants have leaves that collect and store water. Since water is so scarce, most desert animals get their water from eating these plants, or from the blood and body tissues of their prey.
Some animals, like kangaroos and lizards, live in burrows which do not get too hot or cold and have damp air inside. These animals stay in their burrows during the hot days, coming out at night to feed.
Camels can drink large amounts of water at one time and can survive as long as two weeks without drinking. They have large spread out feet that help them to walk on the soft sand.
Animals the Desert
Photos courtesy of Susanne Nilsson, SuperCar-RoadTrip, Bryan Adams and Nitish Bindal Agrawal (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Researching Habitats
You are going to do some research about habitats.
Researching means finding out more information about something you are interested in.
How can we find more information?
You can read about it in an information book.
You can find out about it by looking it up on the Internet.
You can ask questions of someone who knows more information about the topic.
Researching Habitats
You are going to choose one of the habitats and research it by looking in books and on the Internet.
Draw and label the plants and animals that live in your habitat.
1
Write a description of the what it is like to live there.
2
Researching Habitats
What are the conditions like in that habitat?
You have researched your chosen habitat and found out lots of information about it. Well done!
Now you are going to ask your friends about the habitat that they researched.
In your group, think of some questions you can ask to find out about the other habitats…
What is the weather like?
What plants and animals live there?
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
How do they survive?
Question and Answer
Oceans
Question and Answer
The Arctic
Question and Answer
Tropical Rainforests
Question and Answer
Deserts
How Do I Survive?
Plants and animals live in habitats that suit them.
They have special features that help them to survive in their habitat.
This is why animals that live in cold places have thick fur, and why animals that live in or near water are good swimmers.
How Do I Survive?
What makes the ocean a good habitat for a shark?
How does a shark survive in this habitat?
A shark breathes sea water through its gills.
Sharks have their babies in safe, shallow waters.
Sharks use their tails and fins to swim through the oceans.
The ocean is full of fish and other sea creatures for sharks to eat with their sharp teeth and powerful jaws.
Would a shark survive in the rainforest?
Photo courtesy of Allan Lee (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
How Do I Survive?
What makes the Arctic a good habitat for a polar bear?
How does a polar bear survive in this habitat?
Polar bears have white fur so they can blend in with the snow.
They have wide, large paws to help them walk in the snow.
Polar bears can swim in the sea to catch large marine mammals.
Polar bears have two layers of fur and a thick layer of body fat to protect them from the cold.
Photo courtesy of Graham Richardson (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Would a polar bear survive in the desert?
How Do I Survive?
What makes the tropical rainforest a good habitat for a spider monkey? How does a monkey survive in this habitat?
Spider monkeys have long arms and legs, and strong tails for climbing in the trees.
The trees provide them with shelter and a safe place to rear their babies.
They can climb very high, which keeps them safe from predators.
They eat nuts, fruit, berries, seeds and insects that they find in the canopy of the forest.
Photo courtesy of Ican Mlinaric (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Would a spider monkey survive in the ocean?
How Do I Survive?
What makes the desert a good habitat for a camel?
How does a camel survive in this habitat?
Camels store fat in their humps so they can go long periods without eating or drinking.
A camel’s long, thin legs help it walk long distances to find food and water.
Camels have very long eyelashes to protect their eyes from sand.
A camel’s thick coat keeps it warm at night and protects from the hot sun during the day.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Simourd (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Would a camel survive in the arctic?
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