Science Year 7

Unit 7C Environment and feeding relationships

About the unit Expectations

In this unit pupils learn: At the end of this unit
• how habitats vary in terms of scientific enquiry
• how plants and animals are adapted to live in a particular habitat
• how plants and animals interact with their environment and with each other, including feeding relationships most pupils will: make a series of measurements of environmental
• about adaptations for feeding variables appropriate to the task; identify a question to investigate
• how to link food chains to make webs about the activity of an invertebrate, suggesting a suitable approach
and sample size; use their results to relate animal and plant activity to
In scientific enquiry pupils:
environmental changes
• consider the importance of sample size
• make measurements of environmental changes and interpret these some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: make
• survey the variety of living things within a habitat measurements of environmental variables appropriate to the task
• investigate the activity of a small invertebrate, taking into account variables they cannot control and make suggestions about investigating the activity of an
invertebrate
This unit is expected to take approximately 8 hours.
some pupils will have progressed further and will: describe, in terms of
Where the unit fits in approach and sample size, how strongly any patterns or associations
identified are supported by the evidence
This unit draws on ideas developed in the key stage 2 programme of study. It builds on unit 4B ‘Habitats’ and
unit 6A ‘Interdependence and adaptation’ in the key stage 2 scheme of work. in terms of life processes and living things
Together, this unit and unit 6A ‘Interdependence and adaptation’ in the key stage 2 scheme of work could be most pupils will: identify differences between different habitats and
used as a bridging unit. relate these to the organisms found in them; describe ways in which
The unit provides a foundation for unit 8D ‘Ecological relationships’ and for unit 9A ‘Inheritance and organisms are adapted to daily or seasonal changes in their
selection’. environment and to their mode of feeding; describe food chains
within an environment and combine these into food webs
The energy transfer ideas of unit 7I ‘Energy resources’ are used in considering feeding relationships between
some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: identify
organisms. If this unit is covered before unit 7I ‘Energy resources’, then the treatment can be restricted to using
differences between different habitats and describe how familiar
the label ‘energy’ for what is transferred. If unit 7I ‘Energy resources’ is covered first, then links can be made to
organisms are suited to the habitat in which they are found; describe
the burning of fuels and foods and the Sun as the energy resource for plants.
some simple food chains
There are opportunities for pupils to make presentations about, and take measurements in, the environment.
some pupils will have progressed further and will: explain why a variety
This links with unit 3 ‘Processing text and images’ and unit 7 ‘Measuring physical data’ in the ICT scheme of
of habitats is needed in a community; describe how different
work.
organisms contribute to the community in which they are found and
relate food chains to energy transfer

Key stage 3 schemes of work

Prior learning Resources
It is helpful if pupils: Resources include:
• know that different habitats support different plants and animals and • sensor and software for temperature, oxygen, light, pH measurement
have identified ways in which plants and animals in a particular • secondary sources, eg photographs, video clips, preserved and live
habitat depend on each other specimens, showing predators and prey
• have explored local habitats to establish the variety of living • pictures showing the range of organisms found in a variety of habitats
organisms within them • secondary sources providing information about how animals deal with
• know that some animals feed on other animals and some feed on seasonal changes in their environment
plants • secondary sources showing how some plants, eg holly, nettles,
bracken, have defence mechanisms
• simulation software illustrating changes in populations
Health and safety • secondary sources, eg CD-ROMs, videos, illustrating diets of animals
Risk assessments are required for any hazardous activity. In this unit
pupils:
• plan and carry out their own investigation Out-of-school learning
• collect and handle small invertebrates Pupils could:
• work in an outside environment • visit other habitats, eg nature reserves, nocturnal houses in zoos and
Many employers have specific guidance on fieldwork. Model risk nature centres
assessments used by most employers for normal science activities can be • find out about the feeding requirements of a variety of species of
found in the publications listed in the Teacher’s guide. Teachers need to animal
follow these as indicated in the guidance notes for the activities, and • attend evening or early morning activities, eg bat watching, snake
consider what modifications are needed for individual classroom spotting, moth spotting and listening to the dawn chorus run by
situations. country parks, waterways and other organisations
• watch wildlife programmes on video and television, read accounts of
life in a habitat supporting different plants and animals
Language for learning • look for plants and animals in their immediate locality, eg on the way
Through the activities in this unit pupils will be able to understand, use to and from school
and spell correctly: • find out about wildlife conservation projects or ecology centres in their
• words and phrases relating to feeding, eg predator, prey, food web locality
• words and phrases relating to seasonal changes, eg migration, • search the internet for information about habitats and feeding
hibernation, overwintering, dormant, insulation, climatic stress relationships using key words, eg zoo, food chain, habitat
• words and phrases describing environmental conditions, eg light
intensity, availability of oxygen
• words with different meanings in scientific and everyday contexts, eg
producer, consumer
• words with similar but distinct meanings, eg carnivore and predator
• words relating to scientific enquiry, eg temperature sensor, sample
size, reliable data
Through the activities pupils could:
• organise, sequence and link what they say so listeners can follow it
• find information from secondary sources using contents, index,
glossary, key words or hotlinks
• join ideas within sentences using links of cause (so, because, since)

Key stage 3 schemes of work Science unit 7C

1

How does the environment influence the animals and plants living in a habitat?

• that different habitats have • Ask pupils about environments or habitats they studied at key stage 2 and explain • identify features, eg light, • This activity is intended to help teachers
different features that in the first part of the work in this unit they are going to look at features of temperature range, which are find out what pupils know about
• that different habitats support habitats. different in different habitats habitats and how organisms are adapted
different organisms • Provide pupils with stimulus material, eg video of the Arctic, poster of woodland • describe adaptations to life in a to them. Teachers will need to take this
• that the distribution of life, picture of cacti in a desert, underwater scene, worms in a wormer y. Ask the variety of habitats such as: into account in later work.
organisms in different habitats is pupils to describe the physical features of each habitat and identify major – water, eg streamlined shapes • Pupils may need help to stay focused on
affected by environmental environmental factors, eg light intensity, oxygen availability, temperature range. help animals move through the question of adaptations to the
factors, eg light, nutrients or • With pupils, decide on a limited list of animal and plant species for each habitat. the water, water plants float habitat and help in selecting appropriate
water availability Remind pupils of the importance of making sure listeners can follow their or have long stems to reach material from a large quantity of general
• to organise sequence and link argument, and ask them, in groups, to use secondary sources to investigate how surface waters information on the lives of particular
what they say so listeners can species are adapted to life in one habitat and to present their findings, eg orally, – underground, eg streamlined plants and animals.
follow it using overhead transparencies (OHTs) or flip charts. shapes, adaptations for • This unit includes work on seasonal
tunnelling, poor sight but changes. It is useful to have a log of
good senses of smell and species sighted in the school and its
vibration surroundings. If possible, encourage
– woodland, eg colour vision, pupils to note vegetation and other
climbing plants and changes in the school environment over
camouflage, early growth and the academic year.
flowering before the canopy • Extension: pupils could explore a wider
develops variety of habitats through an interactive
• pick out appropriate adaptations field trip, eg www.field-guides.com
and explain clearly their
significance
• make an oral group presentation
of their findings

Key stage 3 schemes of work Science unit 7C

2

How do environments vary?

• that some animals are adapted • Ask pupils to predict how physical environmental factors around the school, eg • describe changes in physical • There is an opportunity to use
to daily changes in their habitat light intensity, temperature, humidity, noise levels, would change over a 24-hour environmental factors, eg datalogging equipment. Secondary
• how to measure and record period and how they could measure the changes. With pupils, set up instruments, temperature, light intensity, over sources, eg newspapers, Ceefax and
changes in environmental eg datalogging equipment with a light probe, automatic weather station, a 24-hour period geography weather stations, could be
factors temperature and sound sensors, to monitor changes. Provide pupils with data • interpret data about daily used to confirm readings.
• how to interpret patterns in data about environmental changes around the school over a 24-hour period and help changes and explain in simple • Schools near the coast and by tidal rivers
them to describe what these show and to identify links between the dif ferent terms, eg beginning to get dark have an opportunity to focus on
changes. • relate changes in variables, eg adaptations to changes in these habitats.
• Ask pupils to suggest how the population of plants and animals in the school light and temperature, to each • Schools with CCTV may be able to
habitat would change over the same time, eg crows and starlings visiting dustbins other monitor animal activity at night.
in daylight, squirrels visiting after school finishes, foxes after dark; slugs, cats, mice, • relate plant and animal activity
bats active at night. Using their ideas, secondary sources and first-hand to environmental changes
observation where possible, help pupils to generate comparative lists of animals
active during the day, at dawn and dusk and those which are nocturnal.

• how to frame a question to be • Using observations of small invertebrates in the school grounds or elsewhere, ask • identify a suitable question for • Extension: pupils could find out about
investigated pupils to generate a suitable question about how the activity of an invertebrate, eg investigation adaptations to daily changes in two or
• how to decide what factors are woodlice, snails, brine shrimps, daphnia, varies with environmental changes, eg • identify and control relevant three plant or animal species.
relevant to a question dampness, light/dark, and to plan and carry out an investigation. variables • If any animals are brought into the
• about the importance of sample • Help pupils to produce an account of what they did, focusing on the size of sample • choose an appropriate way of classroom, ensure that they are treated
size they used, the factors they could and could not control and how confident they obtaining an adequate sample carefully and that they are returned to
• to consider results in relation to were in their results. • explain why they are, or are not, the habitat from which they came as
the sample used confident in their results, eg 18 soon as possible.
out of 20 times the snails went Safety
to the damp, I think this is – teachers will need to check pupils’
sufficient; we only used 6 plans for health and safety before
woodlice and 4 of them chose practical work begins
the dark, I think we need to use – wash hands after handling animals.
more than 6 woodlice to be sure Particular pupils may have allergies
and these should be appropriately
taken into account. Wipe benches
with disinfectant

Key stage 3 schemes of work Science unit 7C

3

• how some animals are adapted • Provide pupils with overwintering structures or photographs or video clips of these • identify ways in which habitats • It may be useful to have data about
to seasonal changes in their as stimulus material, eg onion bulb, pupa, twig with buds, carrot, plastic bag of vary through the year temperature ranges and daylight hours
habitats hair from a moulting pet. Ask pupils to suggest when they would normally be • describe some strategies which in the locality of the school to support
• that adaptations may be to found and their function. Show videos of habitats at different times of the year and plants and animals adopt to this work.
avoid climatic stress ask pupils to identify differences and describe the consequences of these for the avoid climatic stress • Some dormant twigs can be frozen
organisms in the habitat. Ask pupils to describe from their own knowledge how successfully for use at other times of
plants in the school habitat change over the year and predict the likely effects of year. Ash trees are usually among the last
the changes on the animals in the locality. to come into leaf.
• Provide pupils with key words and phrases, eg migration, hibernation,
overwintering of pupae, dormant structures, making food stores, thicker
insulation, and ask pupils to use secondary sources to find out about these and
how they help animals avoid climatic stress. Ask pupils to describe what they found
out and help them to contribute to a summary sheet about seasonal changes.

Checking progress

• to summarise and make • Provide pupils with a list of adaptive animal and plant characteristics and ask them • identify adaptations for
connections between key ideas to decide on the six most important for a particular habitat. Ask them to explain particular habitats
about adaptation to a habitat their choices and ask others to evaluate these critically, identifying the advantages • explain the advantages
the adaptation gives the organism. Help pupils to use the results of the work to adaptations give an organism
make generalisations about adaptation.

What is a feeding relationship?

• that animals have features • Review pupils’ knowledge of predators and prey by providing stimulus material, • identify predators and prey from • Nature centres, botanical gardens and
which are adaptations against eg posters, photos, pictures, video clips, preser ved and live specimens, of predatory information about commonly zoological collections may have outreach
predators animals and prey species, eg eagle, dog, pike, bat, spider, rabbit, antelope, snail, encountered animals teachers who can bring a selection of
• that animals are adapted to their and asking pupils to describe how the predators are adapted for finding, catching • identify features of predators, eg plants and animals into schools to
particular food source and killing their prey and how prey species are adapted for detecting and avoiding a hooked beak, sharp claws, illustrate adaptations to habitat and food
• to collect sufficient data to predators. Help pupils construct tables of general features of predators and prey, acute vision, ability to trap prey source. In addition, they often have
reduce error and obtain reliable eg predators may have eyes forward, acute vision and sense of smell, sharp claws/ • identify features of prey animals, education programmes to support visits
evidence talons/beaks for piercing and tearing, may ambush or hunt by stealth, whereas eg camouflage, acute senses, to their establishments.
prey may have eyes at the side, acute hearing and sense of smell, be easily startled, armour, speed • Alternatively, pupils could use dough
be nocturnal, camouflaged. • state how many observations coloured with food dyes, or red and
• Ask pupils to investigate the effect of beak shape in seed-eating birds, eg by using they made and explain why this green wool, distributed on a marked-off
blunt and fine-pointed forceps to pick up and transfer seeds of var ying sizes from a was appropriate stretch of grass to investigate the
dish in one minute. Discuss with pupils how much data they need to gather for effectiveness of camouflage.
reliable conclusions. Safety – wash hands after handling
animals. Particular pupils may have
allergies and these should be taken
into account. Wipe benches with
disinfectant

Key stage 3 schemes of work Science unit 7C

4

• about characteristics of predator • Establish by quick questions pupils’ understanding from work in key stage 2 of • sort organisms into a food chain • In unit 7I ‘Energy resources’, the idea
and prey species terms related to food chains, eg producer, consumer. • explain what is meant by, and that food chains show energy transfer is
• to join ideas within sentences • Present pupils with stimulus material, eg a habitat poster such as meadowland or identify, carnivore, herbivore, introduced.
using links of cause, eg so, woodland, and challenge them to make as many food chains as they can. Ask consumer, producer • Food chains may also start with bacteria
because, since them to identify producers, consumers, herbivores and carnivores. Explain the • identify food chains within food or fungi. However, at this stage it is
• that all the organisms in a direction of the arrows in the food chain and relate to energy transfer, with the webs and describe what a food acceptable for pupils to be taught that
habitat can be linked together in Sun as the ultimate source of energy. Ask pupils to write a sentence about each web shows food chains begin with plants.
food webs food chain, using links of cause, eg so, because, since. • explain the direction of arrows in • Pupils do not need to be familiar with the
• that food webs are made up of a • Ask pupils to find examples of animals that occur in more than one food chain and a food chain, eg energy from the term ‘trophic level’ at this stage.
number of food chains which to explain what this shows about their food sources. Show pupils a food web and leaves passes to the caterpillar • Extension: pupils could be asked to find
start with plants explain that it is a more accurate representation of feeding relationships. out about different predators and prey
• that arrows in a food chain • Help pupils use the food chains they have generated to construct a food web for and produce an account of how one of
represent energy transfer display. Provide pupils with secondary data so they can practise identifying food each is adapted.
chains within a food web and constructing food webs from food chains.
• Establish with pupils that food webs, food chains and terms, eg predator and prey
are ways of describing feeding relationships.

Key stage 3 schemes of work Science unit 7C

5

What do food webs tell us?

• to make careful observations of • Ask pupils to suggest likely places to find plants and animals in the locality of the • identify plants and animals • This exercise can be done in very
plants and animals and sources school, what species they think they might find and how the plants and animals found in the immediate locality small-scale habitats, eg flower bed, grass
of evidence about animals’ food might be linked in food webs. Encourage pupils to consider what evidence we use • state that a wide variety of verge. It needs to be clear that the focus
• to link organisms together in to find out what animals eat, eg owl pellets, remains near lairs and nests, thrush organisms is found in quite small of the activities is identification of food
food webs anvils, observations, teeth marks, bird droppings showing coloured berries have habitats webs, because pupils may have visited an
• that some plants have been eaten. • describe and explain what might area local to their school in key stage 2 to
adaptations to deter animals • Show pupils how to use simple equipment and techniques, eg direct observation, provide evidence about animals’ identify organisms, using keys, and to
from feeding on them pooters, tree beating, and ask them to find, identify and record as many species of food identify food chains.
• to interpret evidence about food plants and animals as possible within the school locality. • identify features of plants which • Pupils are likely to be familiar with using
sources and draw conclusions • Ask pupils to record any observations which help to identify a food source, eg a may deter animals from feeding keys to identify living things from their
from it greenfly found on a rose bush, woodlice found under decaying wood, fl y on them work at key stage 2. Some may need
entangled in a spider’s web, and to note plant features which may deter animals • interpret evidence about food more practice.
from feeding on them, eg prickles on holly, thistles, sting on nettles. If appropriate, sources, eg the bird droppings • It is not necessary to quantify species at
extend this work using secondary sources. are purple, so they could have this stage, but it may be useful to count
• Help the pupils to use the information gathered to construct a database using a eaten blackberries the number of species identified and the
data-handling programme. number of individuals of different
feeding types for possible use in year 8.
• If any animals are brought into the
classroom, ensure that they are treated
with respect, their needs are met and
that they are returned to their habitat as
soon as possible.
Safety
– all off-site visits must be
carried out in accordance with school/
LEA guidelines
– pupils should wash their hands after
handling animals and soil.
Particular pupils may have allergies
and these should be taken into
account. Disinfect pooter
mouthpieces

Key stage 3 schemes of work Science unit 7C

6

• that all the organisms in a • Provide pupils with secondary sources, eg reference books, CD-ROMs, databases, • use organisational features of • Pupils may need reminding that food
habitat can be linked together in to find information about the diet of animals identified in the previous activity, and text to identify relevant webs are the focus of the activity, as they
food webs remind them how to use the index, contents section, key words and hotlinks. Ask information about the diet of may have found out about the food
• to find information using them to add the information to the database. Ask them to use the information to animals source of a local animal in key stage 2.
contents, index, glossary, construct food chains using the species identified, and to describe what the food • place food chains within a food • Pupils often have difficulty with the idea
key words or hotlinks chains show. Help the pupils to link their food chains together into a food web. web that arrows in a food chain represent
Challenge the pupils to explain any missing links, eg absence of carnivores, such as • describe how all the organisms energy flow. This could be reinforced
owls or hawks. Help pupils to produce a display of their food web(s). in a habitat can be linked here.
together in food webs
• sequence a food chain
• recognise that arrows in a food
web or food chain show the
direction of energy flow

• that factors influencing the • Challenge pupils to suggest where there is competition between species in the • predict the effects of altering the • This activity provides opportunities to use
number of organisms in one part food web. Reinforce their ideas by removing a plant species or adding two or more numbers of an organism in one ICT simulations.
of a food web have an effect on consumers and ask the pupils to predict the consequences. part of a food web
other parts of the web • Extend the work by asking pupils to use food webs, eg those generated in previous • recognise that organisms living
activities, to practise predicting the effects of altering the numbers of various in a habitat compete with each
organisms in a web. Use ICT simulations to test out the predictions made. other for food resources
• recognise the importance of
plants as the food source at the
start of all food chains

Reviewing work

• that organisms in a habitat • Construct a paper and wool model of a food web identifi ed in the previous activity. • predict and explain the • If the food webs generated earlier are
compete for resources from the Remove one animal species from the web, eg by cutting the strands of wool consequences of changes in the very complex, it may be better to simplify
environment holding it in place. Ask the pupils what will happen to the animals that feed on organisms making up a food them for this activity.
that species. Challenge pupils to identify any other effects on the food web. web • As an alternative, pupils could be given
• Extend by providing pupils with a food web in which at least one animal is a copies of a food web generated earlier,
seasonal visitor and asking them to identify differences in the food web in other with an animal blanked out.
seasons.

Ref: QCA/00/445 © Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) 2000 Science unit 7C