LESSON PLAN

Objectives
1. Recognise there are different types of plants and animals in
a local environment.
2. Name some plants and animals and understand they require
different habitats to live.
3. Relate simple life processes to plants and animals found in a
local environment.
National Curriculum
Key Stage 2, Science, Sc2, 2e.
Resources
• Online activity: Plants and animals
• Secondary sources of information (reference books, CD-
ROMs)
• Copies of Plants and animals worksheet
Teaching activities
Introduction
Ask the children to name some plants and animals found locally.
Make two headings on the whiteboard, Plants and Animals, and
ask children to add their contribution to the correct place. What is
different about plants and animals? What is the same?
Activity
Select Plants and animals in the local environment from the KS2
Bitesize website. Explain they are going to spot some wildlife. Ask
the children to predict where an animal might be found. Why
there? Select a child to spot and click on the wildlife. Click on
each magnifying glass and read through the information. Explain
any unfamiliar words. Click on Sorter 1 and show the children how
the plants and animals can be sorted by where they were found.
Complete this activity. Click on Sorter 2 and explain the living
thing has to be matched with where it came from. Do all living
things begin life in the same way? What did a bird look like at the
beginning of its life? Complete the activity. Form groups, each
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group will need a computer. Select and explain the activity as
above. Ask the children to find the oak tree and click on it. Where
was it? Tell the pupils they should remember where each thing is
found. When the children know what to do, let them complete the
rest of the experiment. Encourage them to read or listen to the
information.
Plenary
What different types of wildlife were found in the park? Make a list
on the whiteboard. Choose one and ask the children to give some
facts that they have found out or knew already about the subject.
Extension
Have a selection of reference books or CD-ROMs available for the
children to find out more about local wildlife. Ask children to
create a simple What Am I? quiz. The quiz has to give as many
clues about the plant or animal that the children are able to find
out e.g. where they live, what their offspring are called, drawing
part of their body or complete the Worksheet.

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Plants and animals
Introduction
Every plant or animal lives in a habitat. A habitat is another name for
their local environment. Plants and animals often have to adapt, or
change in order to survive.
This section includes:
• Habitats
• How plants and animals adapt
• Animals suiting their habitat
Habitats
• A habitat is a place where a collection of plants and animals live
and which provides them with food and shelter.
• Seashores, gardens and ponds are all examples of habitats.
Habitats can be big (a jungle, for example) or small (a leaf, for
example).
Woodland habitat
• The animals and plants living in a woodland habitat might include
owls, thrushes, caterpillars and oak trees.

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How plants and animals adapt
Animals and plants are adapted to their habitats. This means that
they have special features that help them to survive.
An African elephant, for example, lives in a hot habitat and has very
large ears that it flaps to keep cool. A polar bear, on the other hand,
lives in a cold habitat and has thick fur to keep warm.

Pond habitat
Here are some plants and animals that have adapted to living in a
pond habitat.

Animals suiting their habitat

The animals and plants in one habitat are suited to live there and may
not be able to survive in other habitats. A woodland owl, for example,
would not survive in a desert habitat.

When a habitat changes, the animals and plants that live there are
affected. For example, when pond weed is removed from a pond, the
fish and snails that rely on the pond weed for food may find it hard to
survive.

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Name : _________________ Year : ______________

Plants and animals

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1. Which of these things are you NOT likely to find in a

park or garden?

An earthworm

An oak tree

A crab

2. Which of these animals is most likely to live in a pond?

A water spider

A caterpillar

An ant

3. Which of these is most likely to grow in woodland?

Algae

An oak tree

A cactus

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4. A habitat is

an animal behaviour

a shop where animals go to buy things for their homes

a place where animals and plants live

5. Which collection of animals might you find in a seashore habitat?

Zebras, lions and elephants

Owls, caterpillars, oak trees

Barnacles, seagulls, crabs

6. A frog is adapted to its pond habitat by

being brightly coloured

having webbed feet

growing into an adult frog

7. Why does a heron have a long sharp beak?

To catch fish

To look cool

To fly faster

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8. Why do African elephants have big ears?

To keep cool

To hear better

To fly

9. Where would you expect to find a woodlouse?

In a hot, sunny place

In a dark, damp place

In a dark, dry place

10. Which habitat does a rabbit live in?

Desert

Meadow

River
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