3
What living things need
Workbook 2: Topic 1.1, pp. 2–4
GoalSay what animals and plants need from their habitat, and where in the habitat they find it.
New words
need · something a living thing must have to stay aliveshelter · a safe place to rest and hidesoil · the brown earth that plants grow in
Explanation
Animals need food, water, air and a safe place to live. Plants need light, water, air and soil. A good habitat gives a living thing all of these. A rabbit finds grass to eat, drinks from puddles and digs a burrow under the ground to sleep in. An apple tree gets light from the Sun, and water from the soil. If a habitat does not give a living thing what it needs, it cannot live there.
| Animals need | Plants need | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | food | light |
| 2 | water | water |
| 3 | air | air |
| 4 | shelter (a home) | soil |
Worked examples
A bird finds seeds and worms on the ground, drinks water from a puddle and builds its nest in a tree.
A sunflower gets light from the Sun, and water from the soil through its roots.
Class activity
Habitat in a box (with an adult): put some soil, a few dead leaves, a piece of bark and a damp sponge in a shoe box. Leave it in a shady corner outside for a day. Next day, look carefully: did any minibeasts move in? Put them back where you found them and wash your hands.
Practice
1
Write two things that every animal needs.
Any two of: food, water, air, shelter (a home).
2
This plant was kept in a dark cupboard for two weeks. What did it not get?
Light.
3
Where does a rabbit make its home?
In a burrow under the ground.
4
Does a plant need soil, a burrow or a nest?
Soil.