When a habitat changes
All animals need food, water and shelter. They get them from their habitat and move around to find them. Birds and insects fly, rabbits hop and monkeys climb. When a habitat changes and food, water or shelter becomes hard to find, some animals move to a new place. A cause is why something happens. An effect is what happens next. A drought is a long time without rain. The ground becomes hard and cracked, small ponds and streams can dry up, plants may die and animals may have to leave to find water. A flood happens when more water covers the land than the soil can hold. Heavy rain or a storm can cause it. A flood can wash away soil and plants, and land animals have to leave their flooded homes. A flood can also bring new soil and seeds. Pollution means putting waste or harmful things into the air, the water or the land. Rubbish in a canal, smoke and oil in the sea can all harm the plants and animals that live there. Fire can also change a habitat, so never play with fire or matches.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| a long drought | ponds dry up and plants die |
| heavy rain and a storm | a flood covers the land |
| rubbish thrown in a canal | the water is dirty and fish are harmed |
| a fire in dry grass | animals must leave and smoke fills the air |
Cause-and-effect cards, with a grown-up. Write 4 causes (a long drought, heavy rain, rubbish in a pond, a fire in dry grass) on blue cards and 4 effects on orange cards. Shuffle them and match each cause to its effect. Then choose one change and draw the habitat before and after it. Show where a bird or a rabbit could go to find water and shelter. Never play with fire. Only a grown-up with gloves touches litter.