Pupil Workbook Year 5 Unit 5 Name:

Science

Classification

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Existing Knowledge:

Why do we put living things into different groups and what are the groups that we can separate them into? You can think about the animals in the picture and all the others that you know.

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Session 1:

How do we classify animals with a backbone?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

Animals known as vertebrates have a spinal column.

Some vertebrates are warm-blooded meaning that they maintain a consistent body temperature. Some are cold-blooded, meaning they need to move around to warm up or cool down.

Vertebrates are split into five main groups known as mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish.

Vertebrates

Species

Habitat

Spinal column

Warm-blooded/Cold-blooded

Task: Look at the picture here and think

about the different groups that each animal is

part of. How is each different to the others and

which other animals share similar

characteristics?

Write your ideas here: __________________________ __________________________ __________________________

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How do we classify animals with a backbone?

Vertebrates are the most advanced organisms on Earth. The traits that make all of the animals in this group special are their spinal cords, vertebrae, and notochords. Vertebrae are the individual, interlocking bones that form the spinal column. Vertebrates have a series of nerves along their back. If you are an organism, your nerves need support and protection. Which is why vertebrates have a rod of protective, smooth, elastic tissue (cartilage) in their backs called a notochord. Vertebrates share some other basic characteristics: the cranium (or skull) protects the spinal cord and brain and they reproduce through a male and a female of the same species. There are currently around 65,000 known species of vertebrate. This sounds like a lot, but in actual fact, vertebrates are only around 3% of all the animals on Earth. Vertebrate animals can be either warm-blooded or cold-blooded. A cold-blooded animal cannot maintain a constant body temperature. The temperature of their body is determined by the outside surroundings. Cold-blooded animals will move around during the day between the shade and the sun to warm up or cool down. Cold-blooded animals are ectothermic, which means ‘outside heat’. Reptiles, amphibians, and fish are all cold-blooded. Warm-blooded animals are able to regulate their internal temperature. They can sweat or pant to cool off and have fur and feathers to help keep them warm. Warm-blooded animals are called endothermic, meaning ‘heat inside’. Only birds and mammals are warm-blooded.

Task: Answer the questions about vertebrates using the information above:

1. What is the name of the tissue that protects the nerves in a vertebrates’ back?

______________________________________________ 2. What is the purpose of the cranium?

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3. How many species of vertebrate are there?

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4. What is the difference between a warm-blooded and a cold-blooded animal?

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What are the different groups of vertebrates?

Animals with a backbone are known as vertebrates. There are five main groups:

Fish are cold-blooded animals that live in water and are the only animals to have gills - allowing them to also breathe under water. Fish either live in fresh water or saltwater. They can be covered in scales or have slimy skin. Most will lay eggs, but some give birth to live young. Examples of vertebrates in this category include trout, the great white shark and swordfish.

Birds are warm-blooded animals with wings and feathers. When they reproduce they lay eggs. Like all other groups (except fish) they breathe using their lungs. Birds live in a variety of habitats including jungles, forests, deserts and mountains and whilst many stay in the same place, others migrate to warmer areas when the weather changes. Nearly all birds can fly, but there are a few that cannot fly, like the penguin and the ostrich. Some examples of birds are: the bald eagle, robin and flamingo.

Mammals are warm-blooded, give birth to live young and feed them milk. They have fur or hair on their bodies. Besides humans, the group of mammals also includes bears, lions, horses, cats, and dogs. Mammals can also be found in a variety of habitats however most live on dry land.

Cold-blooded vertebrates are known as amphibians and begin life living in the water with fish-like gill. Later they develop lungs and can also live on dry land. Some animals classed as amphibians are: frogs, toads, and salamanders. The skin of most amphibians is thin and permeable, this means that liquids and gases are able to pass through. It also explains why the habitat of an amphibian is usually hot or humid as this allows them to build up their water reserves using the environment.

Finally, reptiles are also vertebrates. They are cold-blooded, and they lay eggs, too. Their skins are covered with scales that are hard and dry. The scaly skin allows them to retain moisture and live in dry, hot habitats and breathe using their lungs. Reptiles include snakes, alligators, crocodiles and lizards, but there are over 7,700 species out there!

Task: Fill in the table below using the information:

Mammals Amphibians Reptiles Birds Fish

Body

covering.

Hair

Habitat

Land and

water

Form of

reproduction

Laying

eggs

How it

breathes

Using its

lungs

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Writing Task: Link each animal to its vertebrate group and describe the characteristics which

define it as a part of that group. An example would be that we know a snake is a reptile because it is cold blooded. Can you also explain which of the characteristics make the animal suitable for its habitat and why?

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Session 2:

How do we classify animals without a backbone?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

An invertebrate has no inner backbone.

Some invertebrates have an exoskeleton, a hard exterior to protect the softer inner body.

There are seven main groups of invertebrates.

Some invertebrates live in water.

97% of all living species are invertebrates.

We can use a classification key to split living creatures into groups.

Invertebrates

Exoskeleton

Habitat

Species

Characterisation

Microscopic

Classification key

Knowledge Quiz

1. How many groups of vertebrates are there?

2. What percentage of animals are vertebrates?

3. Which are correct for mammals?

4. Which vertebrates’ habitats is the water?

5. Whose body is covered in hair or fur?

3 5 6

92%

Cold-blooded

Amphibians Fish Reptiles

Reptiles Mammals Amphibians

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Task: What do you think connects all these animals? How do you know?

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How do we classify animals without a backbone?

Animals without a backbone are known as invertebrates. They can range in size from being microscopic to a huge squid swimming around with eyes as big as footballs. It is believed that 97% of all species on the planet are invertebrates. In fact, over 1.2million animal species are classed as invertebrates compared to just 60,000 vertebrates!

Invertebrates can be classified by sorting them into seven different groups:

Insects are particularly successful invertebrates due to their adaptability. They will seize any opportunity to feed: from plants to animals and even decaying material. Insects are able to survive in a variety of extreme environments from the desert to the arctic and many can fly which allows them to escape the clutches of predators or travel to another source of food.

Write one fact about insects:

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Annelids are characterised by their segmented bodies which means their body parts are in sections. Annelids have many body parts that are replicated in each section meaning that if they lose part of their body, they can potentially still survive. When an annelid moves, they contract their segments, sometimes using the two pairs of hairs on each segment to grip the ground or soil.

How do annelids survive if they lose part of their body?

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Crustaceans are known for living in the water or in very wet habitats. They usually have more than three pairs of legs with claws at the end of the first set. These claws are handy when picking up food at the bottom of the ocean. Although they do not have an internal skeleton, they do have an exoskeleton to protect their internal organs, the shell of a crab being a famous example. Their exoskeleton is made up of different parts which are fused together.

Where would you normally find a crustacean?

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Molluscs are believed to have been the first animal to have developed gills! We can find molluscs on land or in the ocean. Slugs and snails are examples of molluscs. Slugs are believed to have evolved from snails and do not have a shell. Molluscs such as clams and mussels are known as bivalves, due to having two shells that the mollusc controls at the base and can open to support movement, nutrition or protection. Octopods such as squid and octopi are intelligent and have no inner or outer skeleton, allowing them to squeeze into small spaces.

Why do some molluscs need to be able to open and close their shells?

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Arachnids are almost always characterised by the adults’ eight legs. The first pair of legs support feeding and protection as well as well as provide sensory perception. They are also known as being another invertebrate that has an exoskeleton, meaning their protection is on the outside. There are no antennae or wings and the body is split into two sections – the cephalothorax and the abdomen.

What is an exoskeleton?

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Echinoderms are invertebrates that only live in water. This group includes starfish, sea cucumbers and urchins. The term ‘echino’ means spiny and ‘derm’ means skin. The spiny structure on the outside literally gives these creatures their name. Some echinoderms move around using lots of tubes on each arm that attach to an object or surface, suck in and move. The power of the tubes’ suction also helps to open the shell of creatures like clams. Some have no arms like an urchin which grazes on algae or like a sea cucumber, who sits at the bottom of the sea and eats whatever comes along. Why are these creatures called echinoderms?

____________________________________________________ Protozoa are a huge group of microbes that can be found everywhere. They can exist independently or inside a bigger plant or animal and act as a parasite, meaning that they feed off a host to survive (and that includes humans). Protozoa belong to a group known as protists, which are neither plants nor animals. Although they can be found on land and water, they do like moist areas so places like soil are a natural habitat for them. While an individual protozoan is made up of a single cell, it performs the processes that define a living creature such as eating and growing. What piece of equipment do we need to see protozoa?

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Task: Who am I?

1. I only live in water and some of my creatures move using strong tubes.

I am a ______________________________

2. I was the first to develop gills and can be found on land or in water.

I am a ______________________________

3. I have a segmented body with two pairs of hairs on each part.

I am a ______________________________

4. I am a single celled organism that is neither a plant nor animal.

I am a ______________________________

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Task: Connect the invertebrate to its description.

Echinoderms

An invertebrate that is extremely

adaptable and can be found in very hot or cold climates.

Protozoa

An invertebrate that can be found in water or on land. Some have a shell,

and some have no inner or outer skeleton.

Annelids

An invertebrate that has a segmented

body and can survive if it loses part of it.

Insects

An invertebrate that has an exoskeleton of more than one part, fused together. It is usually found close to, or in water.

Arachnids

An invertebrate that can perform all the functions of a living thing but cannot be

seen without special equipment.

Crustaceans

An invertebrate that can only be found

in water. Some have shells and some sit and graze on algae.

Molluscs

An invertebrate with eight legs and an

exoskeleton. Their body is split into two sections.

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Task: Complete the classification key to include vertebrates and invertebrates.

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Session 3:

How do we classify plants?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

Plants can be classified as vascular and non-vascular

Plants can be sorted based on how the reproduce

Plants can be grouped according to if they flower or not

Plants can disperse seeds and spores

Classification

Vascular

Flowering

Life cycle

Re produce

Knowledge Quiz

1. How many groups of vertebrates are there?

2. Name two reasons why reptiles are suitable for their habitat?

3. Which of the following are types of invertebrates?

4. What needs to be used to see protozoa?

5. Which are examples of crustaceans?

2 5 3

Warm-blooded Cold-blooded Dry, scaly skin

Birds Insects Mammals

Sunglasses Binoculars Magnifying glass

Lobster Ladybird Worm

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Task: What are the similarities and differences between the plants below?

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How can we classify plants?

Just like animals, plants can be classified based on their shared characteristics. Botanists study plants and also group them into broad and specific groups. There are several differences between animals and plants. Plants have to grow to suit their habitat unlike animals, which have a shared form of development with others in their group. Another difference is that plants cannot choose their habitat but animals can ensure that they are settled in a place that suits their needs.

One of the broadest ways that plants can be grouped is by sorting them into vascular and non-vascular. Vascular plants all have roots and a stem as part of their system for transporting water and nutrients to different parts of the plant. These are known as vascular vessels.

Non-vascular plants absorb water from their environment and can often be found in damp places attached to surfaces such as trees, rocks and ground using tiny hairs called rhizoids to keep them secure. Some have specially developed tissue that allows the transportation of water over small distances.

Task: What are the main differences between vascular and non-vascular plants?

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Classification based on reproduction: Plants are classed as flowering if they produce fruit or flowers as part of their life cycle whereas

non-flowering plants reproduce in a different way. Flowering plants include grass because even

though there are no obvious petals, grasses still produce flowers. The flower or fruit protects the

seeds that will soon be the beginning of the life of a new flower. Examples of flowering plants

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include daisies, sunflowers and apple trees and examples of non-flowering plants include mosses,

ferns and conifers.

Sexual reproduction in plants happens in a cycle-like pattern. Flowers come from seeds, and then those new plants produce flowers which also create seeds. All flowering plants go through the following life cycle stages:

1. Germination is the process by which a plant begins to grow from a seed. Roots form under the soil. The stem, leaves and flower emerge above the soil.

2. Pollen produced by a flower is carried by insects or is blown by the wind to another flower. This process is called pollination.

3. When the pollen reaches another flower, it travels to the ovary where it fertilises the egg cells to make seeds. This process is called fertilisation.

4. These seeds are then scattered by animals or the wind. This process is called dispersal. Some of the seeds will grow into new plants.

Some non-flowering plants do also contain seeds. The conifer, reproduces using cones – some cones are male, and some are female. The male cones release pollen. This pollen is carried by the wind. If the pollen lands on a female cone, then the female cone will produce seeds. The hard scales of the cone protect the new seeds as they grow. Some non-flowering plants produce spores and they include ferns and mosses. Spores are tiny organisms that usually contain only a single cell. Plants that make spores produce huge numbers of them. They are so small and light, they can be dispersed by the wind to new locations where they can grow. We can classify non-flowering plants based on whether they produce a seed or spore. Some plants reproduce without the requirement of fertilisation and produce an identical copy of themselves. This is called asexual reproduction. Some plants reproduce using bulbs and some reproduce using tubers that sit under the ground and develop into a new plant the next year. We can classify based on if the plant reproduces sexually or asexually and whether a plant is flowering or non-flowering. Task: Fill in the missing words using the vocabulary inside the box.

Non-flowering germination pollen seeds sunflower animals conifer cone spores disperse asexually

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If a plant does not have a fruit or a flower, it is known as ______________. An

example of a flowering plant would be a ______________. When a plant begins

to produce a seed, it is known as ______________and is followed by

______________ either being transported to another flower by wind or using

insects. Fertilisation has taken place when the egg cells have produced _________

and they are scattered by the wind or _________. While it is mostly flowering

plants that produce seeds, they are also found in non-flowering plants such as the

________. In this plant, the seeds are protected by being inside a _________. If

a plant does not produce a seed, it will produce lots of _______ that are so light the

wind will _______ them. Although most seed-producing plants will sexually

reproduce, some will reproduce _________ using bulbs and tubers. Task: Draw an arrow to place the description from the box to the correct part of the Venn diagram:

Session 4:

Produces seeds

Have roots, stems and leaves

Seeds are protected inside fruit.

Seeds are protected inside a cone.

All of these plants reproduce sexually

Have colourful flowers that attract insects.

Some are non-vascular such as moss.

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Who is Carl Linneaus?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

As a child, Linneaus enjoyed growing his own plants and looking for new plants to research.

He began teaching at age 23.

The Linnaean system is a hierarchy of all living things.

There are seven levels in the Linnaean system.

The Linnaean system is still used for classifying today.

Carl Linneaus

Botany

Observation

Reproduction

Taxonomy

Species

Knowledge Quiz

1. An animal with a backbone is known as a:

2. Which of these are NOT invertebrates:

3. What percentage of living things are invertebrates?

4. Which of these are examples of flowering plants:

5. Which of the these are methods of a plant’s reproduction cycle:

Amphibian Vertebrate Mammal

Echinoderms Birds Crustaceans

50% 97% 98%

Ferns Daisies Moss

Seed dispersal Spores Non-vascular

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Task: If you had to put all living creatures into groups, how would you group them?

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Who was Carl Linneaus?

His childhood:

Carl Linnaeus was born on May 23rd , 1707 in the village of Råshult in southern Sweden. His father was called Nils Ingemarsson Linnaeus and was a church minister and amateur botanist. His mother was called Christina Brodersonia. His father taught him about plants and botany and before long, he was growing his own plants and looking far and wide for new plants to research. Realising that Carl had an inquisitive and intelligent mind, at the age of seven his father sourced him a private tutor. Carl however found the work extremely boring. At the age of ten, he began schooling but surprisingly, he did not shine in his work.

As he went through secondary school, his teachers were beginning to believe that he did not have an academic future ahead of him and were not recommending him for university or further study. As he was growing up, his love and interest in botany was only getting stronger and unfortunately at the time, it was not a subject that commanded respect or attention. Luckily for Linneaus, his talents were recognised by a teacher called John Rothman who advised his father that a career in medicine beckoned. Soon, Linneaus had moved into the Rothman home where he was given lessons in anatomy, physiology alongside botany and by the age of 21, he was ready to move onto university.

Task: Write five key facts about Carl Linneaus’ childhood.

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What do you think was the most important part of his childhood? Explain your answer:

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University and beyond:

Beginning his further education at Lund University, Linneaus

used his Latin name Carolus Linnaeus because this was what

people did in Europe at that time. Upon hearing from Rothman

that the courses in medicine and botany were superior at Uppsala

University, Linneaus switched. Rothman’s recommendation

turned out to be untrue although there was an upside for

Linneaus. After a year, he wrote up observations of reproduction

in plants and his work caught the eye of a medical professor, Olof

Rudbeck. Rudbeck believed that because the courses at Uppsala

were so poor, Linneaus could do a better job and by the age of 23,

Linneaus had joined the ranks of teaching as a university

professor. Not bad for someone that his secondary teachers had

discounted all those years ago!

Task: Answer these questions about his life at university:

1. At what age did he go to university?

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2. What was the name of both universities he attended?

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3. Why did Linneaus decide to switch to a different university?

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4. How did he gain attention at his second university?

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5. Do you think he made the right decision to change universities?

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Later life:

By the age of 23, Linneaus was already growing frustrated with the classification of plant species and in 1732 he was awarded funding to study plants and animals in Lapland. At age 28, he managed to prove his theory on Malaria and its causes correct by testing a patient and ultimately becoming a Doctor of Medicine. In the Netherlands, he met Johan Frederik Gronvius, a Dutch botanist and showed him his writings on renaming plants with long names to something much shorter and simpler and this was very exciting to Gronvius. He realised its potential to transform the world of botany. His first edition of his book Systema Naturae was published with twelve pages and over the years it was continually added to with new species to end up at a colossal two thousand, four hundred pages! The purpose of the book was take the complicated and chaotic world of classification and organise it so that everybody could understand The classification of lifeforms is known as taxonomy, where living things are classified based on their similarities, such as Linneaus’ work with the teeth of mammals to determine if they were related or not.

At age 34, he returned to Uppsala University to take a job as a professor of medicine and immediately he took some of his new students to the Swedish island of Gotland and they discovered over a hundred new species of plants. During the summers, he would allow students to join him as he would walk around the local area recording animal and plant life, just as he did when he was a young boy. In 1753, he published the works that would be regarded as a scientific masterpiece called Species Plantarum, with six thousand species of plant listed using two-part names for the first time. Many of his own students discovered the plants themselves and they would go on to spread the word about the new naming system. In 1758, the tenth edition was published in which he classified all the animal kingdom in the same way and gave all the species two-part names. Over his entire career, he named around thirteen thousand lifeforms and classified them into suitable categories.

Task: What do you think were the greatest achievements of Linneaus’ education and career?

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The Linnaean System:

The Linnaean system classified all living things into a hierarchy. The animal groups were arranged into broader groups and further down the hierarchy the groups become more specific. The three largest groups are known as kingdoms and there are three groups that all nature can be sorted into. The kingdoms were plants, animals and minerals. In modern times, the system is only used to classify living things and so minerals are not a part of the system and a new level has been added: domain. Here are the seven levels that made up the original Linnaean system:

Kingdom: It is generally agreed that there are six kingdoms including animals (Kingdom Animalia). The others are achaebacteria, eubacteria, protists, fungi and plants. There is some debate about whether viruses should have their own kingdom, but some argue that a virus is actually unable to perform some of the actions which define by something as living.

Phylum: Each kingdom is divided into phyla (the plural of phylum). There are more than thirty phyla in the animal kingdom and humans are part of the chordata phylum alongside all other vertebrates. Another phylum you may recognise is called Arthropoda which includes insects and spiders and other animals with segmented bodies.

Class: This is the third level and within the phylum Chordata there are classes such as birds, mammals and reptiles.

Order: Here there are smaller groups within each class. Carnivora is the order within Mammalia that has the most diversity in animal size.

Family: Here, animals from the same family would be grouped together such as bears, dogs or cats.

Genus: At this point in the hierarchy, animals are grouped together based those that are closely related and share unique body structures. It could be that they are so similar you cannot tell them apart.

Species: If animals can successfully reproduce together, they are known as a species. When referring to an animal by its scientific name, it is identified by its genus and species.

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Task: Create your own example of the Linnaean system using living things of your choice to show the meaning of each level. You can draw or write the animals:

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Session 5:

How do we classify organisms we cannot see?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

A microorganism is a microscopic organism.

They can be single celled or in a colony of cells.

They are also known as germs.

Microorganisms can be harmful of beneficial to our health.

A disease that can be passed around is said to be ‘infectious’.

Microbe

Infection

Fungi

Bacteria

Virus

Flora

Knowledge Quiz

1. A diagram used to classify animals is known as a:

2. The lack of a backbone identifies animals as:

3. Someone who studies and researches plants is known as a…

4. Circle the two Carl Linneaus’ books:

5. Circle those that are part of the Linnaean system’s hierarchy:

Cycle Web Graph

Vertebrates Plants Invertebrates

Zoologist Florist Doctor

Systema Naturae Species Plantarum Plants and me

Kingdom Genus Class

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Task: What do you think is shown in the picture?

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What are microorganisms?

The word micro means ‘extremely small’ and an ‘organism’ is a form of life. Microorganisms, or

microbes as they are also known, are things we call germs and bugs. Microbes can be found almost

everywhere on Earth. Some microbes are beneficial to humans and some are extremely

dangerous. Microbes are so small that they can only be seen using a microscope and can be

classified into three main groups:

Virus: These are the smallest of all microbes and cannot survive alone. They require a host cell in order to survive and reproduce. Once inside a cell, the virus multiplies and destroy it.

Fungi: These are multi-cellular (more than one cell) organisms that get their nutrition from dead material that is decomposing or by living as a parasite on a host. They can be poisonous or cause infections but some are harmless and some are even beneficial. Some fungi are not classed as microorganisms such as the Agaricus, also known as the white, button mushroom.

Bacteria: These are single-celled organisms that have the ability to multiply once every twenty minutes. As they grow, some have the potential to produce powerful toxins (pathogenic) that can be extremely harmful to humans and cause disease. 70% of bacteria have no effect on humans (non-pathogenic) and some are useful such as the ‘good bacteria’ found in yoghurt. Bacteria can be split into three groups known as ‘cocci’ (balls), bacilli (rods) and spirals.

Task: Is the microbe a virus, fungi or bacteria?

My name is Staphylococcus. I am round in shape and I like to live in your nose or armpit! If I live on your skin, I can give you spots. If I get into your bloodstream, I can make you ill! What am I? I am a ___________________________________________________________

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My name is Lactobacillus. People call me ‘friendly’ because I change milk into yogurt! When you eat me in yogurt I live in your guts and help you digest other food. What am I? I am a _____________________________________

I’m called a Dermatophyte and I like to live on your skin. I especially like living in damp places like between the toes on sweaty feet! When I live there, I give people athlete’s foot! What am I?

I am a _____________________________________

My name is Influenza, but my friends call me the ‘flu’. I’m very generous; I like to give people headaches and fever. I easily spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing. What am I?

I am a _____________________________________

My name is Penicillium and you’ll find me growing on old oranges or stale bread making them look mouldy. Humans use me to make an antibiotic called Penicillin which can make them better, but only from bacterial infections! What am I? I am a _____________________________________

My name is Campylobacter. I have a pretty spiral shape and I like to live in chickens but if I get into your tummy, I make you very ill – I can give you diarrhoea! What am I?

I am a _____________________________________

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What are useful microbes?

One of the main ways in which bacteria can be beneficial is through food production. There are many food products that rely on bacteria as the foods are actually are produced using the growth of microbes. Products that are made this way include yoghurt, cheese, chocolate, vinegar and bread. A process called ‘fermentation’ breaks down the complex sugars into simple mixtures such as carbon dioxide. This process changes the product from one food to another.

When bacteria such as Streptococcus or Lactobacillus are added to milk, they consume the sugars during growth and turn the milk into yoghurt. There is a lot of acid produced during this process and therefore few microbes can survive. Lactobacillus is the ‘good bacteria’ previously referred to and can help us digest food and is also called a ‘probiotic’.

Fermentation also occurs during the production of bread and happens when yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is added to a mixture. Yeast requires moisture and the right temperature to multiply and grow as well as food from the sugar or starch. It also needs a temperature of around 20° to 30°C to survive and as it ferments, it releases gases, which get trapped in the dough and then the dough expands. This is how bread rises.

Task: How can bacteria be beneficial?

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What about harmful microbes?

Some microbes can be harmful to humans because they produce harmful toxins within the body which then make us feel ill or sick and, in some cases, can lead to serious health issues. Bacteria can be the cause of food poisoning. If food has not been cooked or stored properly, this can lead to the growth of bacteria. Conditions such as ringworm or athletes’ foot can cause fungi to grow on the body on your feet after developing in warm, moist environments like changing rooms or swimming pools.

One of the main differences between viruses and fungi is that a virus acts as a parasite. It needs a host cell to survive and will multiply and destroy the host cell when it has grown big enough to do so. Cells are known as the ‘building blocks of life’ and are the basic, structural foundation of all known organisms. If a virus destroys these vital, biological units then the cells are no longer able to perform basic functions that a living thing

needs – such as respiration and excretion. This is the reason that when a virus destroys a cell in this way it can lead to illness, serious illness and death. Someone who has a harmful microbe inside them is said to have been infected and this infection can then be passed from person to person in a number of ways (if this happens easily we say that it is a contagious disease): touch, through the air and in food. Certain diseases are said to be infectious due to their contagious nature. Microbes that inhabit the inside or outside of humans and other animals are known as flora and they act as a prevention against the growth of harmful microbes by establishing control (colonising) over the area so there is no room for them to grow. They can also alter the environment. When the normal flora within our bodies is not working effectively we can feel ill.

Task: Complete the crossword on the next page using the clues provided below.

Across 3. The microbe that requires a host 4. The microbes that act as prevention, living on the inside or outside of people or animals 5. If a disease is passed on through food and air it is said to be... 6. Also known as the 'building block of life' 9. The other name for Lactobacillus (good bacteria) 10. What is the process that breaks down the complex sugars into simple mixtures such as carbon dioxide? 11. The microbe added during the production of bread 12. This food is made from milk using microbes

Down 1. To be able to see microbes, you need to use this piece of equipment 2. If bacteria release powerful toxins 7. The word for establishing control over an area 8. One of the three ways mentioned that microbes can be passed from person to person

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Session 6:

Would you find these organisms in your local area?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

Vertebrates are classified as having a backbone.

Invertebrates are classified as not having a backbone.

Living things can be classified using a key.

Plants can be classified based on how they consume water and how they reproduce.

Microorganisms are microscopic.

Microbes can be harmful or beneficial.

There are examples of different classification groups around us at any time.

Vertebrates

Invertebrates

Classification

Key

Carl Linneaus

Linnaean system

Microorganisms

Microbes

Local organisms

Knowledge Quiz

1. A reptile is an example of an invertebrate:

2. An exoskeleton is found on:

3. A confider produces what protection for its seeds?

4. The Linnaean system is presented in what way?

5. What process breaks down complex sugars into simple mixtures?

False

Plants The outside Inside Microbes

Poison Cones Spikes

Web Table Hierarchy

Fermentation Infection Flora

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Task: Would you find these in your local area? Explain why or why not.

Mammal:

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Bird

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Amphibian:

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Fish

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Reptile:

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Insect:

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Arachnid:

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Mollusc:

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Echinoderm:

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Annelid:

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Extended Writing Task:

1. What are the different ways we classify living things - including those we cannot see?

2. Why do you think it is important to have classification systems?

Challenge: There is some dispute over whether a virus is a living thing or not. Do you think it should be classified as a living thing? Please explain your answer. You should use your knowledge from this unit to answer these questions and also include your own opinion. Your writing needs an introduction, scientific vocabulary and descriptions.

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Crustaceans

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Bacteria:

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Fungi:

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Virus:

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