Life And Living [grade 5 English]

WESTERN CAPE PRIMARY SCIENCE PROGRAMME An example of a learning experience in the Natural Sciences

LIFE AND LIVING

GRADE 5

We all depend on each other 1. Biodiversity: the many different kinds of plants and animals 2. Sorting animals into classes 3. Food chains and webs - plants and animals depend on each other to survive 4. Life cycles of plants and animals 5. We all depend on bees 6. We all depend on each other

We welcome the wide use of these materials. Please acknowledge PSP.

©PSP 2005

Rationale These materials were written to support teachers in their work with learners around the content area of Life and Living. This is not a complete work schedule. It offers possibilities for teachers to include other learning experiences and to extend and develop it further. This example learning experience shows how you can work towards the three Learning Outcomes in the Natural Sciences of the RNCS.

LO1: Scientific Investigations A

The learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena, and to investigate relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and environmental contexts

LO2: Constructing Science Knowledge A

The learner will know and be able to interpret and apply scientific, technological and environmental knowledge

LO3: Science, Society and the Environment A

The learner will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships between science and technology, society and the environment

We know that children are naturally curious and observant. Children learn about the world by observing, asking questions and trying to make sense of what they experience. Science teaching should allow these natural tendencies to keep growing. Encourage your learners to ask questions even if you and the learners do not have the answers. Questions are an opportunity to engage the class in observations and discussions. They develop thinking and curiosity.

In Science we want students: A to develop a lively curiosity about the world around them A to be confident to raise questions A to link their questions to what they observe in their home environments

and in the world This can lead to a rich thinking, talking and writing environment. Children who have this curiosity will learn and become creative human beings too.

Assessment The assessment tasks in this group of learning experiences are directly linked to the RNCS Learning Outcomes. They are designed to encourage learners to show what they know, to show what they are thinking and to record and show you their questions. Course presented by Nontsikelelo Mahote and Rose Thomas Booklet designed by Welma Odendaal and illustrated by Janet Ranson and Nicci Cairns Acknowledgements: Di and Johnny Hutton-Squire Honey Bee Foundation and Products (contact details page 58)

Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) Edith Stephens Wetland Park Lansdowne Road, Philippi, 7785 P O Box 24158, Lansdowne 7779 South Africa Tel: 021 691-9039 E-mail: [email protected].

Fax: 021 691-6350 Website: www.psp.org.za

Contents SECTION 1 Learning experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1–29 Assessment tasks LO1 Investigating the diversity of plants around us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 LO2 Making our own foodweb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 LO3 Different kinds of beehives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Suggested workscheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

SECTION 2 Teacher resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Task cards to photocopy Task card 1 Sorting the vertebrates using the classification key . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Classification key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Pictures of animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Task card 2 Assessment task for LO1 Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Key for sorting leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Task card 3 Food chains and food webs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Garden ecosystem puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Task card 4 Assessment task for LO2 Making our own food webs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Identification key for invertebrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Task card 5 Life cycles of plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Life cycle pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Task card 6 Assessment task for LO3 Different kinds of beehives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Fact sheet: Why are bees so important to the world? . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Task card 7 Biodiversity of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Poster of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Key of the Kowie River Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Key to the animals of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Background information on Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

SECTION 3 Assessment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Class recording sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Assessment tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

SECTION 4 Extracts from the Revised National Curriculum Statements (RNCS) . . . . . . . . . . .71 Core knowledge and concepts for Life and Living (RNCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Learning Outcomes and assessment standards (RNCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

SECTION 1 Learning Experiences We all depend on each other 1.

Biodiversity: the many different kinds of plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2.

Sorting animals into classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Assessment task for LO1: Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3.

Food chains and webs – plants and animals depend on each other to survive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Assessment task for LO2: Making our own food web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

4.

Life cycles of plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

5.

We all depend on bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Assessment task for LO3: Different kinds of beehives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

6.

We all depend on each other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

1

Biodiversity: the many different kinds of plants and animals

Key concepts • There are many different kinds of plants and animals. This is called biodiversity. (Bio- means living, and diversity- means many different kinds)

Teacher Task

Introduction 1. Ask learners to work in pairs and tell each other about the different plants and animals they know. 2. Hand out a variety of pictures of plants and animals (see pictures to photocopy from page 34.) 3. Discuss these questions with the learners. Accept many different ideas and opinions. Ask Why do you think there are so many different types of plants and animals on Earth? 4. Introduce the term biodiversity. Write it on the board in large letters and explain that we are going to find out what it means. 5. Ask learners to find an animal or plant with a name that begins with B, I, O, D, V, E, R, S, I, T, Y. Write the name of the plant or animal next to the letter and thus build up the word. 6. Ask learners what they think the word Biodiversity means. Explain that biodiversity is a word that refers to the many different plants and animals living on Earth. Explain that we humans are also part of Earth’s biodiversity. Make a class display or poster 7. Make a colourful display or poster of plants and animals. Organise it around the word biodiversity. The learners can bring pictures, draw, write about, or bring plants and animals. The display or poster must show a lot of plant and animal diversity. Over the next week or two in your class get learners to add pictures and the names of plants and animals to the poster. They do not necessarily have to match the letters in the word biodiversity. What you are trying to do here is create a picture showing the great diversity of living things.

Consolidation Write a summary on the chalkboard to explain what biodiversity means. The learners can copy this into their books.

Biodiversity means all the living things on Earth and their habitats. (The special places where they live) Biodiversity is all life on our planet Earth and where it lives. Biodiversity is all the different forms of life that live together on our Earth. This includes plants, animals, people and micro organisms and their habitats. 1

Explain that micro organisms are the small germs (bacteria and viruses) that are also living on Earth. These are also part of the Earth’s biodiversity even though we cannot see them easily. Ask and think about A Why do you think it is important that there are many different kinds of plants and animals on Earth? A Why do you think we should be worried if there are only a few of each kind of plant or animal left? A Why do you think we should be worried if there are fewer and fewer natural areas (habitats) left on Earth?

vulture

worm h t r a e h jellyfis

impala

e kki o t tok

2

DIVERSITY

BIO-

ch tri s o

duck

isikhova

ster reno

sea anemo ne

yarro w

2

Sorting animals into classes

Key concepts

Introduction Bring some bones to the class or ask learners to bring bones.

• Scientists sort animals into two main groups: vertebrates (animals with backbones) and invertebrates (animals without backbones) • Vertebrates can be sorted further into 5 different groups (classes) • There are many different groups of invertebrates and there are so many different kinds of invertebrates.

Ask learners to say which animals the bones come from. Explain that some animals have bones but others do not. Ask learners to mention some examples. The animals with bones are called vertebrates and the animals that do not have bones are called invertebrates.

Teacher Task 1. Hand out pictures of animals from page 34. Earthworm Invertebrates

Jellyfish

Vertebrates

Teacher Note For this exercise, learners may have difficulty classifying dolphins and whales (mammals), penguins (birds), and bats (mammals). They are not easy to classify using the key. However you can tell the learners what classes they belong to.

The skeleton of a typical mammal

The bones in a hand

2. Ask learners to decide which they think are vertebrates and which are invertebrates. Then ask them to sort the vertebrates into groups that they think go together. They must give reasons why they have grouped them as they have. 3. Explain to learners that they are going to sort vertebrate animals in a more scientific way. 4. Use the same pictures again and also hand out the sorting key on page 5. 5. Help the learners to name the five classes of vertebrates.

3

TASK CARD 1

Learner Task task card to photocopy on page 32.

Sorting the vertebrates using a classification key 1. Sort the pictures of animals into vertebrates and invertebrates. Then sort the vertebrates into groups. Give a reason why you have grouped certain animals together. 2. Use the sorting key on page 5. Follow the questions one by one to sort your pictures until you have five different groups. 3. Find a name for each group. 4. When you have sorted the animals into their classes, copy and complete the table below.

Classes of vertebrate animals Name of class

fishes

frogs

yellowtail

toad

reptiles

birds

mammals

Drawing of one animal

Names of more examples

One characteristic

4

tortoise chicken

pig

snoek sardine leervis

frog snake

crocodile owl buck ostrich weaver elephant

fins

breathes air

scaly skin

lays eggs

warm blood

Sorting key for Activity 2 In biology, we study living things. It helps to study living things if we put them into groups or sets. We must put all living things of the same kind into each set.

bat

Here are fourteen animals. They all look different. They can all do different things. We can divide these animals into groups. salmon frog lizard

shark

baboon eagle ostrich trout

rabbit chicken a trout snake crocodile

lion

Look for the facts (characteristics) about each animal. We can make sets of the animals with the same characteristics. Write the names of the animals in each set.

FACTS 1. Where do the animals live? (a) Put all the animals that live on land in one set. (b) Put all the animals that live in water in another set. (c) Which animals do not fit well into these two sets? 2. How do the animals move? (a) Put all the animals that fly into one set. (b) Put all the animals that swim into another set. (c) Put all the animals with wings into another set. (d) Are all the animals that fly birds? (e) Are all the animals that swim fish? (f) Do all the animals with legs live on land?

3. What kind of skin do the animals have? (a) Put all the animals with feathers into one set (b) Can all these animals fly? (c) Put all the animals with scales into one set. (d) Are all these animals fish? (e) Make sets of all the animals with: (i) feathers (ii) hair or fur (iii) scales (iv) scales and fins (v) a smooth dry skin with segments.

EXAMPLE A

Animals that live on the land: a snake, a lizard, a frog, a rabbit, a baboon, a lion, an eagle, a bat, an ostrich and a chicken. A A crocodile lives on land and in water.

5

Assessment task for LO1

Key concepts • There are many different kinds of plants • Each kind of plant has leaves of a specific shape. We can identify a plant by looking at its leaf shape. We can also tell if two plants are different by comparing their leaf shapes • We can count the biodiversity of plants in an area by counting how many different kinds of leaves we can find • Leaves can be classified into different shapes.

This investigation works towards the following assessment standards: Planning investigations A Learner lists with support, what is known about familiar situations and materials, and suggests questions for investigation. Conducting investigations and collecting data A Learner carries out instructions and procedures involving a small number of steps. Evaluating data and communicating findings A Learner reports on the group’s procedure and the results obtained.

6

Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us Teacher Task Encourage the learners to begin to think about plant diversity by doing an investigation. The investigation takes the form of a survey of the different plants in your area. Learners collect and sort the different kinds of leaves. This will help them describe and classify the leaves and to tell how many different kinds of plants there are in their area.

Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us A. Planning the investigation Ask: how many different kinds of plants do you think there are in our area? (in our school grounds, neighbourhood etc) do they all look the same? in what way are they different or the same?

do all plants have the same leaves or bark or seeds or fruits? do plants of the same kind have the same or different leaves or stems or seeds or fruits? how can we find out how many different types of plants there are?

Encourage learners to list as many ways as they can to sort plants. They can list the different ways on the chalkboard and then copy them into their books. Accept a wide range of ideas. After learners have put forward their suggestions, explain that one of the ways we can find out how many different plants there are is by collecting, sorting and counting their leaves. So the focus is on this idea We count the number of different leaves we can find in an area or habitat and this will tell us how many different kinds of plants there are.

Preparation Divide the learners into groups and decide in which area they will collect their leaves. We always count biodiversity in a particular area that is clearly defined. In that way you can compare the biodiversity between two different areas. Ask learners to go and collect a leaf from every different plant they can find in that area. When they have collected their leaves they must sort them in their own way. Check what they have done. They must be able to explain why they have sorted them as they have.

Teacher Note You can also investigate the variety of flowering plants by looking at their different types of flowers or fruits or seeds. You can tell the variety of trees by doing bark rubbings – learners will need a paper and pencil for this.

After they have done their own sorting, explain that scientists find it helpful to sort the leaves by looking at their shape and their edges. This helps them understand the differences between the leaves so that they can count the different leaves and plants more easily.

Different leaf shapes

a circular

b heart-shaped

c ovate (egg-shaped) d kidney-shaped

g palmate

h hand-shaped

e arrow-shaped f elliptical

i strap leaves

(like the palm of your hand)

7

TASK CARD 2 Different leaf edges

a entire (smooth)

b serrated

c toothed

d bumpy

e wavy

Prepare large pieces of paper with the table shown on the next page. The learners can classify their leaves onto such a table.

8

Learner Task

ASSESSMENT TASK FOR LO1 Investigating the biodiversity of plants around you A. Planning the investigation

task card to photocopy on page 37.

1. Decide on the area where you will go and collect leaves.

B. Collecting and sorting the leaves A

Collect as many different kinds of leaves as you can find in your area. A With your whole group, sort the leaves that you think go together into groups. A Explain why you put them into those groups.

C. Classifying, describing and counting the leaves and sharing the results 1. Look at the leaf shapes. Also look at the leaf edges. 2. Make a table or poster like the one below. (You will need a big piece of paper). Cut out the shapes in the key provided on page 39 and paste them next to the appropriate heading. Then sort the leaves you found according to the table. 3. Place the leaf in the column according to its shape. Place it in the row next to the correct leaf edge. Leaf shapes Leaf edges

Circular

Heart shaped

Oval

Kidney shaped

Arrow shaped

Elliptical

Hand shaped

Palm shaped

Strap shaped

Smooth edge

Serrated

Toothed

Se

ee xa m

ple

of

co

mp

let

Bumpy

ed

ch

ar

Wavy

to

np

ag e8

Total Number

9

Learner Task

Task Card Continued

4. If you find leaves with shapes or edges different to the ones shown on the table then draw the shape or edge and make up your own name for its edge and shape. 5. Add up the total of each kind that you found.

D. Sharing the results Drawing and writing task 1. Choose three different leaves that you found interesting. Draw them. Make a heading and write what shape they are. Name and label their edges. 2. Write a few sentences to describe the leaves. Describe their shape, edges, colour and any other interesting features. 3. Write a sentence to tell how many different kinds of leaves the whole class found altogether. 4. Display your drawings on the classroom wall.

Consolidation What have we learned about our plant diversity? Ask each group to report on their findings and to count the number of all the different types of leaves that they found. The number of different leaves counted will give you a biodiversity count of the plants. The plant biodiversity in your area is the number of different types of plants identified using their leaves.

Ask and think about A A A A

Did you all get the same number of each type of leaf? Can you explain why or why not? What do the different types of leaves tell you? Why do you think there are so many different types of leaves and plants? A Different plants can have similar leaves. Why do you think this is? A If you counted the biodiversity in another area would you expect to get the same types and numbers? Why or why not?

10

Assessment task

Assessment criteria for LO1

Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us

A. Planning the investigation Learners must: List at least two ways in which we can find out the number of different types of plants. Eg. by noting different features such as: A different flowers A different bark A different leaves etc A and then counting the number of the different kinds.

B. Collecting and sorting the leaves Learners must: A Collect a range of different leaves A Sort leaves into groups based on similar features and be able to explain what these features are (work out their own classification system and be able to explain it).

C. Classifying, describing and counting the leaves and sharing the results Learners must: A Correctly classify the leaves according to the table A Be able to draw and describe 3 leaves using the key words for the shapes and edges from the table A The drawings must be neat, clear and show the shape and edge distinctly A The drawings must have a suitable heading and correct labels A Be able to describe the leaves in other ways, such as their colour, size and texture A Display their leaves.

11

3

Food chains and webs – Plants and animals depend on each other to survive

Key concepts • All animals depend on plants for their food • We all depend on a variety of plants and animals to survive • Plants make their own food and are called producers. They produce food for themselves and the animals.

Extension concepts • Animals that eat only plants are called primary (the first) consumers • Animals that eat other animals and plants are called secondary (the second) consumers • Animals that eat the secondary consumers are called tertiary (the third) consumers. They are always carnivores (meat eaters).

Teacher Task

Introduction Explain and ask A A

Can you survive without other people? Could you have survived from babyhood without other people? What did other people do for you? A Can you survive now without other people? But it’s not just people we all need. What else do we need? What do you think would happen to the Earth and to us if there were not so many plants and animals?

Food chains Ask learners to think of one food they have eaten today and to trace it back to the plants it came from and then to the sun. Note: The arrows always go from the food to the animal eating it. The arrows go in the direction of the energy flow. For example

Sun

d

Mealie seeds

d

Chicken

d

Person

The sun gives energy to the mealies and helps them to grow. The chicken eats the mealies and gets energy from them. The person eats the chicken to get energy.

Sun

d

Grass

d

Cow d (meat and milk)

Person

The sun helps the grass to grow. The cow eats the grass. The person eats the meat and milk from the cow. 12

This is called a food chain and it shows the different plants and animals that we depend on. However we know that we eat more than one food and so we depend on more than one plant or animal for our food. Animals and plants are dependent on each other. In fact all life is interdependent. For example, many plants cannot reproduce themselves unless an animal pollinates them or disperses their seed.

Food Webs Plants, animals and people are interdependent. This means we all depend on each other for our survival. It is more realistic to represent the connections between plants and animals using a food web rather than a food chain since it can show the multiple connections between living organisms.

Teacher Task

1. Hand out the food web puzzle of the Garden Ecosystem (page 41). If possible provide one puzzle between every two learners. Ask them to work out the puzzle and then draw it into their books and put in the arrows. The arrows go from the food to the animal eating it. There will be more than one arrow linking some animals and plants. 2. Learners must answer questions about the food web in their books.

Learner Task Food chains task card to photocopy on page 40.

1. Choose any food that you ate today. Draw and label a food chain to show where your food came from. Show the steps all the way back to the sun. Write to explain your food chain. Remember the arrows go from the food to the animal eating it.

Food Webs 1. Use the Garden Ecosystem puzzle on page 41. 2. Work out the food web in the puzzle. 3. Then draw it into your books and put in the arrows. The arrows go from the food to the animal eating it. There will be more than one arrow linking some animals and plants.

Questions Answer these questions about the Garden Ecosystem. Write the answers in your books. A Why does the food web start with plants at the bottom? The plants are on the bottom because they don’t feed on anything. They make their own food using air, water, and energy from the sun. All animals depend on the plants for food. A What do the arrows show? The arrows show the energy from the food going to the animal eating it. A Why do some animals have more than one arrow going to them? Some animals have more than one arrow going to them because they eat more than one thing and each has its own arrow. 13

Learner Task A

Why do some animals and plants have more than one arrow going from them? Some animals and plants have more arrows going from them because they are eaten by more than one animal. A What is decomposition? Why is it important for the food web? Decomposition is when dead plants and animals rot in the soil. This enriches the soil. This is important because good soil helps the plants to grow. These plants provide food for the animals.

Introduce and explain Teacher Task Note to the teacher Food webs In a food web there are always both plants and animals. They obtain their food in different ways.

Producers The plants make their own food and also provide food for the animals. Therefore they are called the producers.

Herbivores, carnivores, and trophic levels Some animals are herbivores; they eat plants. Other animals are carnivores; they eat animals. But, certain carnivores eat animals that in turn have fed on plants. For example a lion eats a springbok, which has fed on grass. However, other carnivores eat animals that have fed on animals. For example a bird eats a lizard, which has fed on flies and locusts. So in a food web there are different kinds of feeding. These different kinds (levels) of feeding are called Trophic levels (feeding levels).

Decomposition When plants and animals die they decompose (rot). This means that their dead bodies are eaten and broken down by small animals, fungi and bacteria in the soil. These organisms are called decomposers. They help to return all living things to the soil eventually. This enriches the soil and allows new life to grow.

Introduce and explain the following terms to the learners and for an extension activity, point out the trophic levels on a picture of the garden food web. Primary producers: The plants in a food web are called the primary producers. This is because they produce food for themselves and other living things during photosynthesis. They use sunlight energy, water and carbon dioxide from the air to make carbohydrates (eg glucose and starch). These are the staple foods of all living organisms. Primary consumers: The animals in a food web, which feed only on plants, are called primary consumers. This is because they only feed on the primary producers, which are the plants. These animals are also called herbivores. This means they eat only plants. Examples of herbivores are sheep, buck and cows and many insects. 14

GARDEN ECOSYSTEM

Fiscal Shrike TERTIARY CONSUMERS

Ladybird

Spider

Frog

SECONDARY CONSUMERS

Aphid

Cricket

Moth / caterpillar

Earthworm

Millipede

PRIMARY CONSUMERS

Rose bush Arum lily PRIMARY PRODUCERS

Gazania

DECOMPOSERS

Detritus

Secondary consumers: The animals in a food web that eat the primary consumers are called secondary consumers. This is because they feed on animals, which have fed on plants. Tertiary consumers: The animals in a food web that eat the primary and secondary consumers are called tertiary consumers. These are always carnivores. Decomposers: These are small organisms such as bacteria, fungi, earthworms; fly larvae etc. that live in soil and in compost. They feed on dead plant and animal bodies and help them to rot and break down until they become part of the soil again. Ask learners to write in the names of these food levels on their drawings of the garden ecosystem.

Consolidation Check that the learners have completed the food web correctly. Also check in the extension exercise that they have understood the different trophic levels. Discuss the questions with the learners after they have attempted to answer them. Then let them add more detail to their answers if necessary after the discussion. 15

Assessment task for LO2

Making our own food web This assessment task works towards the following assessment standards for grade 5:

Recalling meaningful information when needed Learner, at the minimum, uses own fluent language to name and describe features and properties of objects, materials and organisms.

Categorising information to reduce complexity and look for patterns Learner creates own categories of objects and organisms, and explains own rule for categorising.

Learner Task

Draw your own food web The food web must have 1. At least 10 living things in it; including both vertebrates and invertebrates 2. A human as part of the food web 3. Labels showing the names of the plants and animals 4. Arrows showing what the different animals feed on 5. For the extension activity: Labels showing the primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers A Try to make your food web using some real plants and animals that you have seen near your home or school. A Use the identification list of invertebrates from page 43 to help you name and identify some of the animals.

Write Write a few sentences on what you have learnt about food webs.

Consolidation Explain We have an expression in South Africa, “Umntu ngumntu ngabantu.” In other words, “A person is a person through other people.” So we all depend on and need others. 1. What does this mean? 2. Is this true? 3. Is it only people that we depend on? 4. Why do you say so?

16

Assessment task

Assessment criteria for LO2

Drawing a food web

The food web must have A At least 10 living things in it including vertebrates and invertebrates as well as a human. For extension these must be correctly set out into the four trophic levels A Labels showing the names of the plants and animals A Arrows showing what the different animals feed on. The arrows must point from the food to the animals eating it A Drawing must be neat and clear A Extension activity: Labels correctly showing the primary producers, primary consumers, secondary and tertiary consumers. (Humans will be secondary consumers as they feed on plants and also on animals).

4

Life cycles of plants and animals

Key concepts • All plants and animals go through different stages while they grow • The growing process of a living thing is called its life cycle • The life cycle repeats itself from generation to generation • When an animal can’t complete its life cycle then the diversity and survival of the whole species is affected

Introduction

Teacher Task

The human life cycle A A

Introduce the pictures of Madiba below. Facilitate a class discussion about his life.

Ask A A A A A A

How old is he? What did he do before he became President? Where was he born? Where did he grow up? Does he have any children? etc.

Find pictures of the stages in the human life cycle (examples on page 18).

Former President Nelson Mandela as a young man in the 1960s, left, and a more recent picture of Madiba in his seventies. Picture: Iziko SA National Gallery

A A

Ask learners to help you sequence these pictures on the chalkboard. Introduce and write the key words such as: baby, toddler, child, teenager, young person, adult, old person. A Introduce the processes of growth and development. 17

Ask A

How did the person become a toddler from a baby? (He/she grew and learned to walk) A How did the child become a teenager? (grew older, bigger and developed breasts, muscles underarm hair etc) A How did the young person grow into an adult? (He/she matured, married etc, had children, etc) A And so on.

Learner Task A. Sequence a life cycle task card to photocopy on page 45

Teacher Task

18

A

Sequence the pictures of a person’s life from birth to old age. You can also use or draw pictures from your own family. A Write labels for each stage and place them under the pictures. A Write the story of the life cycle.

1. Explain that when Madiba dies it is not the end of the Madiba clan, because he has children who in turn will have children. And they will have their own life cycles. So the clan will continue from generation to generation. 2. Explain that we can use a picture called a story wheel to show a life cycle. Show how to arrange the story wheel using the frog and the apple tree as examples. Explain the different stages and processes to the learners. In the case of the apple tree explain that the bee takes pollen from one apple flower to another. Pollination must take place otherwise no apples will grow from the flowers. 3. Hand out more pictures of life cycles and story wheels for the learners to sequence and write about (see examples on page 46).

Learner Task In groups

B. Sequence a life cycle on to a story wheel A A A A A A

Sequence the pictures of a life cycle. Place them on to a story wheel. Make sure you have enough spaces in the story wheel to place all your pictures. Label each stage. Show and tell your sequence to the class. Write the story of the life cycle next to the pictures in the story wheel. Write to explain how the plants or animals in the life cycles depend on other living things in order to complete their life cycles.

A life cycle story wheel eggs need water

adult frog needs water and land and insects for food

eggs tadpoles need water and plant food

adult frog

tadpoles with legs

tadpoles

tadpoles with legs need water and also need plant and animal food

Teacher Task

While learners tell their life cycle sequence on the story wheel, develop a list of relevant stages and processes on the chalkboard. (Stages: grown up, adult, baby, eggs, caterpillar, larva, pupa, young ones, teenagers, adolescents, old ones, tadpoles, seed, seedling, fruit, flower etc. Processes: Laying eggs, reproducing, hatching, growing and developing, growing old, germinating, flowering, pollinating, fruiting, ripening, dispersing seeds, etc.) Explain the processes to the learners. Then ask the learners to label the different processes that take place in their life cycle.

Consolidation Let learners understand that each plant and animal goes through the same stages of development as others of its kind. Write this on the board with the learners and they can copy it into their books. 19

Learner Task Individual

C. Make a life cycle of your own A

Teacher Note

A

A Life Cycle Every plant and animal has a life cycle. This means that it goes through the same stages in its life as others of its kind. Plants and animals grow and develop as they change from one stage to another.

A A A A

Draw a life cycle of a plant or animal that you have seen or know about. Place your drawings onto a story wheel. Make sure you have enough spaces in the story wheel to place all your pictures. Label each stage. Label each process that the animal goes through as it develops. Write the story of the life cycle next to the pictures you have sequenced in the story wheel. Write to explain how the plants or animals, in the life cycles that you drew depend on other living things in order to complete their life cycles.

Ask What do you think will happen to the plant or animal if, for some reason, it can’t complete its life cycle? (It would not produce any more babies) A What would happen to its babies or young ones? (No more young ones would be born) A What would happen to the rest of the species if one animal can’t complete its life cycle? (The gene pool of that species would get smaller and there would be less variation in the species as a whole) A Can you think of some things that could prevent an animal from completing its life cycle? (If there was no food for the animal; if the habitat or landscape changed and the animal had no more safe places to raise its young; if the climate changed and the adults and babies could not survive those conditions; if the animals were threatened in any way by people or predators or diseases, etc.) The learners must understand that there are natural threats to a plant or animal completing its life cycle and there are also man-made threats such as pollution, destruction of the landscape, hunting, overfishing, open-ore mining etc. Man-made threats to the environment … Hunting, open ore-mining, off-road four-wheel drive vehicles

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5

We all depend on bees

Key concepts

Introduction

• Many plants depend on bees for pollination, so that they can produce fruit and seeds and complete their life cycle • Bees also need the nectar and pollen from flowers to complete their own life cycles • Farmers depend on bees to pollinate their crops in order to produce good fruit for the market • Beekeepers make use of bees to produce honey, which they can sell. They also hire out the bees to farmers • Beekeepers have developed the technology of keeping bees.

Read and discuss

most of our staple foods such as rice, sugar, mealies, wheat, rye and oats belong to the grass family and they are mostly wind pollinated. however, bees often pollinate these as well.

Teacher Task

Bring some honey to the classroom for the learners to taste. (If you can get some honey on the comb, that is even better, because then you can show them the wax comb). Also bring golden syrup.

Ask A A A A

How does it taste? Where does the honey come from? Who makes it? Is it the same as golden syrup? What is different about it?

Note to teacher – How bees make honey Some learners will probably know and have tasted golden syrup. This is manmade syrup produced from sugar cane. However honey is made by honeybees, which are insects. The bees drink the nectar from flowers and they produce honey inside their bodies. They then regurgitate the honey (spit it out again) and store it in the honeycomb to feed their babies. In other words the nectar passes through the body of the bee and changes into honey in the process. This is rather like cows eating grass and producing milk. Bees pollinate the flowers of most fruits such as, tomatoes, apples, plums, pears, oranges, naartjies, grapefruit, lemons, peaches and apricots and pumpkins. (These are all fruits because they have a seed inside a fleshy fruit.) Bees also pollinate the flowers of vegetables such as sweet potatoes, onions, and potatoes. Bees also pollinate the flowers of nuts, such as almonds.

With the learners, read the information about the apple farmers in Elgin near Cape Town and how they use bees: Bees and farmers depend on each other (page 22). Start a class discussion about bees.

Ask and think about A A A A A

A A A

Do you know of any plants that depend on bees for their pollination? Think of all the foods you ate today, what plants did they come from and what pollinated them? What would happen to our food and to us if all the bees died? How do you feel about bees? Are you scared of them? How should we behave if a bee comes close to us? (We should remain very still and calm and not run around and scream. Eventually the bee will fly away. We should not kill bees) What would we do without bees? What would farmers do without bees? Why should we be kind to bees and protect them? 21

Bees and farmers depend on each other Worker bee busy on the honeycomb in the hive

Worker bee collecting pollen and nectar from a flower

Queen bee laying eggs in cells after mating with a male bee (drone)

Pollen basket Cells of the comb Bee larvae

Bee pupae

Farmers need bees to pollinate their crops Bees are very important to the farmers in Elgin, near Cape Town. They depend on bees to pollinate their fruit trees in order to produce good fruit. In the spring the apple, pear or plum trees all begin to blossom at the same time. The orchards are big and many millions of flowers need to be pollinated in just a few days. There are not enough wild bees in the area to pollinate all these flowers. So the farmer has to hire some bees from a beekeeper to come and do the job.

Farmers need many bees for pollination First the farmer has to work out how many beehives will be needed. Usually two hives are needed for an orchard depending on its size. There are about 3 000 bees in each hive. Each hive has a queen bee and worker bees. The queen bee lays the eggs and the worker bees look after the queen and the eggs until they hatch. The older worker bees fly out to collect pollen and nectar from flowers and they pollinate the flowers at the same time.

The farmer grows special trees to attract the bees In each orchard, (for example in an apple orchard), the farmer prunes (cuts) the trees into shape so that they are not too tall and all the branches will get the right amount of sunlight. He also plants a few trees in the middle of the orchard, which he does not prune, and they stand out above the other trees. These are called the pollenizers. A pollenizer is a tree of a different apple variety, which flowers at the same time as the other apple trees. Because it stands up so high above the other trees the bees are attracted to it first. The bees collect pollen from the pollenizer and they take it to the other trees. This is so that cross-pollination can take place. Cross-pollination produces better fruit.

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Properly pollinated trees make good fruit Apple trees can also be pollinated by wind. But the farmer cannot rely on wind pollination because not all the flowers will be pollinated and the size and evenness of the fruit is not as good. The farmer keeps his orchards free of flowering weeds so that the bees don’t go to them instead.

Beekeepers bring bees to the farmer Beekeepers bring their bees (in beehives) to the farmers. The farmer has to pay the beekeeper for every day that the bees are in the orchards. The beekeeper in turn, has to look after his bees well. The beekeepers like to bring their bees to the apple orchards because apple blossoms contain a good supply of nectar to feed the bees. Pear blossoms, however, do not contain a lot of nectar and the bees become exhausted because they do not get enough nectar. The beekeeper must also see that the bees are kept in a clean hive and at the right temperature and have enough water. The beekeepers also make money from selling honey.

More people are training to become beekeepers Many people in rural areas of South Africa are learning to become beekeepers so that they can keep bees and earn a living. They hire the bees out to pollinate the farmers’ orchards, and they also sell the honey made by the bees. Beekeepers also help to protect bees. Bees are one of our living national treasures because we depend on them to pollinate our food plants.

Teacher Task

Observe Take learners outside to some flowers or bring some and show learners the yellow pollen in the flowers. Let them rub some pollen off onto their skin. See if you can find any bees pollinating flowers. Also show learners the sticky sweet juice called nectar which is inside the flowers. This is what the bees feed on and make honey from. When bees pollinate flowers they transfer the pollen from one flower to the next whilst they are collecting pollen for themselves.

Pollen is found here on the anthers

A beekeeper

Explain 1. Explain that bees are very important because: Firstly, bees are essential to the food web because they are pollinators. A Fruits and seeds can develop from flowers only after they have been pollinated. A Without pollinators such as bees farmers would not be able to grow our foods. A Seeds, nuts and fruit that develop after pollination provide food for animals. A Pollination also ensures that there are fertilised seeds so that a new generation of plants can grow. – Other insects such as butterflies, wasps, beetles and moths also pollinate flowers. Secondly, bees are important because they produce honey and beeswax and propolis. 2. Ask learners to read the fact sheet on page 56. Discuss the facts about the bees and beekeeping with the learners. 23

Assessment task for LO3

Different kinds of beehives

have been farmed in different kinds of hives for thousands of years. Here Learner Task Bees are some examples of beehives. 1. Read about the beehives Assessment standards This assessment task works towards the following assessment standards for LO3 grade 5 • Learner identifies ways in which products and technologies have been adapted from other times and cultures. • Learner identifies the positive and negative effects of scientific developments or technological products on the quality of peoples’ lives and/or the environment.

Ancient Egyptian hives. This shows Egyptian beekeepers taking honeycombs out of their hives. These hives were hollow and were made of dried mud from the Nile River. Hives like this were first used 4 400 years ago. The bees build their wax combs inside, hanging down from the top. Wall painting in the tomb of Rekhmire, West Bank, Luxor. The upper register shows honey being harvested from hives and packed into containers. Egypt, c.1450 B.C

Modern Egyptian hives. These beehives are still used in Egypt today. They are made from clay. The bees build their wax combs inside, hanging down from the top. The beekeeper takes the honey out of the back of the hive.

task card to photocopy on page 53

Entrances for the bees

Clay pipes

African tree trunk hives. These hives are made from hollow wooden logs. They are used in Kenya in Africa. The bees build their wax combs inside, hanging down from the top. The hives are placed in the trees where the bees collect pollen. They are still used today. The beekeeper takes the honey from the back.

24

Crib shaped hives. This kind of beehive

lid

was first used in Kenya and in Tanzania. They are now also used in other parts of Africa. They are made of wood. The honey comb combs hang down from the wooden frames, which can be removed.

wooden frame

Beekeeper wearing protective clothing

holes for the bees to enter

Smoker Frame with honeycomb fits into the box

Langstroth hive. This kind of box hive is used in Africa and in many parts of the world. It is named after the man who invented it. It is made of wood. The combs hang down from the frames, which can be removed. These hives are used by beekeepers that hire out their beehives to farmers. They are easy to move from place to place. Commercial beekeepers use special clothes to protect themselves from being stung.

Honey boxes

Brood box

Group work

2. A A A A A A A

Discuss with your group How do these beehives work? What do you think is good about these beehives? Have beehives changed very much from those of ancient Egypt? What do all beehives have in common? Where would you put a beehive? Is beekeeping helpful to the environment? How does beekeeping help the environment?

3. Make a table like the one below and fill in the information about each type of hive Type of hive

What is the hive made from?

Where do the Where do the bees enter the bees attach hive? their comb to the hive?

Where does the beekeeper open the hive to take the honey out?

What are the advantages of this kind of hive?

Ancient Egyptian hives Modern Egyptian hives African tree trunk hives Crib shaped hives Langstroth hive

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4. Make your own design of a beehive. It must be comfortable for the bees and easy for the beekeeper to use. Make a picture to show your hive and its environment. Draw and write to explain how it works. Explain how bees and beekeepers help the environment.

Assessment criteria to assess understanding about bees, hives and beekeeping Assessment task

Assessment criteria for LO3

Make your own design of a beehive.

The drawing and /or explanation of the design should show application and understanding of the following knowledge:

About the hive a a a a a a

A hollow container An opening for the bees to come in and out A small platform for the bees to land and take off Placed high above the ground for safety Be placed in a suitable area Have places for the bees to build brood combs and honey storage combs hanging down from the top a An opening for the beekeeper to collect honey from the combs that are nearest the outside of the hive, without disturbing the brood combs

About processes of beekeeping and behaviour of bees a

Understand some of the processes of beekeeping, such as honey harvesting, trapping a swarm, moving the hives to place them in an orchard, bees becoming drowsy when smoked etc a Explain a few points that show understanding of how bees and beekeeping benefit the environment. E.g. They pollinate flowers so that fruits and seeds are formed and the plant can reproduce, provide food for other living things, produce honey for food, etc.

The African bee hive

Consolidation Give learners constructive feedback about the task.

Discuss a

a

a

26

Would you like to keep bees for a hobby? Why? What kind of person might become a beekeeper? Would you like to have a career as a beekeeper? Why?

6

We all depend on each other

Key concepts • Plants and animals live together and they depend on each other to complete their life cycles successfully. • We should value all life on Earth

Preparation

Teacher Task

Kowie River Poster: If possible get the learners to colour in a photocopied version of the poster on page 62 before doing this activity. This helps kids to get to know the poster better. If the learners are working in a group, then fold the paper into 4 or 6 depending on the size of the group and get a different learner to colour in each section. Give them several days to do this during free time.

Introduction 1. Ask learners to look at the poster showing the life in the Kowie River in the Eastern Cape. See poster and key, pages 60 and 64. 2. Read the story about this poster to the learners.

Ask a a a a a

What can you see in the poster? What kind of landscape is this? Have you ever been to a place like this? Do you know any of these plants or animals? Why do you think there are so many plants and animals in this place; what are they all doing there? a Can you see any life cycles in the poster? 3. Ask learners to answer the questions about the poster on page 28. 4. After the activity the groups can display their coloured posters, and answers on the walls. 27

Learner Task task card to photocopy on page 59

The biodiversity of the Kowie River a a

a a

a a

Plants and animals

What do they need, and why?

Spider

e.g. a place to make its web to catch insects for food

Snake Water boatman (insect) Leopard Dragonfly (baby nymph) Eastern Cape Rocky (fish) Yellow pansy butterfly Dassies Plumbago (shrub) Crab Reeds Terrapin (water tortoise) Cape chestnut (tree) Otters Nile monitor (big lizard) Waterbuck

28

Look at the poster. Can you see any life cycles in the poster? Choose two plants or animals in the picture and draw their life cycles. Label the life cycles. Say what the plant or animal depends on to complete its life cycle. Count the biodiversity in this picture and then record the number on your copy of the poster. Where do you think people would fit into this poster? Draw a person and show what the person is doing. Will the person affect any of the plants and animals? Write a sentence to explain how. Where would you find bees in this picture? What would they be doing? Draw a bee in the picture, where do you think they would make their nests? Look for the following plants and animals in the picture and say what you think they need to survive.

Consolidation Learner Task

What do you now know and understand about biodiversity and what would you still like to find out more about? Talk about it, write and draw. Or Write a praise poem about biodiversity. To find out more about the Kowie River poster contact: Dr Jim Cambray Makana Biodiversty Centre Albany Museum Somerset Street Grahamstown 6139

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Suggested Work Scheme Period 1

Period 2

Period 3

Period 4

Period 5

Learning Exp 1 Biodiversity • Teacher introduces biodiversity • Learners sort pictures and make class display • Teacher summarizes • Learners copy summary into books • Learners add to display over the week • Teacher consolidates

Learning Exp. 2 • Sorting • Teacher introduction to show bones • Learners classify animals using key and record on table

Learning Exp. 2 contd. • Learners draw bones and write explanation about vertebrates • Teacher consolidates

Assessment task for LO1: Investigating biodiversity • Teacher prepares learners for assessment task • Class discussion to plan investigation • Learners go outside and collect and sort leaves

Assessment task contd. • Learners complete classification table • And draw leaves and write about them • Display their work in classroom

Period 6

Period 7

Period 8

Period 9

Period 10

Learning Exp 3 Food chains and webs • Teacher introduces: • We depend on others, food chains • Learners draw food chains • Teacher explains food webs

Learning Exp 3 contd. • Learners work out the garden food web and draw it • Teacher consolidates and explains concepts in food web: producers, consumers, decomposers, trophic levels (for extension)

Assessment task for LO2: Teacher prepares learners for assessment task • Learners draw and label their own food web

Assessment task contd • Learners write about what they have learned about food webs

Learning Exp 4 Life cycles • Teacher introduces Madiba’s life cycle, class discussion • Sequence human life cycle on board • Teacher explains story wheel • Learners sequence life cycles onto story wheel

Period 11

Period 12

Period 13

Period 14

Period 15

Learning Exp 4 contd. • Learners complete life cycles onto story wheels and display them • Teacher consolidates and writes summary about life cycles • Learners copy summary

Learning Exp 4 Contd. • Learners make life cycle of their own choice • They write and draw

Learning Exp 4 Contd. • Teacher checks learners life cycles and consolidates • Learners display life cycles • Class discussion about importance of animal completing its life cycle

Learning Exp 5. • Teacher introduces bees and taste honey • Discussion about difference between honey and syrup. • Teacher reads story about apple farmer and pollination • Learners visit flowers to see pollen and bees pollinating

Learning Exp 5 contd. • Teacher explains why bees important in food web • Teacher helps learners to read the fact sheet about bees • Class discussion about bees and beekeeping

Period 16

Period 17

Period 18

Period 19

Period 20

Assessment task for LO3 • Teacher prepares learners for assessment task • Learners read about beehives and discuss in groups • Learners make a summary table about hives

Assessment task contd. • Learners do individual designs and explanations of beehives

Learning Exp 6: We all depend on each other • Teacher introduces Kowie River poster • Learners colour in their section of the poster • Teacher reads information about the poster • Discussion about the poster

Learning Exp 6 contd. • Learners do task about the poster

Learning Exp 6 contd. • Teacher checks learners task and consolidates. • Learners talk write and draw about biodiversity

NB Decide when to give feedback about assessment task

this suggested work scheme assumes 50-minute periods. make your own adjustments.

30

NB Decide when to give feedback about assessment task

NB Decide when to give feedback about assessment task

SECTION 2 Teacher resources Learner task cards to photocopy Task card 1

Sorting the vertebrates using a classification key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Pictures of animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Task card 2

Assessment task for LO1 Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Key for sorting leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Task card 3

Food chains and Food webs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Garden ecosystem puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Task card 4

Assessment task for LO2 Making our own food web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Identification chart of invertebrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Task card 5

Life cycles of plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Life cycle pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Task card 6

Assessment task for LO3 Different kinds of beehives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Fact sheet: Why are bees so important to the world? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Task card 7 – The biodiversity of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Poster of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Key of the Kowie River Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Key to the animals of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Background information on Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

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TASK CARD 1

Task card to photocopy

Learner Task

Sorting the vertebrates using a classification key 1. Sort the pictures of animals into vertebrates and invertebrates. Then sort the vertebrates into groups. Give a reason why you have grouped certain animals together. 2. Use the sorting key. Follow the questions one by one to sort your pictures until you have five different groups. 3. Find a name for each group. 4. When you have sorted the animals into their classes, copy and complete the table below.

Classes of vertebrate animals Name of class Fishes Drawing of one animal

Names of more examples

Some characteristics of this class

32

Frogs

Reptiles

Birds

Mammals

Sorting key for Activity 2 In biology, we study living things. It helps to study living things if we put them into groups or sets. We must put all living things of the same kind into each set.

bat

Here are fourteen animals. They all look different. They can all do different things. We can divide these animals into groups. salmon frog lizard

shark

baboon eagle ostrich trout

rabbit chicken a trout snake crocodile

lion

Look for the facts (characteristics) about each animal. We can make sets of the animals with the same characteristics. Write the names of the animals in each set.

FACTS 1. Where do the animals live? (a) Put all the animals that live on land in one set. (b) Put all the animals that live in water in another set. (c) Which animals do not fit well into these two sets? 2. How do the animals move? (a) Put all the animals that fly into one set. (b) Put all the animals that swim into another set. (c) Put all the animals with wings into another set. (d) Are all the animals that fly birds? (e) Are all the animals that swim fish? (f) Do all the animals with legs live on land?

3. What kind of skin do the animals have? (a) Put all the animals with feathers into one set (b) Can all these animals fly? (c) Put all the animals with scales into one set. (d) Are all these animals fish? (e) Make sets of all the animals with: (i) feathers (ii) hair or fur (iii) scales (iv) scales and fins (v) a smooth dry skin with segments.

EXAMPLE A

Animals that live on the land: a snake, a lizard, a frog, a rabbit, a baboon, a lion, an eagle, a bat, an ostrich and a chicken. A A crocodile lives on land and in water.

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Pictures to sort

Centipede Geometric tortoise

Weavers

Bullfrog Cat Butterfly

Reindeer Impala

Cock

Black oystercatcher

Cobra

Skink

Chick

Whale

Beetle

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Giraffe

Star fish

Volstruis

Crab

Goat

Rhino

Suricate (meerkat)

Leervis

Pigeon

Grasshopper

Earthworm

Sea anemone

Penguin

Lioness

Snail

Bushbaby

Fly

Fish

Jelly fish

Owl

35

Cycad Fir tree Aloe

Seaweed

Fern

Boabab

Pincushion Bushman tea

Boerboom Grapes

Grape King protea Succulent

Brandy bush

36

daisy

Potato

TASK CARD 2

Task card to photocopy

Learner Task ASSESSMENT TASK FOR LO1

Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us The purpose of this assessment task is for the learners to plan and carry out an investigation, and to communicate their findings

A. Planning the investigation 1. Decide on the area where you will go and collect leaves.

B. Collecting and sorting the leaves a a a

Collect as many different kinds of leaves as you can find in your area. With your whole group, sort the leaves that you think go together into groups. Explain why you put them into those groups.

C. Classifying, describing and counting the leaves and sharing a a

Look at the leaf shapes. Also look at the leaf edges. Make a table or poster like the one below. (You will need a big piece of paper). Copy or cut out the shapes in the key below and paste them next to the appropriate heading. Then sort the leaves you found according to the table.

Leaf shapes Leaf edges

Circular

Heart shaped

Oval

Kidney shaped

Arrow shaped

Elliptical

Hand shaped

Palm shaped

Strap shaped

Smooth edge

Serrated

Toothed

Bumpy

Wavy

Total Number

37

TASK CARD 2 (cont.) a

Place the leaf in the column according to its shape. Place it in the row next to the correct leaf edge. a When you find leaves with shapes or edges different to the ones shown on the table, then draw the shape or edge and make up your own name for its edge and shape. a Add up the total of each kind that you found.

D. Sharing the results Drawing and writing task 1. Choose three different leaves that you found interesting. Draw them. Make a heading and write what shape they are. Name and label their edges. 2. Write a few sentences to describe the leaves. Describe their shape, their edges, their colour and any other interesting features. 3. Write a sentence to tell how many different kinds of leaves the whole class found altogether. 4. Display your drawings on the classroom wall.

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Key for sorting leaves Different leaf edges

a entire (smooth)

b serrated

c toothed

e wavy

d bumpy

Different leaf shapes

a circular

b heart-shaped

c ovate (egg-shaped) d kidney-shaped

g palmate

h hand-shaped

e arrow-shaped f elliptical

i strap leaves

(like the palm of your hand)

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TASK CARD 3

Task card to photocopy

Learner Task Food chains and food webs Food chains 1. Choose any food that you ate today. In your books, draw a food chain to show where your food came from. Write labels for your food chain. Show the steps all the way back to the sun. Write to explain your food chain. Remember the arrows go from the food to the animal eating it.

Food webs 1. Use the Garden Ecosystem puzzle. 2. Work out the food web in the puzzle. 3. Then draw it into your books and put in the arrows. The arrows go from the food to the animal eating it. There will be more than one arrow linking some animals and plants.

Questions Answer these questions about the Garden Ecosystem. Write the answers in your books. a Why does the food web start with plants at the bottom? a What do the arrows show? a Why do some animals have more than one arrow going to them? a Why do some animals and plants have more than one arrow going from them? a What is decomposition? Why is it important for the food web?

40

A garden ecosystem

41

TASK CARD 4

Task card to photocopy

Learner Task ASSESSMENT TASK FOR LO2

Making our own food web The purpose of this assessment is for the learners to name and describe, and sort plants and animals into categories.

Draw your own food web The food web must have 1. At least 10 living things in it; including both vertebrates and invertebrates 2. A human as part of the food web 3. Labels showing the names of the plants and animals 4. Arrows showing what the different animals feed on 5. For the extension activity: labels showing the primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers Try to make your food web using some real plants and animals that you have seen near your home or school. Use the identification chart of invertebrates to help you name and identify some of the animals.

Write Write a few sentences on what you have learnt about food webs

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Identification chart of invertebrates

Aphid

Centipede

Butterfly

Bee

Crab

Crayfish Dung beetle

Earthworm

Earwig

Butterfly caterpillar (eats leaves)

Fly

Lady beetle

Locust

Slug

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Identification chart of invertebrates

Cutworm (a caterpillar which eats stems close to the ground)

Praying mantis

Millipede

Moth Rove beetle Dragonfly

Mosquito

Spider Scorpion

Stag beetle

Ground beetle

Wood louse

Plant bugs Snail

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TASK CARD 5 Learner Task

Task card to photocopy

Life cycles of plants and animals

Group task

A. Sequence a life cycle Sequence the pictures of a person’s life from birth to old age. You can also use or draw pictures from your own family. Write labels for each stage and place them under the pictures. Write the story of the life cycle.

Group task

B. Sequence a life cycle onto a story wheel a a a a a a

Sequence the pictures of a life cycle. Place them into a story wheel. Make sure you have enough spaces in the story wheel to place all your pictures. Label each stage. Show and tell your sequence to the class. Write the story of the life cycle next to the pictures you have sequenced in the story wheel. Write to explain how the plants or animals in the life cycles you sequenced depend on other living things in order to complete their life cycles.

Individual task

C. Make a life cycle of your own a a a a a a

Draw a life cycle of a plant or animal that you have seen or know about. Place your drawings onto a story wheel. Make sure you have enough spaces in the story wheel to place all your pictures. Label each stage. Label each process that the animal goes through as it develops. Write the story of the life cycle next to the pictures you have sequenced in the story wheel. Write to explain how the plants or animals, in the life cycles you drew, depend on other living things in order to complete their life cycles.

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Life cycle of a fish

male

female swollen with eggs

female releases eggs

male releases sperm over the eggs

young fishes hatch out

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Life cycle of a tomato

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Life cycle of an apple

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Life cycle of a bean

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Life cycle of an African Monarch butterfly Mating: An adult butterfly must find another African Monarch butterfly to mate with. When the male butterfly finds a female, he flies just above her. He sprinkles some black dust that he takes from the spots on his wings and lightly brushes the female’s feelers on her head. The chemicals in the dust tell the female that he is ready to mate with her. Then they mate.

Adult butterflies just before mating

Egg hatching: The female lays eggs after mating. She lays one egg at a time on each leaf of a milkweed plant. Each egg is beautifully patterned and has a tiny breathing hole. After some time a baby caterpillar breaks out.

Caterpillar: The caterpillars only eat the leaves of the milkweed plant. They spend all their time eating. Their jaws work like a small pair of scissors. Pupa: When the caterpillar has grown fat from feeding, it begins to move slowly and loses its appetite. It spins a little string of silk and hangs upside down underneath a shady leaf. Slowly its skin begins to change into a hard green and gold covering. The caterpillar is now a pupa. Slowly the caterpillar’s body begins to change inside its hard covering.

Butterfly emerging; Early one morning before the sun rises, the hard covering of the pupa begins to break open and an adult African Monarch butterfly emerges. At first the butterfly’s skin is damp and the wings are crumpled. As the sun touches the wings, they open out and begin to move. The adult butterfly flies away to find a mate.

Pupa hanging from a leaf

Caterpillars feed on leaves

Baby caterpillar emerges from the egg

Adult butterfly emerges from the pupa

Drawings: Beatrice Bramwell

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Life cycle of a dung beetle

The dung beetle collects the dung and rolls it into a ball

The dung beetle lays an egg in the dung

The egg grows

The egg hatches The larva into a larva becomes a pupa.

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Queen bee laying eggs in cells after mating with a male bee (drone)

Cells of the comb

52 Bee larvae

Worker bee busy on the honeycomb in the hive

Bee pupae

Pollen basket

Worker bee collecting pollen and nectar from a flower

Life cycle of a the bee

TASK CARD 6 Learner Task

Task card to photocopy

ASSESSMENT TASK FOR LO3

Different kinds of beehives The purpose of this task is for the learner to identify ways in which products and technologies have been adapted from other times and cultures. Also the learner must identify the positive and negative effects of scientific developments or technological products on the quality of peoples’ lives and the environment.

Beehives Bees have been farmed in different kinds of hives for thousands of years. Read about the beehives.

Ancient Egyptian hives. This shows Egyptian beekeepers taking honey combs out of their hives. These hives were hollow and were made of dried mud from the Nile River. Hives like this were first used 4 400 years ago. The bees build their wax combs inside, hanging down from the top.

Modern Egyptian hives. These are beehives that are still used in Egypt today. They are made from clay. The bees build their wax combs inside, hanging down from the top. The beekeeper takes the honey out of the back of the hive.

Entrances for the bees

Clay pipes

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Task card 6 cont. African tree trunk hives. These hives are made from hollow wooden logs. They are used in Kenya in Africa. The bees build their wax combs inside, hanging down from the top. The hives are placed in the trees where the bees collect pollen. They are still used today. The beekeeper takes the honey from the back.

Crib shaped hives. This kind of hive was first used in Kenya and in Tanzania. They are now also used in other parts of Africa. They are made of wood. The combs hang down from the wooden frames, which can be removed.

Langstroth hive. This kind of box hive is used in Africa and in many parts of the world. It is named after the man who invented it. It is made of wood. The combs hang down from the frames, which can be removed. These hives are used by beekeepers that hire their beehives out to farmers. They are easy to move from place to place. Commercial beekeepers use special clothes to protect themselves from being stung.

Group work Discuss in your group: How do these beehives work? a What do you think is good about these beehives? a Have beehives changed very much from those of ancient Egypt? a What do all beehives have in common? a Where would you put a beehive? a Is beekeeping helpful to the environment? a How does beekeeping help the environment?

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Pouring honey … then and now

TASK CARD 6 (cont.) 3. Make a table like the one below and fill in the information about each type of hive. Type of hive

What is the hive made from?

Where do the Where do the bees enter the bees attach hive? their comb to the hive?

Where does the beekeeper open the hive to take the honey out?

What are the advantages of this kind of hive?

Ancient Egyptian hives.

Modern Egyptian hives.

African tree trunk hives

Crib shaped hives

Langstroth hive.

Assessment task Individual work 4. Make your own design of a beehive. It must be comfortable for the bees and easy for the beekeeper to use. Make a picture to show your hive and its environment. Draw and write to explain how it works. Explain how bees and beekeepers help the environment.

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FACT SHEET Why are bees so important to the world? Bees pollinate flowers. After pollination the flowers make fruits and seeds. Bees pollinate almost all our food crops. There are thousands of different kinds of bees. Some bees make honey in large amounts; these are called honeybees. Bees visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar and at the same time they pollinate the flowers. They carry the pollen back to their hives to feed their babies. They take nectar back to the hive where they make wax and honey.

Honeybee pollinating a flower

Honey and wax The bees feed on the honey and make wax. They build wax honeycomb in their hives. a They lay their eggs in some of the combs a They store honey and pollen in the other combs, to feed their larvae

Propolis Bees collect the sticky glue from buds of new Worker bees busy on the honeycomb in the hive. leaves on certain plants. The bees make this There are 3 kinds of bees in each hive glue into a chemical called propolis. a Propolis is like a glue. It is called ‘bee glue’ and the bees use it to repair their hives. a The bees use propolis to cover the inside of their hives. The propolis is a strong anti-biotic. It prevents the hive from getting infected with germs from the air. a When an animal, such as a mouse or other insect, gets into the hive by mistake the bees kill it by Queen bee stinging it. Normally the body would rot and the germs from it would infect the hive. Instead the bees cover it with propolis and the dead animal’s body dries out and does not become rotten. The bees then bite it into little pieces and throw it out of the hive. a Propolis is also used as a medicine for people. Worker bee

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Drone

How do honeybees live? Honeybees live together in large numbers and co-operate with each other. A large group of bees living together is called a colony. They usually live inside something that is hollow, such as an old tree trunk. This hollow container is called a hive. A swarm of bees will start a colony when they have a queen bee that can lay eggs. There are three kinds of bees in every hive. One large queen bee that lays about 2 000 eggs a day all the time after mating.

Thousands of small female worker bees. They do the following work in the hive depending on their age. a They keep the larvae warm and feed them a They clean the hive a They make the wax and build the comb a They guard the hive entrance a They pollinate flowers a They collect pollen, nectar, propolis and water a They make honey.

bee hives

The younger worker bees stay in the hive and do the work around the hive. The older worker bees go out to collect pollen and nectar and they make the honey. Large male drones. These male bees mate with the queen bee so that she can begin to lay eggs.

A queen bee lays an egg while surrounded by her attendants

People and honey Honey gathering People have always collected the sweet honey from beehives. Before people knew about getting sugar from sugar cane, the only sweet food they could get was honey. So honey was very highly prized and the bees were considered to be sacred. Farming bees People realised they could farm bees instead of going out and searching (hunting) for honey in the wild. People who farm bees are called beekeepers. The oldest evidence of beekeeping comes from Egypt in Africa. People have kept bees in Africa for thousands of years. Today there are beekeepers all over the world.

The first official mention of bee-keeping dates from about 2400 BCE. Cylindrical hives like the ones in the picture from the tomb of Pabasa in Egypt were made of clay.

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When you farm bees, first you have to understand the life cycle of bees and how they behave. Then you have to collect a swarm of bees from a tree or cave. You knock the swarm into a hollow container, or you put the container over the swarm and they will all fly into the nice dark container (hive) where the bees can feel safe and comfortable. The bees build their combs and nest (in the combs) hanging down inside the container and the beekeeper can collect some of the honey. When the beekeeper wants to collect the honey from the bees he uses a smoker. The bees think there is a fire and they quickly feed on some honey before they fly away. This makes them drowsy so that they don’t sting the beekeeper.

The structure of a beehive A beehive has to be a hollow container. It must a have an opening for the bees to come in and go out a have a small platform for the bees to land and take off a be high above the ground for safety a have places for the bees to build the combs (the combs always hang down from the top).

Bees building the wax comb. The bees make the wax shape into cells

Some of the combs are brood (nesting) combs where the eggs are laid and the larvae grow. The queen lays her eggs in the combs that are in the most protected part of the hive. The other combs are where the honey is stored. The bees store the honey in combs that are nearest the outside of the hive. a The beekeeper takes honey from the outside combs without disturbing the brood combs where the larvae are growing. a The beekeeper never takes all the honey because the bees need it for food in the seasons when there are few flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. a It must be placed in a safe place where the bees can go out and collect nectar, pollen, and propolis. To find out more about bees and beekeeping contact the: Honey Bee Foundation & Products Cnr. Parow and Milner Road Maitland, 7504 South Africa Tel: (021) 511 4567 Fax: (021) 511 9962 Also read this useful book: “Beekeeping A practical guide for Southern Africa” Written by: D Marchand & J Marchand-Mayne Published by: Aardvark Press, 2003 Useful websites are: The World Beekeeping Directory (http://www.beehoo.com); Beekeeping in Africa (http://www.biavl.dk/africa/).

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TASK CARD 7

Task card to photocopy

We all depend on each other: Learner Task The biodiversity of the Kowie River Look at the poster. Can you see any life cycles in the poster? Choose two plants or animals in the picture and draw their life cycles. Label the life cycles. Say what the plant or animal depends on to complete its life cycle. Count the biodiversity in this picture and then record the number on the poster. Where do you think people would fit into this poster? Draw a person and show what the person is doing. Will the person affect any of the plants and animals? Write a few sentences to explain how.

Plants and animals

What do they need, and why?

Spider Snake Water boatman (insect) Leopard Dragonfly larvae Eastern Cape Rocky (fish) Yellow pansybutterfly Dassies Plumbago (shrub) Crab Reeds Terrapin (water tortoise) Cape chestnut (tree) Otters Nile monitor (big lizard) Waterbuck. Look for the following plants and animals in the picture and say what you think they need to survive. Make a table like the one below.

Learner task What do you now know and understand about biodiversity and what would you still like to find out more about?

Talk about it, write and draw. Or Write a praise poem about biodiversity. 59

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The biodiversity of the Kowie River

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Above the surface of the water

Below the surface of the water

BIODIVERSITY COUNT

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Number of plants and animals

The biodiversity of the Kowie River

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Key to animals on the Kowie River Poster 1. Eastern Cape Rocky fish

23. African black duck

2. Damsel fly

24. Water strider insect

3. Rock dassie

25. Water boatman insect

4. Yellow-throated plated lizard

26. Marsh terrapin (water tortoise)

5. Yellow pansy butterfly

27. Boomslang

6. Small orange-tip butterfly

28. Knysna Lourie bird

7. Citrus swallow-tail butterfly

29. Bushbuck

8. Dragonfly

30. Nile or water monitor (big lizard)

9. Platanna frog

31. Freshwater mullet fish

10. Freshwater crab

32. Estuarine round-herring fish

11. Longfin eel

33. Freshwater mussels (shell fish)

12. Mayfly nymph (baby)

34. Golden orb-web spider

13. Whirlygig insect baby

35. Halfcollard kingfisher bird

14. Freshwater limpets (shell fish)

36. Green-banded swallowtail butterfly

15. Hamerkop bird

37. Yellow-striped reed frog

16. Leopard

38. Painted reed frog

17. Grey heron bird

39. African finfoot bird

18. Cape clawless otter

40. Platanna tadpoles

19. River goby fish

41. Dragonfly nymph (baby)

20. African fish eagle

42. Goldie barb fish

21. Cape weaver bird

43. Dragonfly nymph (baby)

22. Egyptian goose

44. Caddisfly larva (baby)

The story of the poster This poster was designed to remind us that all plants and animals, including humans, need other forms of life (biodiversity) to survive. It also reminds us that if animals and plants are able to breed and reproduce, they will survive into the future. The poster shows that rivers (such as the Kowie River) are places where many plants and animals can live and reproduce. People are trying to conserve the Kowie River in order to protect the biodiversity there. The main fish shown in the poster is the Eastern Cape Rocky. The male is mating with the female. During the mating the male squeezes out eggs from the female and the fertilized eggs fall into this

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nesting site. He is a very good father and fiercely protects the nest area from any threat to the developing eggs. Sometimes the male chases off the female after she has laid the eggs, in case she eats them. This poster, entitled Kowie River, home of the endangered Eastern Cape Rocky, sponsored by TOTAL SA, can be purchased from the Albany Museum. Dr Jim Cambray Makana Biodiversty Centre; Albany Museum; Somerset Street Grahamstown 6139

Background information on biodiversity The Earth’s biodiversity depends on three different things a a a

The gene pool Many different species The landscape

1. THE GENE POOL Differences between individuals There are differences between individuals of the same species. In any population of plants, animals or people there are differences between individuals even though they are of the same species (type) of plant or animal. For example, in plants of the same kind some individuals grow taller than others. Some have bigger leaves or more brightly coloured flowers, and so on. Another example is in the cat species. Some individual cats can run faster or slower or grow bigger, or have longer teeth and claws. In humans some individuals have stronger muscles than others. Some people are naturally small and agile. Other people are naturally tall and strong. Others are faster or slower runners. These differences are called variations in a species. These variations occur because individuals are born with genetic differences. When we take all these differences together in a population of plants, animals or people we refer to all the differences as a gene pool.

Big and small gene pools We say there is a ‘big’ gene pool when there are a lot of individuals with many differences. A big gene pool is better for a species because it means the species has a better chance of surviving changes to the environment. When the environment changes, there is more chance of some individuals surviving because they are different from those that cannot survive. For example you may have a gene pool of plants that includes some individuals that don’t need a lot of water and others that do need a lot of water, although they are of the same species. If there should be a drought then the plants that need a lot of water will die. However, the plants that do not need a lot of water will survive, and the species will continue because they had a big gene pool. If the gene pool becomes very small because there are very few individuals, there may not be enough variation between them and the species would die out.

2. MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES The Earth’s biodiversity is rich because there are many different species. We know that every plant and animal depends on other plants and animals for food, for shelter, for pollination and so on. Every time a species dies out in a habitat it affects all the other plants and animals directly or indirectly. For example if all the bees in a habitat die out this will directly affect the plants that need to have their flowers pollinated by bees. This means these plants will not produce fruit and this will affect the animals that feed on the fruit. When a species dies out it also affects the habitat. For example, in some habitats there

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are dung beetles. The dung beetles collect the droppings of large animals such as cattle and elephants. They roll the droppings into a ball and lay their eggs in the ball of dung. The dung beetle then buries the ball of dung. Eventually new dung beetles hatch from the dung. But the dung also contains the seeds of many plants. The seeds germinate in the dung and grow. If all the dung beetles died, the dung would not be buried and there would be fewer plants germinating from the seeds in the dung. As a result the habitat would change. Every plant or animal that becomes extinct (dies out completely) affects the Earth’s biodiversity and the survival of everyone. At present many species are dying out because of human activity. An example is in the tropical rain forests in South America, Africa and Asia. These tropical rain forests are home to millions of different species. They also contain huge trees, which provide valuable wood for furniture and buildings. Many countries buy this wood. These large trees are cut down for wood. The result is that all the species of birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and other plants and animals that depend on the trees also cannot survive. Many hundreds of species become extinct in this way every year. In time the biodiversity will become less and less and this will affect plants and animals and people all over the world. It may also affect the climate of the Earth.

3. THE LANDSCAPE The type of landscape determines what plants and animals live there. In a mountain landscape you will find plants and animals that can live in rocky exposed places. In a desert landscape you will find plants and animals that can survive dry harsh conditions. In a lowlying, wet landscape you will find plants and animals that can survive being wet most of the time. In a very rocky and stony landscape you will find small plants that grow on the rocks and animals that shelter under the stones. In a landscape where there are many caves you will find plants and animals that are suited to living in or near caves. So it is important to preserve many different types of landscapes if we want to preserve the Earth’s biodiversity. Many landscapes are changed by human activity. People change the landscape when they build houses and cities. They also change the landscape when they build large dams and highways, golf courses and other sports grounds. Mining for minerals such as aluminium and iron ore also changes the landscape. This mining involves cutting away the landscape and creating large quarries and open cast mines. All these changes to the landscape destroy the natural biodiversity in that area.

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Assessment tool Assessor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name of learner: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grade: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learning area: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LO:

AS:

Assessment task:

Y/N (tick if done, cross if not done)

Criteria:

Level of performance: Code 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 Comments

Explanation of the Codes

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4

The learner’s performance has exceeded the expectations as described in the assessment criteria

3

The learner’s performance has fulfilled the expectations as described in the assessment criteria

2

The learner’s performance is partially completed and/ or does not contain all the detail described in the criteria. The learner needs to do further work

1

The learner’s performance is incomplete and has very little of the necessary detail. It does not meet the requirements described in the criteria

SECTION 4 Extracts from the Revised National Curriculum Statements for Natural Sciences Grades R-7 Core knowledge and concepts for Life and Living (RNCS) ................................................. 72 Learning outcomes and assessment standards (RNCS)...................................................... 78

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Natural Science

CORE KNOWLEDGE AND CONCEPTS IN LIFE AND LIVING Life Processes and Healthy Living

Interactions in Environments

Biodiversity, Change and Continuity

Unifying statement: Living things, including humans and invisibly small organisms, can be understood in terms of life processes, functional units and systems.

Unifying statement: Organisms in ecosystems are dependent for their survival on the presence of abiotic factors and on their relationship with other organisms.

Unifying statement: The huge diversity of forms of life can be understood in terms of a history of change in environments and in characteristics of plants and animals throughout the world over millions of years.

Foundation Phase 1 Many of our body parts correspond to parts of animals, such as limbs, heads, eyes, ears, feet, and in many cases animals use them for the same purposes we do. 2 Animals and plants have needs similar needs to ours, for food, water and air.

3 We depend on plants and animals for food, and we breed certain animals and grow certain plants as crops. 4 We see cultural diversity in the kinds of food people like to eat. 5 Some animals, like flies and ticks, carry germs which can make people sick.

6 There is a large variety of plants and animals, which have interesting visible differences but also similarities, and they can be grouped by their similarities. 7 Plants and animals change as they grow, and as the years pass, and as the seasons change.

Intermediate Phase 1 Green plants produce their own food and grow by using water and substances from the air and soil. Energy from light is needed to change these simple substances into food and plant material. Green plants are the only organisms that can produce food in their own bodies.

5 Animals cannot make their own food, and so some animals eat plants for food while some animals eat other animals. All animals ultimately depend on green plants for their food.

10 New plants can grow from certain parts of a parent plant. This is called vegetative reproduction and does not need seeds. The new plants have all the characteristics of the parent plant.

Core Knowledge and Concepts Life and and Materials Living Core Knowledge and Concepts in in Matter

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Revised National Curriculum Statements Grades R–9 (Schools)

Life Processes and Healthy Living

Interactions in Environments

Biodiversity, Change and Continuity

Intermediate Phase 2 Living things need food for energy, to move, grow and to repair damage to their bodies (‘tissues’). Animals including humans have digestive systems for getting nutrients from food. Humans need a balanced diet from certain groups of food to be healthy. 3 All living things can respond to their environment in various ways; animals, including humans, have specialised sense organs.

6 Ecosystems are selfcontained areas where a wide variety of plant and animal species live and reproduce. They depend on each other and on the non-living environment. The life and reproduction of all the organisms in an ecosystem depend on the continuing growth and reproduction of plants. 7 Organism habitats are the places where they feed, hide, reproduce and, in many cases, shelter the young until they have a better chance of survival. Animal species live in their habitats in a variety of social patterns (such as being solitary, pairing for life, or living in packs, prides, herds or troops). 8 Ecosystems depend on soil. Soil forms by natural processes from rock and dead plant and animal material, but it takes an extremely long time to form. Substances which plants take from the soil must be replaced to main fertility of the soil. (Links with soil in Planet Earth and Beyond)

11 Sexual reproduction is the process by which two individual plants or animals produce another generation of individuals. The next generation’s individuals look like the parents but always have slight differences (‘variation’) from their parents and from each other. 12 South Africa has a rich fossil record of animals and plants which lived many millions of years ago. Many of those animals and plants were different from the ones we see nowadays. Some plants and animals nowadays have strong similarities to fossils of ancient plants and animals. We infer from the fossil record and other geological observations that the diversity of living things, natural environments and climates were different in those long-ago times. (Links with fossils in Planet Earth and Beyond)

Core Knowledge and Concepts in Life and Living Core Knowledge and Concepts in Matter and Materials

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Natural Science

Life Processes and Healthy Living

Interactions in Environments

Biodiversity, Change and Continuity

Intermediate Phase 4 Living things can move themselves; animals, including humans, can move themselves from place to place. Many species of animals move themselves by means of muscles attached to some kind of skeleton which is either inside or on the surface of the body.

9 Water plays an important role in ecosystems, sustaining both plant and animal life. Industrial, agricultural and domestic activities may have a serious impact on the quality and quantity of water available in an area. (Links with Planet Earth and Beyond)

Senior Phase 1 Humans go through physical changes as they age; puberty means that the body is ready for sexual reproduction. 2 Human reproduction begins with the fusion of sex cells from mother and father, carrying the patterns for some characteristics of each. 3 Conception is followed by a sequence of changes in the mother’s body, and during this period the future health of the unborn child can be affected. 4 Knowledge of how to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including the HIVirus, must be followed by behaviour choices.

10 Human reproduction is more than conception and birth; it involves adults raising children, which requires judgement and values and usually depends on the behaviour of other people in a community and environment. 11 Each species of animal has characteristic behaviours which enable it to feed, find a mate, breed, raise young, live in a population of the same species, or escape threats in its particular environment. These behaviours have arisen over long periods of time that the species population has been living in the same environment.

16 Offspring of organisms differ in small ways from their parents and generally from each other. This is called variation in a species. 17 Natural selection kills those individuals of a species which lack the characteristics that would have enabled them to survive and reproduce successfully in their environment. Individuals which have characteristics suited to the environment reproduce successfully and some of their offspring carry the successful characteristics. Natural selection is accelerated when the environment changes; this can lead to the extinction of species.

Core Knowledge Concepts in Life and and Materials Living Core Knowledge andand Concepts in Matter

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Revised National Curriculum Statements Grades R–9 (Schools)

Life Processes and Healthy Living

Interactions in Environments

Biodiversity, Change and Continuity

Senior Phase 5 Green plants use energy from the sun, water and carbon dioxide from the air to make food by photosynthesis. This chemical reaction is central to the survival of all organisms living on earth. 6 Animals, including humans, require protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and water. Food taken in is absorbed into the body via the intestine. Surplus food is stored as fat or carbohydrate. 7 Animals, including humans, have a circulatory system which includes the heart, veins, arteries and capillaries, and which carries nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body and removes waste products. Oxygen, which is provided by the breathing system, reacts with food substances to release energy. (Links with Energy and Change)

12 All organisms have adaptations for survival in their habitats (such as adaptations for maintaining their water balance, obtaining and eating the kind of food they need, reproduction, protection or escape from predators). 13 An ecosystem maintains numerous food webs and competition for food among different individuals and populations. South Africa has certain ecosystems which have exceptional biodiversity. All uses of these areas must be based on principles of sustainable development. 14 Pollution interferes with natural processes that maintain the interdependencies and diversity of an ecosystem.

18 Variations in human biological characteristics such as skin colour, height, and so on, have been used to categorise groups of people. These biological differences do not indicate differences in innate abilities of the groups concerned. Therefore, such categorisation of groups by biological differences is neither scientifically valid nor exact; it is a social construct. 19 Biodiversity enables ecosystems to sustain life and recover from changes to the environment. Loss of biodiversity seriously affects the capacity of ecosystems and the earth, to sustain life. Classification is a means to organise the great diversity of organisms and make them easier to study. The two main categories of animals are the vertebrates and invertebrates, and among vertebrates the five classes are amphibians, birds, fish, reptiles and mammals.

Core Knowledge and Concepts in Life and Living Core Knowledge and Concepts in Matter and Materials

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Natural Science

Life Processes and Healthy Living

Interactions in Environments

Biodiversity, Change and Continuity

Senior Phase 8 All living things, including humans, have means of eliminating waste products which are produced during life processes. Water plays an important role in this process. 9 Water makes up a large proportion of all living things, and their health depends on water passing through them in various ways, using structures (such as kidneys, skin or stomata) which can fulfil this function.

15 Many biological changes, including decomposition and recycling of matter in ecosystems and human diseases, are caused by invisibly small, quicklyreproducing organisms.

20 Human activities, such as the introduction of alien species, habitat destruction, population growth, pollution and over-consumption, result in the loss of biodiversity. This becomes evident when more species become endangered, or, ultimately, extinct. 21 Extinctions also occur through natural events. Mass extinctions have occurred in the past suggesting that huge changes to environments have occurred. However, these changes occurred very slowly, compared to the fast rate at which humans can destroy plant and animal species. (Links with Planet Earth and Beyond) 22 The cell is the basic unit of most living things, and an organism may be formed from one or many cells. Cells themselves carry on life processes such as nutrition, respiration, excretion and reproduction, which sustain the life of the organism as a whole.

Core Knowledge and Concepts in Matter and Materials Core Knowledge and Concepts in Life and Living

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Learning Outcome 3: Science, Society and the Environment The learner will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships between science and technology, society and the environment.

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WESTERN CAPE PRIMARY SCIENCE PROGRAMME TRUST (PSP) The PSP is an in-service education organisation that supports primary school teachers in the field of Natural Sciences and related learning areas particularly in township primary schools in the Western Cape. We are based at the Edith Stephens Wetland Park, Philippi, situated close to many disadvantaged communities in the Cape Flats. The PSP has been operating since 1984 and has built up good relationships with over 200 primary schools from all the township areas, including the Boland and West Coast rural areas. More than 1050 teachers from grades 4 to 7 and 126,000 children benefit from the work of the PSP. The PSP works in an environment where most teachers and learners have to operate in a 2nd or 3rd additional language. We therefore also work on developing learners’ communication skills while focusing on science related learning areas and environment. The PSP currently operates with a compliment of 9 staff.

CONTACT DETAILS Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) Edith Stephens Wetland Park Lansdowne Road Philippi, Cape Flats, 7785. P.O. Box 24158 Lansdowne 7779 South Africa Tel: (021) 6919039 ( Fax: (021) 6916350 e-mail: [email protected] (website: www.psp.org.za) NPO: 015-822 Registration Number: IT2806/99