Plants and animals are adapted to different environments booklet
Plants and animals are adapted to different environments booklet
- Unit 1: Life cycles of flowering plants
- Unit 2: Sound
- Unit 3: States and properties of matter
- Unit 4: The digestive system
- Unit 5: Forces and magnetism
- Unit 6: Seasons and adaptations of plants and animals
This Topic is About...
- I will learn how plants and animals are adapted to hot, wet, cold or dry environments.
- I will learn how to use information from books or the internet to answer science questions.
- I will learn how to group plants and animals by the environments they are adapted to.
Get ready to become an adaptation expert!
Key Words
- adaptation
- burrow
- filter
- fin
- gills
- gland
- resin
- thaw
- thorn
- waxy
Tap to Learn the Meanings!
- adaptation: A special feature that helps a plant or animal survive in its home.
- burrow: A hole in the ground where an animal can hide or stay safe.
- filter: To remove or separate unwanted things from something, like water or air.
- fin: A flat body part that helps a fish move and turn in water.
- gills: Body parts that help fish breathe under water.
- gland: A part of the body that makes and releases a special liquid.
- resin: A sticky substance from trees that protects them from drying out or insects.
- thaw: When ice or frozen ground warms up and melts.
- thorn: A sharp, pointed part of a plant that protects it from animals.
- waxy: Covered in a smooth coating that helps a plant keep water in.
Great job learning new science words!
🌵 What Is an Adaptation?
A daptations are features that help plants and animals to live in their environments.
🌞 Living in Hot, Dry Environments
I n a hot, dry environment there is very little water. The small amount of rain dries up quickly because of the heat. Plants and animals are adapted to these conditions by using very little water. The cactus plant and the camel are both good examples.
🌊 Water Plants and Their Adaptations
W ater lilies and lotus plants live in water. They have adaptations such as:
🐟 How Fish Live in Water
F ish are adapted to their environment because they have gills. Gills allow fish to absorb oxygen from the water. Fins allow the fish to move through the water.
🦆 Birds That Swim
M any birds, such as ducks and geese, swim in water. They have webbed feet to help them to do this. This is like wearing flippers when you go swimming!
🌊 Seabirds and Saltwater
S seabirds have waterproof feathers so that they can dive for food. Seabirds also have special glands that get rid of salt that they take in when they drink seawater.
🦩 Flamingoes in Shallow Water
F lamingoes live in a shallow water environment. Their long, thin legs allow them to walk through water easily. Their long flexible necks allow them to reach food below the water surface.
Think Like a Scientist
Investigation: Research plants and animals that live in a wet environment.
What to do:
- Work with a partner.
- Choose a plant and an animal that live in a wet environment in your country.
It can be a freshwater environment like a river or a lake, or it can be the sea. - Name the plant and animal.
- Find pictures of the plant and animal.
- Describe the environment the plant and animal live in.
- List all the ways in which your plant and animal are adapted to their environment.
- Present your findings in class.
How are we doing?
How well did you and your partner:
- share ideas?
- collect information?
- encourage each other?
- present your work?
Give yourselves ★★★★ or ★★ or ★ to each of these questions.
Living in the Coldest Places ❄️
There are very cold environments in the far north and the far south of the world. Remember these are the regions that have long summer days but also very long dark winters. There is not much rain but there is a lot of snow in winter.
How Animals Survive the Cold 🐻
Some animals have thick fur to keep them warm. But during the winter, when there is no food, some animals either hibernate or migrate.
Plants in Frozen Landscapes 🌲
The soil in cold regions freezes in winter. In summer the top few centimetres thaw. Trees and other plants have adaptations for these conditions. For example, trees have resin on their bark. This is a sticky substance that helps to keep the tree warm and prevents the tree from losing moisture.