The world is bursting with living things, from a busy ladybird to a leafy oak tree to you! Scientists sort them into groups so they are easier to understand.
Grouping living things
We put living things into big groups by looking at what they are like:
| Group | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| Mammals | Dog, mouse, human | |
| Birds | Robin, owl, duck | |
| Fish | Goldfish, salmon | |
| Insects | Bee, beetle, ant | |
| Plants | Daisy, oak tree, grass |
We sort them by asking questions, like Does it have fur? Does it have wings? Does it live in water? This is called classifying.
Habitats and micro-habitats
A habitat is the place where a living thing makes its home and finds food, water and shelter — a pond, a woodland, the seaside.
Inside a big habitat are tiny homes called micro-habitats. Under a single log you might find woodlice, worms and beetles sharing that cool, damp little world.
Simple food chains
Every living thing needs energy, and a food chain shows how energy passes from one thing to the next. The arrows point towards whatever is doing the eating.
Put this food chain in order, starting with the producer:
- Grass (the producer, makes its own food from sunlight)
- Rabbit (the prey, eats the grass)
- Fox (the predator, hunts the rabbit)
A food chain nearly always starts with a plant, because only plants can capture the sun's energy.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Producer | A plant that makes its own food |
| Prey | An animal that gets eaten |
| Predator | An animal that hunts and eats other animals |
Every creature has its place in the great web of life.
Sort each animal or plant into its group:
- Dog
- Mouse
- Robin
- Duck
- Goldfish
- Salmon
- Bee
- Ant
- Daisy
- Grass