Things to know:
-There is a variety of animals.
-Can classify animals according to common observable characteristics.
-For animals groups: mammals, birds, fish and insects
-Similarities and differences within groups of animals
Differences among animals
1. Animals are of different sizes. Some animals are similar in shape like the horse and the zebra.
2. Colours may help animals to hide.
Animals Live in Different Places
1. Animals have homes called habitats, places that they find suitable to live in.
2. They can find food, look after their young, hide from the enemies and rest there.
3. Most animals live on land. There are animals living on trees. ground or on the ground. Some animals live in water. Others can live both on land and in water.
Animals Move in Different Ways
1. Animals use different parts of their bodies to help them move.
2. Different animals move in different ways. Most animals can move more than one way.
Animals Have Different Outer Coverings
1. An animal's body can be covered with hair, scales, shell or feathers.
2. Outer coverings protect the animal's delicate body from injury. It will also keep the animals warm.
3. The feathers of birds have an extra purpose which is helping to keep birds to fly.
Animal Eat Different Kinds Of Food
1. Plant eaters eat plants only. They are also called herbivores. They can feed on different parts of a plant.
2. Animal eaters eat other animals only. They are also called carnivores. They have features that are useful for hunting.
3. Plant and animal eaters eat both plants and animals. They are also called omnivores. Man is also an omnivores.
Animals Reproduce in Different Ways
Animals reproduce by laying eggs or giving birth to their young. For animals that lay eggs, the young develops inside the eggs until they are ready to hatch. Animals such as kangaroos, cats and dolphins give birth to their young. The young grow in the mother's body until they are ready to be delivered. Some animals such as elephants give birth to their young one at a time. Others like cats may give birth to many at a time.
Groups of Animals
Scientists have classified animals into many groups. The animals in each group have common characteristics.
Mammals
Mammals are animals with hair on their bodies. The hair protects the animal's skin from injury and excessive heat from the Sun. It also keeps the animals warm. The hair may be soft like sheep fur or hard like the spines of a porcupine. Most animals give birth to their young. The young of mammals grow inside their mother's womb. When they are born, they are fully developed. However, the young of the kangaroos and koalas are not fully formed when born. They continue developing inside their mother's pouch. There are two mammals that lay eggs. They are the spiny anteater and the duck-billed platypus. A mammal also suckles its young. This means that the mother will feed her young with her milk. Dolphins, manatees and whales are also mammals but they live in water, Bats are the only mammals that cat fly. Scientists classify human beings as mammals.
Birds
Birds are animals with feathers as outer covering. The feathers keep them warm and help them to fly.Birds have a beak to peck and tear food. They have different kinds of beaks, depending on what they eat. They also have a pair of wings and a pair of legs. Most birds can fly. However, some birds cannot fly like the penguin and kiwi. Birds lay eggs. The egg of a bird has a hard shell. Birds will lay their eggs in a nest. The female bird incubates her eggs. When the young hatch, the parents will look after them until the young can live on their own.
Fish
Fish are animals that live in water. Fish have gills to help them breathe. The body of a fish is covered with scales and has fins. The fins help the fish in swimming. Most fish lay eggs. Most parent fish do not look after their young. When the young hatch from the eggs, the young have to look after themselves. However, some fish such as the seahorse will look after its babies. Some fish such as guppies and swordtails give birth to their young.
Insects
This is the largest group of animals. The body of an insect has three parts: head, thorax and abdomen. Every insect has 6 legs. It also has a pair of feelers on the head. The feelers help the insect to feel and smell. Insects lay eggs. Once the young hatch from the eggs, they have to live on their own. Insect parents live away from their young and do not look after them, For example, the adult grasshopper spends most of its time in the air while its young live in water.
What you need to know:
-Plants have green leaves and make their own food.
-Plant parts may look different in different plants.
-Most plants can produce flowers. They belong to the group called flowering plants.
-Others cannot produce flower and are called non-flowering plants.
-There are similarities and differences within groups of plants.
Plants grow in different places
Plants can grow in many places. We can easily find them in gardens, fields, forests, ponds, rivers and seas. Plants usually grow on land but some plants grow in water. Some plants can grow in unusual places like in drains, on walls and roofs, or even on another plant. Plants need air, water, light and minerals to grow. As long as these are supplied to a plant, it can grow anywhere.
Plant Parts are Different From Plant to Plant
A plant has the parts in the picture shown in the left. The flowers develop into fruits. The fruits bear seeds.
The size and shape of flowers are different from plant to plant.
Flowers
Some flowers are big. Other flowers are small.
Some flowers are round in shape. Others are oval-shaped.
There are other flowers with different shapes.
Some being long and others being star-shaped.
Some flowers possess a few petals. Others have many petals.
For example, the hibiscus flower has five petals whereas the rose has many petals.
Flowers are usually very brightly coloured. There are red, yellow, white, blue and purple flowers. Many flowers also smell pleasant. Different kinds of flowers have different kinds of smells. The smell and colour of flowers help to attract insects.
Some flowers grow together in a group. We say these flowers grow in clusters. They exist as a bunch at the end of a flower stalk. The flame of the forest flowers or frangipani flowers grow in clusters. Some flowers grow singly. Each flower grows by itself. The hibiscus, morning glory and balsam flowers all grow singly.
Fruits
1. You can observe that some fruits are big while other fruits are small. For example, pineapples and durians are bi fruits but cherry and lime are small. Different fruits also have different shapes as well as sizes. Each fruit has its own special shape. For example, the shape of a mango differs from that of a coconut or banana. The fruits have different colours when they are ripe. For example, when they are ripe, rambutans are red and bananas are yellow. Unripe fruits are usually green in colour.
2. The skins of different fruits are different in texture too. The skins can be rough, smooth, hairy, prickly or thorny. For example, the papaya and apple have smooth skins. The jackfruit has a rough skin and the pineapple has a prickly skin. Durians have thorns on their skin. The rambutan skin is covered with hairs.
3. Edible fruits can be eaten. Examples of fruits that can be eaten are papayas, durians, oranges, apples and mangoes. All these are fleshy fruits and are nice to eat. Inedible fruits cannot be eaten. Examples of inedible fruits are the balsam and the flame of the forest. Some fruits cannot be eaten because they are poisonous or have an unpleasant taste.
4. Some vegetables are actually fruits. Cucumbers, brinjals, chillies, tomatoes and lady's fingers are examples of such fruits. They are fruits because they are developed from flowers.
Seeds
1. Some fruits such as the mango, lychee and avacado have one seed. Others such as oranges have several seeds. Fruits like the kiwi and papaya fruits have many seeds.
2. Several arrangement of seeds can be seen in different fruits. Seeds can be arranged in rows or found everywhere inside the fruits. The seeds of the flame of the forest are arranged in a row. The seeds of the flame of the forest fruit are arranged in a row. Papaya seeds are found everywhere inside the fruit. A rubber fruit has three parts and a seed is found in each part.
3. Seeds of fruits like mangoes and durians are very big when compared with papaya seeds or orange seeds. Different seeds have different shapes too. Most seeds are oval, round or flattish in shape. The durian, mango and rambutan all have oval-shaped seeds. The papaya and guava have round seeds while the watermelon and starfruit have flattish seeds.
Roots
Roots are usually found under the ground. However, some roots can be seen above the ground. Some plants such as the Banyan trees have roots hanging from the branches. Roots of the mangrove trees stick out from the soil. Roots also differ in size and structure. For example, the balsam plant has a single main root from which branch roots grow. The maize plant has a cluster of roots growing from the base of the stem. The roots are all of about the same size.
Leaves
A leaf has three main parts: leaf blade, leaf vein and leaf stalk.
1. Size, shape and colour
(a) Leaves vary in size.
(b) They may be round-shaped, oval-shaped, heart-shaped, palm-shaped or lance-shaped.
(c) Not all leaves are green in colour. There are some in other colours as yellow or red.
2. Texture and edges of leaves
(a) The texture of leaf surfaces can be smooth, waxy or hairy.
(b) For example, the African violet leaf has a hairy surface. The lime leaf has a waxy surface.
(c) Leaf edges can be entire, jagged (same meaning as toothed) or lobed.
(d) For example, the lemon leaf has an entire edge, the Water-lily has a jagged-edge and the papaya leaf has a lobed edge.
3. Different vein patterns
(a) The veins of a leaf form patterns on the leaf surface.
(b) There are two kinds of vein patterns: net vein pattern and parallel vein pattern.
(c) In the net pattern, the veins are spread out from a main vein in all directions.
(d) In the parallel vein pattern, the veins run in straight lines parallel to one another.
4. Simple and compound leaves
(a) When only one leaf grows from a leaf stalk, it is called a simple leaf.
(b) When two or more leaves grow from a leaf stalk, the leaf is called a compound leaf.
(c) Each small leaf of a compound leaf is called a leaflet. The leaf blade in a compound leaf can be divided into two or more small leaflets.
Stem
The stem supports the branches and the leaves. A tree has a tall, thick and woody stem called the trunk. The trunk and branches of trees are protected by an outer covering called the bark. Shrubs are shorter plants that also have woody stems. Examples of shrubs are the bougainvillaea, hibiscus and rose plants. Some plants have non-woody stems. Their stems are usually greenish and fleshy, and are weaker than woody stems. Some non-woody stems such as those of the balsam and the lady's fingers can stand upright. Others are so weak that they cannot stand upright. Plants with such stems either creep along the ground or cling onto a support. The stems of some plants such as the cactus plants are covered with hair, prickles or spines. Some plants have stems that store food and water for the plant. Examples are ginger, potato and water chestnut.
Classifying plants
There are many similarities and differences among plants. We can study plants better if we group the plants with similar characteristics together. Plants are often classified according to whether they bear flowers, poisonous or non-poisonous and land or water plants.
Flowering and Non-flowering plants
A flowering plant can produce flowers when it is fully grown. Some examples of flowering plants are rose, hibiscus, flame of the forest, daisy and carnation. Some plants such as the money plant, some kinds of cacti and the bamboo are flowering plants too. However, they seldom or do not bear flowers under our local conditions. Some plants only produce flowers at certain times of the year. A non-flowering plant cannot produce flowers at all during its lifetime. Some examples of non-flowering plants are ferns, mosses, liverworts, conifers and algae. Conifers such as the fir produces cones. Algae are plants with no true stem, roots and leaves and are found in water. Algae have chlorophyll and can make their own food. Seaweeds are large types of algae found in the sea.
Poisonous and Non-poisonous plants
Some plants are poisonous and may be harmful to human. The poison may be present in the plant juice or the plant parts. When we touch the juice, we may get rashes, itchiness or swollen and painful skin. When eaten, the poison in the plant parts may cause vomiting, diarrhoea, blindness or even death.
Land and Water plants
Land plants
Land plants are those that grow on land. Land plants are also known as terrestrial plants. There are numerous types of land plants. Most of them grow in soil. Some land plants grow on other plants such as trees, or even on rotting logs. There are also other land plants that grow on the walls of buildings.
Water plants
Water plants are those which grow in the water. They can also be called aquatic plants. They are commonly found in ponds, rivers and seas. Water plants in the pond can be further classified as: floating plants, plants that grow partly in eater, plants that grow totally in water. Floating plants are those that float on water surface with their roots hanging down in the water. Examples of floating plants are duckweed, water hyacinth and water lettuce. Plants that grow partly in water have parts growing above the water surface and parts growing in the water. Examples are water-lily, lotus, water shamrock and arrowhead. Examples of plants that grow totally in water are elodea, hydrilla and cabomba.
Plants respond to sunlight and water
Plants respond to sunlight by slowly growing towards it. The roots of plants respond to water by growing towards it.
Uses of plants
Plants provide us with food. The vegetables, fruits and cereals that we eat all come from plants. Plants also give us useful materials such as wood and paper. Some plants such as ginger and ginseng can be used to cure illnesses. The wide spreading branches of trees help to provide shade. The variety of plants around us makes our environment more attractive.
Things are made up of Living and Non-living Things.
Non-Living things means either once alive or never alive.
Now, what about living things?
Firstly, plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms are groups of living things.
What are living things characteristics?
-Living things need air, water and food.
-Grow
-Move
-Respond to changes
-Reproduce
What do you need to know:
1. Things can be living or non-living.
2. The characteristics of living things
LIVING AND NON-LIVING THINGS
1. There is a great variety of things in this world.
2. We classify things into living and non-living things.
3. Classifying things this way makes it easier for us to study them.
4. Living things are different from non-living things.
5. Living things are things that are alive.
6. Examples of living things are plants and animals.
7. Living things can do certain things that non-living things cannot do.
8. For example, living things can move about on their own but non-living things cannot.
9. Some non-living things come form living things.
10. For example, a wooden stool is made of wood. Wood comes from trees and trees are living things.
11. Some non-living things such as the fried chicken we eat were once alive.
12. Other non-living things such as rocks, water and air were never alive.
13. Some living things can look like non-living things. For example, a stone fish looks like a stone.
EXAMPLES
Living things: Balsam plant, ant, fish, snail, etc.
Non-living things: Pot, stone, rake, marble, book, etc.
What do living things need?
Living things need air, water and food to stay alive. Air, water and food are the basic needs of living things. Plants do not need to take in food like human and animals. Plants can make their own food. Plants only need air, water and sunlight to produce food. Living things cannot survive long without food. However, they will die more quickly without air or water.
What can living things do?
Living things grow
Living things move
Living things respond to changes
Living things reproduce
Characteristics of plants
1. Plants can make their own food.2. This is because they contain a green substance called chlorophyll. It helps plants to produce food when there is sunlight.
3. Plants need sunlight, water, air and nutrients to make food.
4. Plants with red leaves can still make food because there is chlorophyll hidden inside them.
5. A plant cannot move from place to place. The roots keep it fixed in its position.
6. It responds slowly to changes. For example, it responds to sunlight by growing towards it.
7. Trees, shrubs, grasses and seaweeds are all examples of plants.
Characteristics of animals
Animals can move about on their own. For example, the lizard crawls and the whale swims. Animals can respond quickly to changes around them. For example, a bird flies away when a cat comes near it. Unlike plants, animals cannot make their own food. Therefore, they feed on plants and other animals to obtain energy.
Characteristics of fungi
Fungi form a group of living things that feed on dead plants or animal. They cannot make their own food, thus, they are not plants. Some fungi even attack living plants and animals. For example, certain fungi can grow on our skin and cause skin disease. Fungi are fixed in one position. They are attached to the things they grow and feed on.
Characteristics of Micro-organisms
Micro-organisms are very tiny living things. They cannot be seen by the naked eye, unless you use a microscope. They live in the air, water and soil. There are also micro-organisms living inside or on the bodies of plants and animals. Examples are algae, bacteria and viruses.
Animals and their classification
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Subjects in here: A great variety of things (Living and Non-Living things), Plants and animals classification, fungi and micro-organisms,
materials and classifying materials and organisms. Credit: Completely NEW PSLE Science
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