Living Things and the Processes of Life

Stages P1 to P3

P1 to P3 Variety and characteristic features

sorting living things into broad groups according to easily observable characteristics, e.g. birds, insects, flowers, evergreen/deciduous trees

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know a variety of plants and animals

   observe pets / birds / domestic animals / seashore / nature walk

   AV materials / class resources

   visits / visitors.

2. know that all living things are either plants or animals

   sorting examples into two groups

3. group living things by observable characteristics

   group animals and plants by any observable characteristics of their choice

4. sort living things into groups based on stated simple criteria

   legs, body covering, habitat, flowers, etc

recognising and naming common plants and animals in the classroom and local environment

Pupils shall be able to:

1. recognise and name common plants and animals that are found locally

   nature walks, visits

   Shetland names / English - examples controlled by locality of school

similarities and differences between themselves and other pupils

Pupils shall be able to:

1. identify some of the differences and similarities between themselves and other pupils

   compare hair colour / eye colour / height / sex etc.

P1 to P3 The processes of life

changes which occur in plants and animals, including humans, which are indicative of growth and maturation, e.g. seeds germinating, buds bursting, milk/adult teeth

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know the developmental stages of familiar animals

   observe lambs to ewes / pet development / tadpoles / eggs to hens

2. measure their own growth and that of others

   photos from birth / body measurements

   record the change in their dentition as milk teeth are replaced

3. plant seeds and observe their growth

   grow seeds from packets or fruits

4. measure and record the growth of different plants

   daffodils / hyacinths / crocus / beans / ivy

   tomatoes / lupins / fruit trees - from AV material - looking at pips and seeds

use of all of the senses (smell, sight, taste,hearing, balance, touch, ( pain, heat/cold) ) to detect information and to keep the body safe

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know the sense organs which provide each of the senses

   ears / eyes / nose / tongue / skin

   demonstrations to illustrate which organs respond to which stimuli

2. appreciate the importance of the senses in gathering information

   activities including feely box / chinese whispers / texture pictures / sweet and sour /blindman's buff

   discuss deafness / blindness

3. discuss the importance of the senses in keeping themselves safe

   safety in the home / school / playground / road / water

   discussion of cold hands on snowy day and body heat after games / matching suitably dressed people to a hot or cold environment

simple life cycles of plants and animals to illustrate stages of development e.g. seeds to plants, caterpillar, pupa to moth, spawn and tadpole to frog

Pupils shall be able to:

1. discuss how a variety of living things develop and reproduce through their lives

   lambs and ewes / rams

   spider plants

   tomatoes

2. name the stages through which some living things develop

   seed, seedling, plant

   caterpillars, butterflies

   spawn, tadpole,frog

   baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult

P1 to 3 Interaction of living things with their environment

animals and plants in a variety of habitats,to demonstrate variety and to show how living things depend on each other

Pupils shall be able to:

1. describe a variety of habitats and communities of plants and animals inside and outside the classroom

   school grounds, eg pitfall traps

   seashore

   meadow

   bookwork - life in sea , jungle etc.

2. discuss the dependence of living things on each other

   food, animals eating each other

   shelter,birds nesting in trees

   protection,shoals of fish

3. suggest, from their observations, some of the reasons for this dependence

   basic survival requirements - for us and other animals

caring for living things in the classroom and the home, e.g. houseplants, bulbs, pets

Pupils shall be able to:

1. discuss the needs of pets and plants and meet these needs while caring for them in the classroom

seasonal changes which take place in the appearance or behaviour of animals and plants, e.g. Ieaf fall, hibernatlon, migration, colour changes

Pupils shall be able to:

1. recognise the changes which take place in plants and animals as a result of seasonal changes in their environment

   development of plants through the seasons-(flower production , leaf colour/fall)

   change in coat colour/condition

   change in behaviour - hibernation, migration, nesting etc

2. discuss and suggest reasons why these changes might help the plant or animal to survive

   linking changes to food supply / temperature

Stages P4 to P6

P4 to P6 Variety and characteristic features

the main distinguishing features of vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), major invertebrate groups (worms, molluscs, arthropods such as insects, spiders and crabs), flowering and non-flowering plants

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know a variety of animals from the five different vertebrate groups

   examine a range of examples from each group directly or from class resources

2. know the distinguishing features of these vertebrate groups

   compare body covering, body temperature, reproductive methods

   organise examples (photographs) into their respective groups

3. compare a variety of skeletons either at first hand or from secondary sources noting the similarities and differences among the skeletons studied

   compare overall shape, joints, limbs etc.

   build a model human skeleton which illustrates its major features of support, movement and protection

4. know a variety of invertebrates from each major group

   collect using pitfall traps, build wormery, collect seashore life, etc. and use class resources

5. know the distinctive characteristics of these invertebrate groups

   compare body type and structure, number of legs

6. distinguish between flowering and non-flowering plants by observing their differing characteristics

   compare flowering and non flowering plants, including flowering plants in all stages of reproduction ( buds, flowers, fruits, and seeds)

   flowers or cones for seed production in trees

recognising and naming some members of these groups using simple keys

Pupils shall be able to:

1. use simple branching keys to identify which group some individual animals belong to

similarities and differences between plants and animals of the same species, e.g. Leaf shape, breeds of dog

Pupils shall be able to:

1. group characteristics relating to particular kinds of plants and animals to note the variety shown

   compare two similar flowering plants and study certain characteristics eg number of petals in a flower, number of leaves, shape of leaves, etc

   compare two animals of the same species and study certain characteristics eg colour, number of limbs, etc

2. interpret that some characteristics are constant and some vary within a species

3. group together their findings from above

P4 to P6 The processes of life

the structure and functions of the major parts of the body as they relate to the processes of movement (muscles, bones and joints) and nutrition (teeth and digestive system)

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know that muscles,skeleton and joints are concerned with movement

   observations of their own bodies in movement

2. know that muscles are attached to bones at joints by tendons

   observe a chicken wing/foot , AV material

3. show how the pulling of muscles on bone causes movement at a joint

   build a model hinge joint

   observe a chicken foot and wing

4. identify ball and socket and hinge joints and explain their respective movements

   relate movement of own joints to joint type

   use diagrams and class resources

5. name the major bones and bone groups

6. relate these bones and bone groups to their functions of movement, support and protection

7. know and understand the purpose of digestion

   from class resources and discussion

8. recognise the major parts of the digestive system

   label diagram of the major parts of the digestive system

9. know that the teeth are the first step in the digestive process

   recognise that the teeth break down food into smaller pieces to be swallowed

10. describe the shape and function of different types of tooth

    use models and diagrams

11. be aware of the role of digestive juices in the further breakdown of food in the mouth, stomach and small intestine

    chew bread until it goes sweet

12. know that brokendown food passes into the blood to be used all around the body

the structure and functions of the parts of flowering plants (roots, stem, leaves, flowers) and factors which affect germination and growth

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know the gross structure of a variety of flowering plants

   collect, record and present evidence relating to the gross structure of a variety of flowering plants

2. identify and explain the function of root, stem, leaf

3. discuss the function of the flower in relation to pollination and seed production

4. know the factors affecting the germination of seeds

   plan and conduct an experiment to evaluate which factors affect the germination of seeds

5. discuss the factors which affect the growth of plants

   plan and conduct an experiment to evaluate which factors affect the growth of plants

dispersal of fruits and seeds by animals (externally/internally), by wind and by self

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know ways in which fruits and the seeds within them are dispersed discuss the importance of effective seed dispersal for plants

P4 to P6 interaction of living things with their environment

the interaction between humans and their environment in relation to aspects such as farming, fishing and other local industries

Pupils shall be able to:

1. demonstrate the effect of the presence of people and their activities on plant and animal life

   be able to plan, collect, record and present evidence from a feature of the local environment which has been affected by the presence of people and their activities, with particular reference to plant and animal life for example around an industrial development or football played on the grass

   observe the effect of improving agricultural land upon wildlife

   research the effect of industrial fishing

simple food chains based on energy from the sun

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know that animals have different diets

2. explain the terms carnivore, herbivore and omnivore

3. construct a simple food chain

4. know that the sun is the source of energy to all living things
5. know and able to explain that when an animal eats it is gaining energy
6. know and able to explain that energy is passed on from one part of a food chain to the next

the importance of conservation and of the value of re-cycling materials

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know why it is important to conserve materials

2. explain how recycling aids this conservation

3. identify a variety of materials that can be recycled

living things which are very rare or which have become extinct, e.g. protected species, dinosaurs

Pupils shall be able to:

1. identify some living things which have become extinct

2. suggest reasons for their extinction

   based on food supply, predation or climatic change

3. discuss the role of Man in the extinction or decline in numbers of some species

   pollution

how plants and animals are affected by environmental conditions such as light/shade, dry/moist, hot/cold

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know the factors affecting the choice of habitats of a range of living things locally and worldwide

   plan, collect, record and present evidence about the habitats of a range of living things locally and worldwide. e.g.
   compare areas of ground either side of a wall to study the effect of light and shade
   compare desert and tropical rain forests
   compare polar region with equatorial region

2. suggest why the organisms live where they do in relation to light, humidity and temperature

   show that animals live in an area where they happiest

   plan and conduct experiments to test hypotheses based on those observations e.g with woodlice in choice chambers

Stages P7 to S2

P7 to S2 Variety and characteristic features

the main distinguishing features of flowering (monocotyledons, dicotyledons) and non-flowering plants (algae, mosses, lichens, ferns, fungi, conifers) and micro-organisms (bacteria and viruses)

Pupils shall be able to:

1. distinguish features of flowering and non flowering plants and micro organisms based on structure, size and shape, methods of nutrition and reproduction

   observe at first hand and using secondary sources

similarities and differences within a group leading to the concept of a species

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know the important similarities which give rise to an interbreeding group

2. group living things into species according to those similarities

creating and using classification keys to identify living things

Pupils shall be able to:

1. use keys in class

   identify plants and animals which have been observed locally

2. create branching and paired statement keys

   to allow a visitor to identify members of the class

   to allow the identification of local plants and animals

continuous and discontinuous variation

Pupils shall be able to:

1. distinguish between features which exhibit continuous variation and those which exhibit discontinuous variation

   definitions

   carry out a survey of the selected features and determine whether the variation exhibits discrete values or is continuous over a wide range

   identify features in themselves that are continuous and discontinuous

   identify form of graph associated with each

introduction to how information is passed from one generation to the next

Pupils shall be able to:

1. identify the key features of nuclei, chromosomes and genes

2. know the function of chromosomes

3. explain how chromosomes work

4. explain the way in which chromosomes and genes are responsible for passing information from one generation to the next

   use classroom resources, AV materials

P7 to S2 The processes of life

the basic structure and function of plant and animal cells

Pupils shall be able to:

1. examine a variety of plant and animal cells using microscopes and other resources

2. identify the nucleus, cytoplasm and cell membrane in all cells and cell wall, vacuole and chloroplasts as features unique to plant cells

3. know the respective functions of the above cell parts

4. distinguish between plant and animal cells, using differences

the structure and functions of the major parts of the body as they relate to the processes of respiration, excretion, sensitivity and reproduction

Pupils shall be able to:

1. identify and understand the function of windpipe, lungs, ribcage and diaphragm in relation to breathing

2. identify and understand the function of the lungs in removing carbon dioxide

   using a variety of AV resources (it is assumed, from the context, that 'respiration' refers to breathing) use models to study the mechanism of breathing

   breathing mechanism in terms of :
   respiratory muscles
   volume changes

   gas exchange in simple terms

   carry out experiments to determine the volume of air inspired and expired under a variety of conditions

   experiments to demonstrate the exchange of gases

   need for oxygen in the body

   need to remove carbon dioxide

   compare experimentally the carbon dioxide content of inspired and expired air

3. identify and understand the function of the kidney as a filter; the bladder as a store of urine

   using a variety of AV resources

   need to remove urea

   urea as a product of protein breakdown in the liver

4. identify and understand the function of the large intestine in the removal of solid waste [NOTE: the above is not an example of excretion]

5. identify and understand the function of the structure of the eye and ear

   main senses and associated organs

   using models and other AV resources

   eye defects and correction

6. identify and understand the role of nerves and the brain in sensitivity

   carry out reaction tests

   areas of brain associated with sight, hearing, memory / learning, muscles, breathing/heart

   need for sensitivity

7. describe the structure of egg and sperm

8. explain the meaning of fertilisation

9. distinguish between internal and external fertilisation

10. explain where fertilisation occurs in mammals

11. explain in terms of increase in size and cell division and complexity

12. explain the processes of implantation to understand the function of the placenta and umbilical cord

13. explain the process of gestation

14. understand the protection of the embryo in the womb

15. describe the birth process with reference to:
    loss of water
    contraction
    expulsion of embryo
    expulsion of placenta

16. explain the process and role of menstruation

17. identify and understand the simple structure and function of the male and female reproductive system and the part played by sperm and egg in conception

development, birth and parental care

Pupils shall be able to:

1. discuss the processes involved in the fertilisation/development and birth of a variety of offspring and their subsequent care and survival

2. discuss the development of a variety of embryos, their birth and the level of parental care given to the offspring

   observe from secondary resources

3. draw some conclusions about the chances off survival of the offspring based on observations of its development and protection before and after birth

changes in the physical and emotional development of human beings at puberty

Pupils shall be able to:

1. discuss the reasons for the physical and emotional changes which take place during puberty

2. identify the evidence that these changes are taking place

   growth curves

the process of reproduction in flowering plants with reference to cross- (wind and insect) and self-pollination

Pupils shall be able to:

1. identify the major structures of a flower

   label diagrams

2. explain the function of the parts of a flower which are involved in reproduction

3. describe the formation of a seed

4. describe the structure of a seed

5. know the factors affecting germination

6. discuss the conditions for germination

7. know the factors affecting seed dispersal

8. know the function of fruits

9. discuss the ways in which pollination might occur in relation to the flowers structure and appearance

photosynthesis, explaining the significance of this process to green plants, to the energy requirements of all animals and to the maintenance of the earth's atmosphere

Pupils shall be able to:

1. describe the structure of a leaf

2. explain the gas exchange in green plants

3. know the requirements for photosynthesis by experiment

4. know under what conditions green plants produce food

   carry out a range of experiments such as testing leaves for starch

5. relate photosynthesis to the plant's nutritional requirements (possible transport of materials to and from leaf)

6. know that green plants are energy producers

7. know that the energy from the sun is the source of all energy in food chains

8. relate the process to the needs of other living things within a food chain

9. discuss the effect of photosynthesis on the gases of the atmosphere

10. discuss, in relation to wider environmental issues, the role of plants in maintaining the balance of atmospheric gases and its importance to all living things

P7 to S2 Interaction of living things with their environment

food webs and food pyramids

Pupils shall be able to:

1. examine the feeding relationships of a wide range of living things and food chains and create food webs

2. understand that energy flows along a food chain and that arrows indicate the direction of energy flow

3. apply understanding of energy flow and conversion within a food chain to establish the numerical relationships of organisms in that chain

   pyramid of numbers and biomass

4. describe how energy is lost from food chains

5. describe the effects of changes on food chains or webs

competition between living things with respect to food and space

Pupils shall be able to:

1. recognise that competition exists between organisms

2. predict the effects on living things of changes in habitat and food supply and the overall effect on the balance within a food web

birth rate, death rate and factors which limit the growth of populations

Pupils shall be able to:

1. know the direct factors that affect populations

   sandeel/seabird relationship

2. discuss the effects of changes in birth and death rates in a variety of living things

   using data from secondary sources - for example relating to worldwide human population, deer population in Scotland and rabbit population in Australia

3. suggest and discuss factors which may have brought about these changes

the various ways in which humans can act on the environment, whether to its benefit or detriment, e.g. forestation, dealing with pollutants, farming methods, chemical processing plants

Pupils shall be able to:

1. discuss the effect of major pollutants on land, water and atmosphere

2. identify the sources of major pollutants

3. demonstrate the effects of Man on the environment

   using first hand information at the local level and secondary sources to consider national and international issues..

   obtain information from a range of statutory and non statutory organisations involved with environmental issues..

4. discuss the attitudes and concerns created by these issues

adaptation to the environment over a period of time, leading to an understanding of the process of evolution and the survival or extinction of species

Pupils shall be able to:

1. understand that plants and animals are adapted to their natural environment

2. understand how adaptation affects survival chances

   removal of habitat

   examine the ways in which plants and animals are suited to their environment

   measure some common variations within species e.g. class height, handspan, size of leaves etc

3. discuss how variation within a species would allow adaptation to environmental changes

4. discuss isolation as a factor of evolution

5. suggest why the appearance of some animals is as we see them today, based on their evolutionary history

6. discuss the effects of variation and ability to adapt on the survival or extinction of a species

responses of plants and animals to environmental stimuli including growth responses in plants and behaviour in animals

Pupils shall be able to:

1. demonstrate safely the phototropic responses in plants

   cress seedling growing toward the light

2. demonstrate safely the phototaxic or photokinetic responses in animals

   woodlice in a choice chamber

3. describe and explain the seasonal changes in plants and animals

   leaf drop and flowering, hibernation and change in coat colour