Life Science Part 1

The Parts of a Plant Vocabulary: 1.leaf- part of the plant that makes food for the whole plant 2.stem- moves water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves 3.nutrient- a material living things must take in to live and grow 4.root- plant parts that take in water and nutrients from the soil 5.flower- plant part that makes seeds 6.seed- holds a new plant and keeps it safe

Most plants have a body made of leaves, a stem, and roots. Some plants also have flowers. Plants need these parts in order to stay alive and make young plants just like itself. A leaf is the part of a plant that makes food for the whole plant. The green material in the leaf takes in sunlight. The leaf uses sunlight to make food.

Plants also breathe through the tiny openings in their leaves. No matter what shape or size a leaf is, all leaves do the same job for the plant. A plant’s stem moves water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves. A nutrient is a material living things must take in to live and grow.

The stem moves food from the leaves to the rest of the plant. The stem also holds the plant up. Roots are plant parts that take in water and nutrients from the soil. A plant’s roots usually grow underground, and they hold the plant in the ground. The roots of some plants store some of the food that the leaves make.

Many plants have flowers which is a part of the plant that makes seeds. A seed holds a new plant and keeps it safe. Seeds store food to help the new plant start growing. You can use a magnifier and see that tiny tubes run up and down inside of a stem. These tubes carry water and nutrients through the stem.

A leaf also has tubes called veins that move water and nutrients into a leaf. They also move food out of a leaf, to other parts of the plant. Another small part of a plant is called root hairs that help the roots take in water from the soil.

Needs of a Plant and Animal Vocabulary: 1.nutrient- materials that living things need in order to live and grow 2.energy- ability to make things move or change 3.waste- material a living thing takes in but cannot use 4.shelter- a safe and protected place 5.resource- something that a living thing needs to survive 6.compete- try to get something that others need or want

Plants and animals have different parts, but they need some of the same things. When you breathe in and out, you take in and give off air. Air has two gases that living things need. Animals take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide Plants give off oxygen and take in carbon dioxide. Both plants and animals need water. In deserts, most plants and animals only need a little water to survive.

In rain forests, plants and animals need a lot of water to survive. In places like deserts where there is not much water, cactus plants have roots near the surface of the ground. When it rains, the shallow roots take in the water before it dries or soaks in. Cactus plants can also store water in their stems for a long time so that they have it when they need it.

Kangaroo rats are desert animals that gets all the water it needs from its food. Living things must take in nutrients in order to live and grow. Nutrients also hold energy, the ability to make things move or change. Both plant and animals need energy to stay alive. Animals eat plants or other animals to get nutrients. Plants use sunlight to make their own food to get energy.

Plants can also get nutrients from the soil. All living things must get rid of wastes that they take in but cannot use. Plants and animals need enough space to stay alive. If they are crowded together, they may not be able to get all the things they need. Living things also need a safe place to live. The place must protect them from bad weather and enemies. A safe place is called a shelter.

Animals and plants that live in the same place compete for the same resources. A resource is something that a living thing needs to stay alive. To compete means to try to get something that others need or want. Animals compete for nutrients, water, space, and shelter. When they do not get what they need, they move away or die.

Plants compete for space, water, nutrients, and sunlight. Tall trees with broad leaves get more sunlight than shorter trees with narrow leaves, so if they are close together, the smaller plants may die.

How Animals Get Food Vocabulary: 1. food chain- shows how living things get food and energy from each other 2. carnivore- animal that only eats meat (other animals) 3. herbivore- animal that only eats plants 4. omnivore- animal that eats plants and meat (other animals)

Animals must hunt and take in their food. They use food to build and repair their bodies. They also use food to get the energy they need to carry out their daily activities. Plants use the energy of the sunlight to make their own food. Energy from the sun is stored in the food. Plants use some of the energy to live and grow. They store the rest in their leaves, stems, and roots.

Animals called herbivores eat the leaves, stems, and roots of plants. These animals take in the energy stored in the plants. Herbivores use some of this energy right away, and they store the rest. Animals called carnivores eat other animals. They get their energy by eating animals that eat plants. Mice grass, and foxes eat mice. Zebras eat plants, and lions eat zebras.

Grass gets energy from sunlight, the cow gets the energy from the grass, and we get energy by eating the cow. People and some animals are called herbivores because we eat both plants and animals. A food chain shows how living things get food and energy from each other.

In the food chain below, the grass takes in energy from the sun to make its own food. The mouse takes in energy when it eats the grass. The fox takes in energy when it eats the mouse.

How it Uses Its Beak to Get Food Animals have different body parts for getting and eating food. Birds have strong beaks that help them grab or break up food. Bird How it Uses Its Beak to Get Food Cactus Finch   Their pointed beaks poke holes into fruits. Duck Bills can spoon up food from water. Parrot Their strong, sharp, pointed beaks crack hard nutshells and pull out the food inside. Long-Legged Wader Their long, sharp beaks spear fish. Parrot Long-Legged Wader

The teeth of animals have different shapes for eating different kinds of food. Animals that eat grasses have large, flat teeth that are good for grinding tough grass leaves. Animals that hunt and eat other animals have sharp, pointed teeth good for biting and tearing.

How Living Things Grow and Develop Vocabulary: 1.reproduction- the process of making new living things of the same kind 2.offspring- new living things made by reproduction 3.life cycle- all stages of life from birth to death 4.metamorphosis- change in form as animals become adults 5.larva- the second stage of butterfly life cycle (caterpillar hatches from egg) 6.pupa-third stage of butterfly life cycle (cacoon)

We learned that living things reproduce, or make new living things of the same kind. The process of making a new living thing is called reproduction. The new living thing made by reproduction is called an offspring. Offspring usually look like their parents in some ways. When a kitten grows up, may be bigger or smaller than its parents, or its color may be different. But is still will look something like its parents.

Living things can only reproduce as an adult. All the stages of life from birth to death make up a life cycle. All living things have life cycles, and new ones begin when adults reproduce. The life cycle of each living thing has a pattern that is different for each living thing. Some animals follow a pattern in which they lay eggs. Other animals have live young.

Plants begin with a seed. A tiny new plant called a seedling sprouts from the seed. It grows roots and leaves and gets taller. It develops flowers and then is ready to reproduce. Seeds will form in the parts of the plant called ovaries. New plants will grow from some of the seeds.

Some animals keep their same form through their whole life cycle. Puppies for example, grow, but they are born with four legs and a tail and they grow as an adult with four legs and a tail. Some animals change form as they become adults. This change in form is called metamorphosis.

Life cycles of frogs and butterflies both show metamorphosis. Life Cycle of a frog: -A adult frog lays eggs in water. -A tadpole comes out of an egg. -The tadpole swims underwater like a fish. -It swims and eats. -It eventually grows legs, gets bigger, and its tail disappears. -It now breathes air and lives on land.

Life Cycle of a butterfly: -An adult butterfly lays eggs on a leaf. -A caterpillar comes out of an egg. -This is the second stage, or larva, of a butterfly. -The caterpillar eats leaves and grows much bigger. -It then makes a hard case around itself and is now a pupa. -The caterpillar changes form inside the case. -After a few weeks, an adult butterfly comes out.

Adaptations and Survival Vocabulary: 1. survive- stay alive 2. environment- everything around a living thing 3. adaptation- a body part of behavior that helps a living thing survive where it lives

Every living thing has features that help it survive, or stay alive, in the place where it lives. Everything around a living thing is its environment. A body part or behavior that helps a living thing survive where it lives is called an adaptation. Animals that live in cold places have features that help them survive the cold. Penguins, polar bears, seals, and whales have a thick layer of fat under their skin. The fat layer holds in heat and helps keep the animals warm.

Penguins have flippers shaped like paddles that help them swim and find fish to eat. Frogs have webbed feet that help them swim in ponds, catch insects, and get away from enemies. Alligators live in wet places called swamps. They have strong tail muscles for swimming fast. They also have large, pointed teeth and strong jaws for biting.

Other animals have certain physical traits like spots, stripes, or coloring that help them blend in with the places where they live. This helps protect them from other animals that want to eat them. Like animals, plants have features that help them survive. Plants that live in shady places have wide, large leaves that can gather more sunlight to make food. Plants that live in sunny places have smaller leaves to keep from losing so much water.