1. Year 2 – Autumn Term – Science Plan Focus – Dangerous Animals
Watch short video of a dangerous animal e.g. tiger in its natural habitat. Observe its behaviour and discuss how we know this animal is alive? Compare to a model or soft toy tiger. Choose and draw a dangerous animal and write captions to highlight the features of a living thing (e.g. breathing, eating, drinking, hunting, moving, reproducing).
What observations can we make about the differences between things that are living, dead and have never been alive?
Look at pictures of four contrasting habitats (Rainforest, Desert, Ocean and Arctic). Discuss the key differences between the habitats (climate, terrain, plant life etc) Sort picture cards of dangerous animals into their natural habitat. In groups focus on one habitat and find out how a particular animal survives (e.g a scorpion has a shell like body which protects it from the heat and is a light brown colour for camouflage.)
How can I find out about the natural habitats for different dangerous animals?
What are the basic survival needs for different animals and how does their natural habitat provide for them?
Research how different dangerous animals (predators) obtain their prey. (e.g. using their super sharp senses – vision, hearing, smell, speed, strength, sharp teeth and claws ; the use of stings and venom.)
Create a simple food chain for a lion using children to represent lion, zebra, grass and sun. Show how we can record a food chain with pictures and arrows. Lion (carnivore) eats zebra (omnivore) eats grass (which gets energy from the sun.) Introduce terms prey and predator. Create own food chain diagram for a chosen dangerous animal with arrows and labels.
Which animals can be linked together in a food chain and what is their relationship e.g. prey/predator?
How can I represent the life cycle of a chosen dangerous animal as a diagram? What are the correct names for the offspring of various animals?
Learn the names of the offspring for various dangerous animals e.g. tiger – tiger cub, crocodile – hatchling, elephant – calf, snake – snakelet. Read “Pup to Shark” life cycles book and identify the key stages in the life cycle of a shark (adult shark – eggs – shark pup) and introduce terms reproduce and offspring. Create own life cycle diagram for a chosen dangerous animal.
What scientific criteria could I use to sort a set of given animals?
Discuss how animals can be classified into Mammals/ Reptiles/ Amphibians /Birds. Talk about main features of each group e.g. Mammals – have hair or fur, give birth to live young, warm blooded, feed their young with their milk. Identify dangerous animals belonging to each group.