LIVING THINGS IN THEIR

ENVIRONMENT
OVERALL BREAKDOWN
• ADAPTATIONS

• FOOD CHAINS

• POLLUTION

• CONSERVATION
CIRCLE OF LIFE
VIDEO
HABITAT
The place that an organism lives in is called its
habitat.
Each organism has adaptations that help it live in a
particular habitat.
ADAPTATIONS
Adaptations are special features or characteristics
that an organism has that allow it to live in a certain
area.
For example:
Fish can live in water
Earthworms can live in soil
Giraffes can live in the Savannah
ADAPTATIONS – Examples
Fish are adapted to live in water

Tail helps the fish move forward Fins help with balance
through the water Gills absorb
dissolved
oxygen from water

Body is streamlined to
Lateral lines senses prevent friction during
movement in water movement
ADAPTATIONS - Examples
Fennec foxes are adapted to live in the dessert
and hunt at night.
Large ears to lose
heat Color of fur provides
during the hot days camouflage
and hear tiny
noises
in the night

Adapted to see Thick fur to keep

when there is very warm during cold
little light nights

Strong front legs to

make burrows
where it rests.
Thick fur prevent
feet from burning
in hot sand
FENNEC FOXES
ADAPTATION VIDEO
ADAPTATIONS - Examples
Cacti are adapted to live in the dessert (Dry)
Spines stop thirsty
animals from eating
the cactus to get
Thick stem stores water
water

Long roots can find

water deep under
the soil
FOOD CHAINS
The energy that we eat originates from the Sun.
Energy reaches the Earth through Sunlight.
FOOD CHAINS
Plants use energy from Sunlight to make food
through the process of photosynthesis.
Some of the energy that the plant uses ends up in
the plant: stems, roots and leaves
FOOD CHAINS
When an animal eats a plant, it consumes the
energy that the plant stores.
This is how animals obtain energy from the plant.
FOOD CHAINS
In this way, energy is passed on through feeding
and this is represented through food chains
A food chain represents the flow of energy from
one organism to another as a result of feeding.
FOOD CHAINS
The arrows in the food chain represent the flow of
energy.
For example:
Amal had rice from lunch.
Draw the food chain to represent this

Rice  Amal
EXAMPLES OF FOOD CHAINS
PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS
The first organism in a food chain is always a plant.
They use energy from Sunlight to produce their
own food.
They are called producers
PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS
Animals cannot make their own food using
sunlight. They have to consume other animals or
plants.
They are consumers
DR BINOCS FOOD
CHAIN VIDEO
Quiz Time
Please attempt Questions:
1 – 5 (p.g 40-41)

DURATION: 10 Minutes
HUNTER-GATHERERS
A long time ago, humans found all their food in the
wild: they hunted and killed animals.
They fed on different parts of the plants that grew
around them (berries, seeds, leaves)
HUNTER-GATHERERS
Hunters had to work hard to find prey and food.
They would ensure that they would not consume
all the plants around them so there would be food
present in the future.
HUNTER
GATHERERS
FARMERS
Most of the food that we consume today comes
from farms and gardens.
Farmers needed land to grow crops and keep
animals. Therefore, they cleared land.
FARMERS
Farmers needed land to grow crops and keep
animals. Therefore, they cleared trees and animals
that grew naturally in those areas: destroying
habitats.
EFFECT OF FARMING ON FOOD CHAINS
Clearing land for farming destroys habitats and kills
plants and animals that live there. This means that
their habitat and food supply is destroyed.
EFFECT OF FARMING ON FOOD CHAINS
The producers (Trees and Plants) at the beginning
of the food chain are killed. The consumers further
along the chain will not have anything to eat and
could starve or move to other areas.
EFFECT OF FARMING ON FOOD CHAINS
Some animals can eat the crops that the farmer
grows and may have even more food to eat than
before.
HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON FOOD CHAINS
Any human activities that affect the environment
around us will also affect food chains
For Example:
- Fishing
- Introduction of New Species
HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON FOOD CHAINS
FISHING:
When we fish, we remove food from the sea for
other animals. If we take too many, then there
may not be enough for these animals to eat and
they may die out.
FISHING EFFECT ON
FOOD CHAIN
HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON FOOD CHAINS
INTRODUCING NEW SPECIES:
When humans introduce new species into an
environment, they may interrupt food chains.
For example: Possums in New Zealand eat eggs
of young native birds disrupting the flow of
energy
Quiz Time
Please attempt Questions:
1 – 6 (p.g 42-43)

DURATION: 10 Minutes
POLLUTION
The human population on Earth is increasing.
Human beings affect the environment in many
different ways which are harmful to living things.
POLLUTION
We can add things to the environment which
should naturally not be there. This is called
pollution
1) WATER POLLUTION
2) AIR POLLUTION
WATER POLLUTION
When human activities add harmful things to
the water, we call it water pollution. Water from
the toilets and streets contains harmful bacteria
and viruses that can make people ill.
WATER POLLUTION
Polluted water contains harmful substances that
can kill plants and animals.
WATER POLLUTION
Sewage (dirty water) is collected in pipes and
taken to areas where it is made safe before being
released into the environment. This treated
sewage does not pollute the environment.
AIR POLLUTION
When human activities add harmful gases to
the air, it results in air pollution. Two harmful
gases that result in air pollution are:
1) Carbon Dioxide
2) Sulfur Dioxide

CARBON DIOXIDE SULFUR DIOXIDE

AIR POLLUTION – Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide is produced when fuels such as
coal, oil and gas are burnt. Too much carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere prevents heat from
escaping the Earth which makes the Earth
warmer.

This results in GLOBAL WARMING

GLOBAL WARMING
TREEOLOGY VIDEO
AIR POLLUTION – Sulfur Dioxide
Some kinds of coal contain lots of sulfur and
when burnt produce a harmful gas called sulfur
dioxide.
AIR POLLUTION – Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur Dioxide dissolves in rain water and
produces acid rain which damages trees and can
kill aquatic life.
OZONE DEPLETION
Ozone is gas that forms a layer high up in the
atmosphere (~25 metres from the ground)
OZONE DEPLETION
The sun sends out ultraviolet light which can
cause skin cancer and eye damage in humans and
damage to plants
OZONE DEPLETION
The Ozone Layer protects organisms on the
Earth from this harmful ultraviolet radiation by
absorbing it and reducing the amount that
reaches the ground.
OZONE DEPLETION
IN 1985:
Scientists identified that there was less ozone than
there should be and they called this the Ozone
Hole
OZONE DEPLETION
The Ozone hole is not really a hole, it just describes
an area that has less Ozone than normal. Satellites
measure how much Ozone there is in the
atmosphere.
OZONE DEPLETION
Each year, the Ozone hole has been getting larger
and lasting longer each year.
Due to this, the Ultraviolet Light reaches the
ground and cause harm to life. It is important to
protect your skin and eyes to prevent damage.
CFC’s – Causes of Ozone Depletion
Gases called CFCs (Chloro-fluorocarbon) are the
major causes for the Ozone Hole. CFC’s are man
made and are used in air-conditioners, fridges and
aerosol cans.
CFC’s – Causes of Ozone Depletion
CFC’s rise to the atmosphere and react with ozone
and break it down. This happens mostly when
sunlight shines directly onto CFC’s and Ozone.
CFC’s – Causes of Ozone Depletion
CFC’s last for a very long time and scientists believe
that it will remain in the atmosphere for hundreds
of years.
CFC’s are banned today and the Ozone layer will
recover but will take a long time.
SAVE THE EARTH
VIDEO
CONSERVATION
We live on the Earth and share it with millions of
other organisms. Some of our activities make it
difficult for these species to survive if we are not
careful.
CONSERVATION
There are many things that we can do to make sure
that other species have suitable habitats to live in.
Taking care of the environment and helping other
species surviving is called conservation.
CONSERVATION
Conservation can be achieved in many ways.
Two of them are:
1) Reducing Pollution
2) Preserving Habitats
REDUCING POLLUTION
Trying to not pollute the environment is very
important. This can be achieved by:
- Stopping the use of CFCs which allows the
Ozone layer to recover
REDUCING POLLUTION
- Burn less fuel to reduce the amount of Carbon
Dioxide released in the atmosphere

- Bury rubbish in landfill sites which releases

methane which can be collected and used as a fuel
PRESERVING HABITATS
We must try to not destroy the habitats of
species as they have special adaptations that
allow them to live in those habitats. If we
destroy those habitats, the species may not have a
suitable place to live. They can become EXTINCT!
PRESERVING HABITATS
We can make nature reserves and other
protected areas where people are not allowed to
harm the animals or the environment.
NATURE RESERVES
AROUND THE
WORLD
ENERGY RESOURCES – FOSSIL FUELS
Fossil Fuels are obtained from deep under the
Earth’s Surface:
1) COAL
2) OIL
3) GAS
ENERGY RESOURCES – FOSSIL FUELS
Fossil fuels were formed millions of years ago.
They were produced when microscopic
organisms died in swamps and damp areas.
Their bodies did not decay but they turned into
coal, oil or gas.
ENERGY RESOURCES – FOSSIL FUELS
Today, only a tiny quantity of new fossil fuels are
forming and we are using it up quickly. One day
we will ruin out of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are
non-renewable energy resources and once used
up will not form again.
HOW FOSSIL FUELS ARE FORMED
COAL:
HOW FOSSIL FUELS ARE FORMED
OIL AND GAS:
HOW FOSSIL FUELS
ARE FORMED
RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES
Renewable energy resources are energy resources
that will not run out:
1) WIND
Wind is always blowing on Earth and the
energy in it can be used to turn turbines which
can be used to generate electricity.
RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES
2) PLANTS
Absorb energy from Sunlight and store them.
When we burn wood or other plant material, we
can release some of this stored energy (Chemical
Energy)
RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES
3) SOLAR ENERGY (Energy from the Sun)
Solar energy reaches the Earth in the form of Light
and Heat. This can be used to heat water or
generate electricity.