Vocabulary

Organism –  any individual living thing, such as a plant, animal, algae, bacteria or fungus.

Growth – the increase in a living thing’s size over time.

Environment –  the surroundings and conditions in which a living thing lives.

Habitat –  the natural environment where an organism normally lives.

Resources –  all the things available in an environment which a living thing can use to survive.

Needs of survival

• Individual animals need air, water, food and shelter.
• Individual plants need air, water, nutrients and light.

Reproduction –  the process by which living things produce young or offspring.

Structure  – a physical part of an organism.

Examples include the light-sensitive spots on an earthworm, oil in a eucalyptus leaf or the slime on a jellyfish.

Behaviour –  an action an organism makes in order to function and survive.

Examples include lizards basking in the sun, animals moving their ears to locate sounds and insects mocing their antennae.

Function – the purpose of a body part or structure.

Examples include snail shells for protection of their soft bodies and prickly leaves to deter hungry herbivores.

Structural  – an adjective used to describe how different structures in an organism work together.

For example, 'A bird’s bones, muscles and feathers are structural features that together enable it to fly.'

Survival of living things video transcript

Ah, there you are!

We would like to invite you on an exploration.
An exploration of the science of survival - of all living things.

During this exploration you will be working with the famous science detectives Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes.

Here they are here. Quite interesting people.

I am the explorer - their humble assistant.

The detectives have asked me to make this video for you, dear viewers, so that you may check your knowledge of certain science words and understandings which are critical for your exploration of the art of survival of living things.

Now, understanding some scientific words can sometimes be a bit of a challenge.

Perhaps you've seen a science word before, but do you really know what it means?

Sometimes it can feel like a code that needs cracking. So let's practise cracking the code right now.

Here's a science word you might have seen before.
Do you know the meaning?
Are you sure?
Can you give an example?
Here's the meaning, and some examples.

How about this?
Can you remember the things that these living things need to survive?
Let's see if you got it right.
Good work!

Here is a list of all the scientific words and understandings that the detectives need you to be comfortable with before they will work with you. Some quite big words in there.

In order for you to prepare I have made a quiz task.
You'll find it below this video.
Once you've finished the quiz it will be time to meet and work with the famous science detectives.

Good luck!

End of transcript.

Quiz answers

1. What are the four things that any individual animal needs to survive?

Food, water, oxygen, shelter

2. What are the four main things an individual plant needs to survive?

Light, air, water, nutrients

3. Which of the following are external features of a living thing?

Scales, colour, number of toes on feet, marsuipial pouch, shiny leaves

4. Select the things that are structural features of animals.

Feathers, scales, nostrils, claws, bones

5. Select the things that are behavioural features of animals.

The ability to fly, running away from predators, hunting in a pack, resting when the air temperature is extremely hot

6. Camouflage  is the ability of a living thing to blend in with its surroundings.

7. Which word describes how living things develop and change?

Growth

8. All living things grow, develop and use energy.

True

9. All animals without backbones are called:

Invertebrates

10. Which of the following are physical conditions that affect living things in Australian environments?

Heat, moisture, seasons, fire, wind speed

11. Any living thing can be called an:

Organism

12. What are the characteristics of all living things?

Made of cells, grows and develops, uses energy

13. Select all the things that a whole animal species must have to avoid dying out (becoming extinct)

Healthy living conditions
Enough food, water, oxygen and shelter for all
Many baby animals growing and surviving to become adults
Enough space for the animals to breed in
Strong, fit bodies that help them move around

14. Select all the things that a whole plant species must have to avoid dying out (becoming extinct):

Pollinators
Water
Soil
Nutrients
Sunlight
Other plants of the same species

15. Features are the distinctive characteristics, properties and qualities  of an object, material or living thing.

16. What do living things use energy for?

Activities such as growing, healing, moving

17. The natural purpose or movement of a living thing (or part of its body) is knows as its function

18. When an organism creates more of its own kind (makes offspring) this is called reproduction

19. Many living things depend on each other to survive. This is called interdependence.  Select the real-life examples of interdependence between living things.

Bees moving pollen between flowers.
Birds eating fruit and spreading the seeds.

20. A conclusion is an opinion or judgement based on evidence.