Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem.

Abiotic factors are the non-living components of an ecosystem.

An adaptation is a feature that organisms have to help them live in a particular place.

An ecosystem is made up of all the living organisms in a place, interacting with each other and their non-living surroundings.

A habitat is the place where an organism lives. It must provide food, shelter and a place to reproduce.

Ecosystems and habitats

Science

Food chains

Predator-prey relationships

Adaptations of predators and prey

Food webs

Pollination and human food security

Using chemicals in farming

Bioaccumulation

The importance of biodiversity

Pupils will move on to construct and interpret pyramids of number and biomass from food chains data. Pupils will learn about how plants and animals are adapted to survive and the impact of changes to the environment on biodiversity. The importance of biodiversity and the importance of gene banks. How to sample plant and animal populations to aid our understanding and monitoring of populations. 

In Y4 pupils learnt about their local environment and to recognise that environments can change. Pupils also explored examples of human impact (both positive and negative) on environments. Pupils looked at a variety of food chains to identify producers, predators and prey.

This unit explores the interdependence of organisms in ecosystems, including food webs and insect-pollinated crops. It examines how organisms interact with their environment and the impact of toxic materials. It also highlights the importance of biodiversity and preserving genetic material.

Ecosystems

All the living organisms and non-living things in a place.

Interacting populations of organisms in a place.

 The number of one type of organism in a place.

Match the keywords with the correct definitions.

Competition between organisms for shelter

Which of the following are **abiotic** factors?

What do **all** living organisms need from their habitat?

Snow or ice covered ground no longer provide camouflage to hunt.

What might be the consequences for a polar bear if this habitat changed and became warmer?

How is this organism adapted to its environment?

Which **biotic** factors does this animal interact with?

Describes trees and plants that lose their leaves in autumn.

Describes trees and plants that keep their leaves all year round.

Days get longer with increasing temperature.

Days are long, less rainfall and a high temperature.

Days get shorter, more rain and a decreasing temperature.

Plants and animals will have nowhere to live.

Match the environmental change to the effect on the organism.

Chaffinch population will increase because there are fewer caterpillars to eat.

Cabbage population will decrease because more caterpillars will eat it.

Cabbage population will increase because the caterpillars will eat less of them.

Chaffinch population will increase because there are less caterpillars.

Chaffinch population will decrease because there are fewer caterpillars to eat.

Which of the following will happen if the number of caterpillars goes down?

Which of the following can cause abrupt and long-lasting changes in the environment?

Ecosystems and habitats

Lesson outcome