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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can describe how animals get the food they need to stay alive

      Key learning points

      1. Animals need food in order to stay alive
      2. Different animals eat different types of food and they get this in different ways.
      3. Animals use their senses to find food in different ways.
      4. Some animals hunt or find food around them, some animals are fed by humans.
      5. Scientists search for answers by looking for information in places like books or the internet. This is called research.

      Keywords

      • Animals - Animals are living things that move and eat other animals or plants to stay alive.

      • Food - Food gives living things energy and helps them to stay healthy.

      • Hunt - To hunt is to to chase and try to catch and kill an animal for food.

      • Graze - When animals graze, they feed on plants around them such as grass.

      • Research - To research something is to find out about it or investigate it carefully.

      Common misconception

      Pupils may think that all animals eat the same food, and also have food provided by humans.

      Visuals to show lots of examples of different animals eating different food, and getting it in different ways.

      Teacher tip

      In order to support the children's research prepare a range of appropriate websites and non-fiction books. This will ensure that the children have access to relevant information for the tasks.

      Equipment

      Access to appropriate secondary sources such as books, the internet, and experts to ask.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Animals that eat other animals are...

      Correct answer: carnivores
      herbivores
      omnivores

      Q2.
      An animal that eats only plants, such as leaves and berries is...

      a carnivore
      Correct answer: a herbivore
      an omnivore

      Q3.
      Lions, cats and sharks are...

      Correct answer: carnivores
      herbivores
      omnivores

      Q4.
      Animals use their senses to find food. Which body part do animals use to smell food?

      mouth
      Correct answer: nose
      eyes
      ears
      skin

      Q5.
      Humans are...

      reptiles
      Correct answer: mammals
      birds

      Q6.
      Match these words to their correct description.

      Correct Answer:amphibians,can live in water or on land.
      Correct Answer:fish,breathe through their gills.
      Correct Answer:birds,have wings and feathers.
      Correct Answer:reptiles,are cold-blooded and are covered in scales or hard parts.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Food is important because it gives the animal...

      a meal
      shelter
      Correct answer: energy

      Q2.
      True or false. All animals eat the same food.

      Correct Answer: False, false, False., false.

      Q3.
      All animals need food to stay healthy and .

      Correct Answer: alive, living, survive

      Q4.
      When scientists read books or look online to find out more about something, this is called...

      Correct answer: research
      grazing
      the internet

      Q5.
      Animals can get food in different ways. Match the words to how animals get their food.

      Correct Answer:hunting,finding and killing an animal to eat
      Correct Answer:grazing,eating grasses and other plants around them
      Correct Answer:from humans,eating food given to them

      Q6.
      Match the animal with the food it eats.

      Correct Answer:deer,grass, leaves and shoots of plants, berries
      Correct Answer:eagle,fish and other small animals
      Correct Answer:robin,seeds and worms

      To help you plan your 2 science lesson on: How animals get food, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...