Life and Living (Grade 5 English)

WESTERN CAPE PRIMARY SCIENCE PROGRAMME
An example of a learning experience in the Natural Sciences
LIFE AND LIVING GRADE 5

We all depend on each other
1. Biodiversity: the many different kinds of plants and animals
2. Sorting animals into classes
3. Food chains and webs - plants and animals depend on each other to survive
4. Life cycles of plants and animals
5. We all depend on bees
6. We all depend on each other
We welcome the wide use of these materials. Please acknowledge PSP. ©PSP 2005
Rationale
These materials were written to support teachers in their work with learners around the
content area of Life and Living. This is not a complete work schedule. It offers
possibilities for teachers to include other learning experiences and to extend and
develop it further. This example learning experience shows how you can work towards
the three Learning Outcomes in the Natural Sciences of the RNCS.
LO1: Scientific Investigations
A The learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena,
and to investigate relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and
environmental contexts
LO2: Constructing Science Knowledge
A The learner will know and be able to interpret and apply scientific, technological and
environmental knowledge
LO3: Science, Society and the Environment
A The learner will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships
between science and technology, society and the environment
We know that children are naturally curious and observant. Children learn about the
world by observing, asking questions and trying to make sense of what they experience.
Science teaching should allow these natural tendencies to keep growing. Encourage your
learners to ask questions even if you and the learners do not have the answers.
Questions are an opportunity to engage the class in observations and discussions. They
develop thinking and curiosity.
In Science we want students:
A to develop a lively curiosity about the world around them
A to be confident to raise questions
A to link their questions to what they observe in their home environments
and in the world
This can lead to a rich thinking, talking and writing environment. Children who have this
curiosity will learn and become creative human beings too.
Assessment
The assessment tasks in this group of learning experiences are directly linked to the
RNCS Learning Outcomes. They are designed to encourage learners to show what they
know, to show what they are thinking and to record and show you their questions.
Course presented by Nontsikelelo Mahote and Rose Thomas

Booklet designed by Welma Odendaal and illustrated by Janet Ranson and Nicci Cairns
Acknowledgements: Di and Johnny Hutton-Squire
Honey Bee Foundation and Products (contact details page 58)
Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP)

Edith Stephens Wetland Park
Lansdowne Road, Philippi, 7785
P O Box 24158, Lansdowne 7779 South Africa
Tel: 021 691-9039 Fax: 021 691-6350
E-mail: info@psp.org. Website: www.psp.org.za
Contents
SECTION 1
Learning experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1–29
Assessment tasks
LO1 Investigating the diversity of plants around us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
LO2 Making our own foodweb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
LO3 Different kinds of beehives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Suggested workscheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
SECTION 2
Teacher resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Task cards to photocopy
Task card 1 Sorting the vertebrates using the classification key . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Classification key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Pictures of animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Task card 2 Assessment task for LO1
Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Key for sorting leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Task card 3 Food chains and food webs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Garden ecosystem puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Making our own food webs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Identification key for invertebrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Task card 5 Life cycles of plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Life cycle pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Different kinds of beehives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Fact sheet: Why are bees so important to the world? . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Task card 7 Biodiversity of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Poster of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Key of the Kowie River Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Key to the animals of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Background information on Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
SECTION 3
Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Class recording sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Assessment tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
SECTION 4
Extracts from the Revised National Curriculum Statements (RNCS) . . . . . . . . . . .71
Core knowledge and concepts for Life and Living (RNCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Learning Outcomes and assessment standards (RNCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
SECTION 1
Learning Experiences
We all depend on each other
1. Biodiversity: the many different kinds of plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. Sorting animals into classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Assessment task for LO1:
Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3. Food chains and webs – plants and animals depend
on each other to survive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Making our own food web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
4. Life cycles of plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
5. We all depend on bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Different kinds of beehives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
6. We all depend on each other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Biodiversity: the many different
1 kinds of plants and animals
Key concepts Teacher Task
• There are many different
kinds of plants and animals. Introduction
This is called biodiversity.
1. Ask learners to work in pairs and tell each other about the different
(Bio- means living, and
diversity- means many plants and animals they know.
different kinds) 2. Hand out a variety of pictures of plants and animals (see pictures
to photocopy from page 34.)
3. Discuss these questions with the learners. Accept many different
ideas and opinions.
Ask
Why do you think there are so many different types of plants and
animals on Earth?
4. Introduce the term biodiversity. Write it on the board in large
letters and explain that we are going to find out what it means.
5. Ask learners to find an animal or plant with a name that begins
with B, I, O, D, V, E, R, S, I, T, Y. Write the name of the plant or
animal next to the letter and thus build up the word.
6. Ask learners what they think the word Biodiversity means. Explain
that biodiversity is a word that refers to the many different plants
and animals living on Earth. Explain that we humans are also part
of Earth’s biodiversity.
Make a class display or poster
7. Make a colourful display or poster of plants and animals. Organise
it around the word biodiversity. The learners can bring pictures,
draw, write about, or bring plants and animals.
The display or poster must show a lot of plant and animal diversity.
Over the next week or two in your class get learners to add pictures
and the names of plants and animals to the poster. They do not
necessarily have to match the letters in the word biodiversity.
What you are trying to do here is create a picture showing the
great diversity of living things.
Consolidation
Write a summary on the chalkboard to explain what biodiversity
means. The learners can copy this into their books.
Biodiversity means all the living things on Earth and their

habitats. (The special places where they live)
Biodiversity is all life on our planet Earth and where it lives.
Biodiversity is all the different forms of life that live together
on our Earth. This includes plants, animals, people and micro
organisms and their habitats.
1
Explain that micro organisms are the small germs (bacteria and
viruses) that are also living on Earth. These are also part of the Earth’s
biodiversity even though we cannot see them easily.
Ask and think about
A Why do you think it is important that there are many different
kinds of plants and animals on Earth?
A Why do you think we should be worried if there are only a few of
each kind of plant or animal left?
A Why do you think we should be worried if there are fewer and fewer
natural areas (habitats) left on Earth?
duck
BIO- DIVERSITY
isikhova
vulture
art h worm
e
h
jellyfis
ster
reno
sea anemo
ne
impala
e yarro
okki w
tok
t ch
s tri
o
2
2 Sorting animals into classes
Key concepts Introduction
Bring some bones to the class or ask learners to bring bones.
• Scientists sort animals into
two main groups: Ask learners to say which animals the bones come from.
vertebrates (animals with
backbones) and Explain that some animals have bones but others do not. Ask learners
invertebrates (animals to mention some examples.
without backbones)
• Vertebrates can be sorted The animals with bones are called vertebrates and the animals that do
further into 5 different not have bones are called invertebrates.
groups (classes)
groups of invertebrates and Teacher Task
there are so many different
kinds of invertebrates.
1. Hand out pictures of animals
from page 34.
Earthworm Jellyfish
Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Teacher Note The skeleton of a typical mammal The bones in a hand

For this exercise,
learners may have
difficulty classifying 2. Ask learners to decide which they think are vertebrates and which
dolphins and whales are invertebrates. Then ask them to sort the vertebrates into groups
(mammals), penguins that they think go together. They must give reasons why they have
(birds), and bats grouped them as they have.
(mammals). They are
not easy to classify 3. Explain to learners that they are going to sort vertebrate animals in
using the key. However a more scientific way.
you can tell the 4. Use the same pictures again and also hand out the sorting key on
learners what classes page 5.
they belong to.
5. Help the learners to name the five classes of vertebrates.
3
TASK CARD 1
Learner Task
task card to photocopy Sorting the vertebrates using a
on
page 32. classification key
1. Sort the pictures of animals into vertebrates and invertebrates.
Then sort the vertebrates into groups. Give a reason why you have
grouped certain animals together.
2. Use the sorting key on page 5. Follow the questions one by one to
sort your pictures until you have five different groups.
3. Find a name for each group.
4. When you have sorted the animals into their classes, copy and
complete the table below.
Classes of vertebrate animals
Name of class fishes frogs reptiles birds mammals
Drawing of
one animal
yellowtail toad tortoise chicken pig

Names of more snoek frog crocodile owl buck
examples
sardine snake ostrich weaver elephant
leervis
One
characteristic
fins breathes scaly lays warm
air skin eggs blood
4
Sorting key for Activity 2
In biology, we study living things. It helps to study living things if we put them
into groups or sets. We must put all living things of the same kind into each set. bat
Here are fourteen animals. They all look different. They can all do
different things. We can divide these animals into groups.
salmon
frog
lizard
baboon shark
eagle
ostrich
trout
rabbit
chicken
a trout
snake
lion crocodile
Look for the facts (characteristics) about each animal. We can make sets of the
animals with the same characteristics. Write the names of the animals in each set.
FACTS
1. Where do the animals live? 3. What kind of skin do the animals have?
(a) Put all the animals that live on land in one (a) Put all the animals with feathers into one set
set. (b) Can all these animals fly?
(b) Put all the animals that live in water in (c) Put all the animals with scales into one set.
another set. (d) Are all these animals fish?
(c) Which animals do not fit well into these two (e) Make sets of all the animals with:
sets? (i) feathers
2. How do the animals move? (ii) hair or fur
(a) Put all the animals that fly into one set. (iii) scales
(b) Put all the animals that swim into another (iv) scales and fins
set.
(v) a smooth dry skin with segments.
(c) Put all the animals with wings into another
set. EXAMPLE
(d) Are all the animals that fly birds? A Animals that live on the land: a snake, a lizard, a
(e) Are all the animals that swim fish? frog, a rabbit, a baboon, a lion, an eagle, a bat,
(f) Do all the animals with legs live on land? an ostrich and a chicken.
A A crocodile lives on land and in water.
5
Assessment
task for LO1 Investigating the biodiversity
of plants around us
Encourage the learners to begin to think about plant diversity by
kinds of plants doing an investigation. The investigation takes the form of a survey of
• Each kind of plant has the different plants in your area. Learners collect and sort the
leaves of a specific shape. different kinds of leaves. This will help them describe and classify the
We can identify a plant by
looking at its leaf shape. leaves and to tell how many different kinds of plants there are in their
We can also tell if two area.
plants are different by
comparing their leaf shapes
• We can count the bio-
Investigating the biodiversity of
diversity of plants in an plants around us
area by counting how many
different kinds of leaves we A. Planning the investigation
can find
• Leaves can be classified into Ask:
different shapes. how many different kinds of
plants do you think there are
in our area? (in our school
grounds, neighbourhood etc)
This investigation
works towards the do they all look the same?
following assessment
standards: in what way are they
Planning investigations different or the
A Learner lists with same?
support, what is
known about familiar
situations and
materials, and
suggests questions for
investigation. do all plants have the same
Conducting investigations leaves or bark or seeds or
and collecting data
fruits?
A Learner carries out
instructions and
procedures involving a do plants of the same kind have
small number of the same or different leaves or
steps. stems or seeds or fruits?
Evaluating data and
communicating findings
A Learner reports on how can we find out
the group’s procedure how many different
and the results types of plants there
obtained.
are?
6
Encourage learners to list as many ways as they can to sort plants.
They can list the different ways on the chalkboard and then copy them Teacher Note
into their books. Accept a wide range of ideas. After learners have put
forward their suggestions, explain that one of the ways we can find You can also
out how many different plants there are is by collecting, sorting and investigate the variety
of flowering plants by
counting their leaves.
looking at their
So the focus is on this idea different types of
We count the number of different leaves we can find in an area or flowers or fruits or
habitat and this will tell us how many different kinds of plants there seeds. You can tell the
variety of trees by
are.
doing bark rubbings –
learners will need a
Preparation paper and pencil for
Divide the learners into groups and decide in which area they will this.
collect their leaves. We always count biodiversity in a particular area
that is clearly defined. In that way you can compare the biodiversity
between two different areas. Ask learners to go and collect a leaf from
every different plant they can find in that area. When they have
collected their leaves they must sort them in their own way. Check
what they have done. They must be able to explain why they have
sorted them as they have.
After they have done their own sorting, explain that scientists find it
helpful to sort the leaves by looking at their shape and their edges.
This helps them understand the differences between the leaves so that
they can count the different leaves and plants more easily.
Different leaf shapes
a circular b heart-shaped c ovate (egg-shaped) d kidney-shaped e arrow-shaped f elliptical
g palmate h hand-shaped i strap leaves

(like the palm of your hand)
7
TASK CARD 2
Different leaf edges
a entire (smooth) b serrated c toothed d bumpy e wavy
Prepare large pieces of paper with the table shown on the next page.
The learners can classify their leaves onto such a table.
8
Learner Task ASSESSMENT TASK FOR LO1
Investigating the biodiversity of plants around you
A. Planning the investigation
task card to 1. Decide on the area where you will go and collect leaves.
photocopy on
page 37. B. Collecting and sorting the leaves
A Collect as many different kinds of leaves as you can find in your
area.
A With your whole group, sort the leaves that you think go
together into groups.
A Explain why you put them into those groups.
C. Classifying, describing and counting the leaves and

sharing the results
1. Look at the leaf shapes. Also look at the leaf edges.
2. Make a table or poster like the one below. (You will need a big
piece of paper). Cut out the shapes in the key provided on page
39 and paste them next to the appropriate heading. Then sort
the leaves you found according to the table.
3. Place the leaf in the column according to its shape. Place it in
the row next to the correct leaf edge.
Leaf
shapes
Leaf
edges Circular Heart Oval Kidney Arrow Elliptical Hand Palm Strap
shaped shaped shaped shaped shaped shaped
Smooth
edge
Se
Serrated ee
xa
m ple
Toothed of
co
mp
let
Bumpy
ed
ch
ar
to
np
Wavy ag
e8
Total
Number
9
Task Card Continued
Learner Task
4. If you find leaves with shapes or edges different to the ones shown
on the table then draw the shape or edge and make up your own
name for its edge and shape.
5. Add up the total of each kind that you found.
D. Sharing the results

Drawing and writing task
1. Choose three different leaves that you found interesting. Draw them.
Make a heading and write what shape they are. Name and label their
edges.
2. Write a few sentences to describe the leaves. Describe their shape,
edges, colour and any other interesting features.
3. Write a sentence to tell how many different kinds of leaves the whole
class found altogether.
4. Display your drawings on the classroom wall.
Consolidation
What have we learned about our plant diversity?
Ask each group to report on their findings and to count the number of
all the different types of leaves that they found. The number of different
leaves counted will give you a biodiversity count of the plants. The
plant biodiversity in your area is the number of different types of plants
identified using their leaves.
Ask and think about

A Did you all get the same number of each type of leaf?
A Can you explain why or why not?
A What do the different types of leaves tell you?
A Why do you think there are so many different types of leaves and
plants?
A Different plants can have similar leaves. Why do you think this is?
A If you counted the biodiversity in another area would you expect to
get the same types and numbers? Why or why not?
10
Assessment task Assessment criteria for LO1
Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us A. Planning the investigation
Learners must:
List at least two ways in which we can find out the
number of different types of plants. Eg. by noting
different features such as:
A different flowers
A different bark
A different leaves etc
A and then counting the number of the different
kinds.
B. Collecting and sorting the leaves

Learners must:
A Collect a range of different leaves
A Sort leaves into groups based on similar
features and be able to explain what these
features are (work out their own
classification system and be able to explain it).
C. Classifying, describing and counting

the leaves and sharing the results
Learners must:
A Correctly classify the leaves according to the
table
A Be able to draw and describe 3 leaves using
the key words for the shapes and edges from
the table
A The drawings must be neat, clear and show
the shape and edge distinctly
A The drawings must have a suitable heading
and correct labels
A Be able to describe the leaves in other ways,
such as their colour, size and texture
A Display their leaves.
11
Food chains and webs –
3 Plants and animals depend on each other
to survive
• All animals depend on
plants for their food Introduction
• We all depend on a variety
of plants and animals to
survive
Explain and ask
• Plants make their own food A Can you survive without other people?
and are called producers. A Could you have survived from babyhood without other people?
They produce food for
themselves and the
What did other people do for you?
animals. A Can you survive now without other people?
Extension concepts
• Animals that eat only
But it’s not just people we all need. What else do we need?
plants are called primary What do you think would happen to the Earth and to us if there were
(the first) consumers
• Animals that eat other not so many plants and animals?
animals and plants are
called secondary (the Food chains
second) consumers Ask learners to think of one food they have eaten today and to trace it
• Animals that eat the
secondary consumers are
back to the plants it came from and then to the sun.
called tertiary (the third) Note: The arrows always go from the food to the animal eating it. The
consumers. They are
always carnivores (meat
arrows go in the direction of the energy flow.
eaters). For example
Sun d Mealie seeds d Chicken d Person

The sun gives energy to the mealies and helps them to grow. The
chicken eats the mealies and gets energy from them. The person eats
the chicken to get energy.
Sun d Grass d Cow d Person

(meat and milk)
The sun helps the grass to grow. The cow eats the grass. The person
eats the meat and milk from the cow.
12
This is called a food chain and it shows the different plants and
animals that we depend on. However we know that we eat more than
one food and so we depend on more than one plant or animal for our
food. Animals and plants are dependent on each other. In fact all life
is interdependent. For example, many plants cannot reproduce
themselves unless an animal pollinates them or disperses their seed.
Food Webs
Plants, animals and people are interdependent. This means we all
depend on each other for our survival. It is more realistic to represent
the connections between plants and animals using a food web rather
than a food chain since it can show the multiple connections between
living organisms.
Teacher Task 1. Hand out the food web puzzle of the Garden Ecosystem (page 41).
If possible provide one puzzle between every two learners. Ask
them to work out the puzzle and then draw it into their books and
put in the arrows. The arrows go from the food to the animal eating
it. There will be more than one arrow linking some animals and
plants.
2. Learners must answer questions about the food web in their books.
Learner Task
Food chains
1. Choose any food that you ate today. Draw and label a food chain to
show where your food came from. Show the steps all the way back
task card to to the sun. Write to explain your food chain. Remember the arrows
photocopy on go from the food to the animal eating it.
page 40.
Food Webs
1. Use the Garden Ecosystem puzzle on page 41.
2. Work out the food web in the puzzle.
3. Then draw it into your books and put in the arrows. The arrows go
from the food to the animal eating it. There will be more than one
arrow linking some animals and plants.
Questions
Answer these questions about the Garden Ecosystem. Write the answers
in your books.
A Why does the food web start with plants at the bottom?
The plants are on the bottom because they don’t feed on anything.
They make their own food using air, water, and energy from the sun.
All animals depend on the plants for food.
A What do the arrows show?
The arrows show the energy from the food going to the animal
eating it.
A Why do some animals have more than one arrow going to them?
Some animals have more than one arrow going to them because
they eat more than one thing and each has its own arrow.
13
Learner Task
A Why do some animals and plants have more than one arrow
going from them?
Some animals and plants have more arrows going from them
because they are eaten by more than one animal.
A What is decomposition? Why is it important for the food web?
Decomposition is when dead plants and animals rot in the soil.
This enriches the soil. This is important because good soil helps
the plants to grow. These plants provide food for the animals.
Introduce and explain

Teacher Task
Note to the teacher
Food webs
In a food web there are always both plants and animals. They obtain their
food in different ways.
Producers
The plants make their own food and also provide food for the animals.
Therefore they are called the producers.
Herbivores, carnivores, and trophic levels
Some animals are herbivores; they eat plants. Other animals are carnivores;
they eat animals. But, certain carnivores eat animals that in turn have fed on
plants. For example a lion eats a springbok, which has fed on grass. However,
other carnivores eat animals that have fed on animals. For example a bird
eats a lizard, which has fed on flies and locusts. So in a food web there are
different kinds of feeding. These different kinds (levels) of feeding are called
Trophic levels (feeding levels).
Decomposition
When plants and animals die they decompose (rot). This means that their
dead bodies are eaten and broken down by small animals, fungi and bacteria
in the soil. These organisms are called decomposers. They help to return all
living things to the soil eventually. This enriches the soil and allows new life
to grow.
Introduce and explain the following terms to the learners and for an
extension activity, point out the trophic levels on a picture of the
garden food web.
Primary producers: The plants in a food web are called the primary
producers. This is because they produce food for themselves and other
living things during photosynthesis. They use sunlight energy, water
and carbon dioxide from the air to make carbohydrates (eg glucose and
starch). These are the staple foods of all living organisms.
Primary consumers: The animals in a food web, which feed only on
plants, are called primary consumers. This is because they only feed on
the primary producers, which are the plants. These animals are also
called herbivores. This means they eat only plants. Examples of
herbivores are sheep, buck and cows and many insects.
14
GARDEN ECOSYSTEM Fiscal Shrike
TERTIARY CONSUMERS
Ladybird Spider Frog
SECONDARY CONSUMERS
Aphid Cricket Moth

/ caterpillar Earthworm Millipede
PRIMARY CONSUMERS
Rose bush Arum lily Gazania DECOMPOSERS

PRIMARY PRODUCERS
Detritus
Secondary consumers: The animals in a food web that eat the primary
consumers are called secondary consumers. This is because they feed
on animals, which have fed on plants.
Tertiary consumers: The animals in a food web that eat the primary
and secondary consumers are called tertiary consumers. These are
always carnivores.
Decomposers: These are small organisms such as bacteria, fungi,
earthworms; fly larvae etc. that live in soil and in compost. They feed
on dead plant and animal bodies and help them to rot and break down
until they become part of the soil again.
Ask learners to write in the names of these food levels on their
drawings of the garden ecosystem.
Consolidation
Check that the learners have completed the food web correctly. Also
check in the extension exercise that they have understood the
different trophic levels.
Discuss the questions with the learners after they have attempted to
answer them. Then let them add more detail to their answers if
necessary after the discussion.
15
Assessment
task for LO2 Making our own food web
This assessment task works towards the following assessment
standards for grade 5:
Recalling meaningful information when needed
Learner, at the minimum, uses own fluent language to name and describe
features and properties of objects, materials and organisms.
Categorising information to reduce complexity and look for patterns
Learner creates own categories of objects and organisms, and explains own rule
for categorising.
Learner Task Draw your own food web
The food web must have
1. At least 10 living things in it; including both vertebrates and invertebrates
2. A human as part of the food web
3. Labels showing the names of the plants and animals
4. Arrows showing what the different animals feed on
5. For the extension activity: Labels showing the primary producers, primary
consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers
A Try to make your food web using some real plants and animals that you
have seen near your home or school.
A Use the identification list of invertebrates from page 43 to help you
name and identify some of the animals.
Write
Write a few sentences on what you have learnt about food webs.
Consolidation
Explain
We have an expression in South Africa, “Umntu ngumntu ngabantu.” In other
words, “A person is a person through other people.” So we all depend on and
need others.
1. What does this mean?
2. Is this true?
3. Is it only people that we depend on?
4. Why do you say so?

Drawing a food web The food web must have
A At least 10 living things in it including vertebrates and invertebrates as
well as a human. For extension these must be correctly set out into the
four trophic levels
A Labels showing the names of the plants and animals
A Arrows showing what the different animals feed on. The arrows must
point from the food to the animals eating it
A Drawing must be neat and clear
A Extension activity:
Labels correctly showing the primary producers, primary consumers,
secondary and tertiary consumers. (Humans will be secondary
consumers as they feed on plants and also on animals).
16
Life cycles of plants and
4 animals
Key concepts Introduction Teacher Task
• All plants and animals go
through different stages
The human life cycle
while they grow A Introduce the pictures of Madiba below.
• The growing process of a A Facilitate a class discussion about his life.
living thing is called its life
cycle
• The life cycle repeats itself
Ask
from generation to A How old is he?
generation A What did he do before he became President?
• When an animal can’t
A Where was he born?
complete its life cycle then
the diversity and survival of A Where did he grow up?
the whole species is A Does he have any children?
affected
A etc.
Find pictures of the stages in the human life cycle (examples
on page 18).
Former President Nelson Mandela as a young

man in the 1960s, left, and a more recent
picture of Madiba in his seventies.
Picture: Iziko SA National Gallery
A Ask learners to help you sequence these pictures on the chalkboard.

A Introduce and write the key words such as: baby, toddler, child,
teenager, young person, adult, old person.
A Introduce the processes of growth and development.
17
Ask
A How did the person become a toddler from a baby? (He/she grew
and learned to walk)
A How did the child become a teenager? (grew older, bigger and
developed breasts, muscles underarm hair etc)
A How did the young person grow into an adult? (He/she matured,
married etc, had children, etc)
A And so on.
Learner Task A. Sequence a life cycle

A Sequence the pictures of a person’s life from birth to old age. You
task card to
can also use or draw pictures from your own family.
photocopy on A Write labels for each stage and place them under the pictures.
page 45 A Write the story of the life cycle.
Teacher Task 1. Explain that when Madiba dies it is not the end of the Madiba clan,
because he has children who in turn will have children. And they
will have their own life cycles. So the clan will continue from
generation to generation.
2. Explain that we can use a picture called a story wheel to show a
life cycle. Show how to arrange the story wheel using the frog and
the apple tree as examples. Explain the different stages and
processes to the learners. In the case of the apple tree explain that
the bee takes pollen from one apple flower to another. Pollination
must take place otherwise no apples will grow from the flowers.
3. Hand out more pictures of life cycles and story wheels for the
learners to sequence and write about (see examples on page 46).
18
Learner Task B. Sequence a life cycle on to a story wheel
In groups A Sequence the pictures of a life cycle.
A Place them on to a story wheel. Make sure you have enough spaces
in the story wheel to place all your pictures.
A Label each stage.
A Show and tell your sequence to the class.
A Write the story of the life cycle next to the pictures in the story
wheel.
A Write to explain how the plants or animals in the life cycles depend
on other living things in order to complete their life cycles.
A life cycle story wheel

eggs need water
adult frog eggs

needs water
tadpoles need water
and land and
and plant food
insects for
food
adult frog tadpoles tadpoles

with legs
tadpoles with legs need water and

also need plant and animal food
While learners tell their life cycle sequence on the story wheel,
Teacher Task develop a list of relevant stages and processes on the chalkboard.
(Stages: grown up, adult, baby, eggs, caterpillar, larva, pupa, young
ones, teenagers, adolescents, old ones, tadpoles, seed, seedling, fruit,
flower etc. Processes: Laying eggs, reproducing, hatching, growing and
developing, growing old, germinating, flowering, pollinating, fruiting,
ripening, dispersing seeds, etc.)
Explain the processes to the learners. Then ask the learners to label
the different processes that take place in their life cycle.
Consolidation
Let learners understand that each plant and animal goes through the
same stages of development as others of its kind.
Write this on the board with the learners and they can copy it into
their books.
19
Learner Task
Individual
C. Make a life cycle of your own
A Draw a life cycle of a plant or animal that you have seen or
Teacher Note know about.
A Life Cycle A Place your drawings onto a story wheel. Make sure you have
Every plant and animal enough spaces in the story wheel to place all your pictures.
has a life cycle. This A Label each stage.
means that it goes A Label each process that the animal goes through as it
through the same develops.
stages in its life as
A Write the story of the life cycle next to the pictures you have
others of its kind.
Plants and animals sequenced in the story wheel.
grow and develop as A Write to explain how the plants or animals, in the life cycles
they change from one that you drew depend on other living things in order to
stage to another. complete their life cycles.
Ask
What do you think will happen to the plant or animal if, for some
reason, it can’t complete its life cycle? (It would not produce any more
babies)
A What would happen to its babies or young ones? (No more young
ones would be born)
A What would happen to the rest of the species if one animal can’t
complete its life cycle? (The gene pool of that species would get
smaller and there would be less variation in the species as a whole)
A Can you think of some things that could prevent an animal from
completing its life cycle? (If there was no food for the animal; if
the habitat or landscape changed and the animal had no more safe
places to raise its young; if the climate changed and the adults and
babies could not survive those conditions; if the animals were
threatened in any way by people or predators or diseases, etc.)
The learners must understand that there are natural threats to a plant
or animal completing its life cycle and there are also man-made
threats such as pollution, destruction of the landscape, hunting, over-
fishing, open-ore mining etc.
Man-made threats to the environment …

Hunting, open ore-mining, off-road four-wheel drive vehicles
20
5 We all depend on bees
Key concepts Introduction Teacher Task
• Many plants depend on
bees for pollination, so that
Read and discuss
they can produce fruit and Bring some honey to the classroom for the
seeds and complete their
life cycle
learners to taste. (If you can get some
• Bees also need the nectar honey on the comb, that is even better,
and pollen from flowers to because then you can show them the
complete their own life
cycles
wax comb). Also bring golden syrup.
• Farmers depend on bees to
pollinate their crops in Ask
order to produce good A How does it taste?
fruit for the market
• Beekeepers make use of A Where does the honey come from?
bees to produce honey, A Who makes it?
which they can sell. They
A Is it the same as golden syrup? What is different about it?
also hire out the bees to
farmers
• Beekeepers have developed Note to teacher – How bees make honey
the technology of keeping
Some learners will probably know and have tasted golden syrup. This is man-
bees.
made syrup produced from sugar cane. However honey is made by honeybees,
which are insects. The bees drink the nectar from flowers and they produce
honey inside their bodies. They then regurgitate the honey (spit it out again)
and store it in the honeycomb to feed their babies. In other words the nectar
passes through the body of the bee and changes into honey in the process.
This is rather like cows eating grass and producing milk.
Bees pollinate the flowers of most fruits such as, tomatoes, apples, plums,
pears, oranges, naartjies, grapefruit, lemons, peaches and apricots and
pumpkins. (These are all fruits because they have a seed inside a fleshy fruit.)
most of our staple Bees also pollinate the flowers of vegetables such as sweet potatoes, onions,
foods such as rice, and potatoes. Bees also pollinate the flowers of nuts, such as almonds.
sugar, mealies,
wheat, rye and oats With the learners, read the information about the apple farmers in Elgin
belong to the grass near Cape Town and how they use bees: Bees and farmers depend on
family and they are each other (page 22). Start a class discussion about bees.
mostly wind Ask and think about
pollinated. however, A Do you know of any plants that depend on bees for their pollination?
bees often pollinate A Think of all the foods you ate today, what plants did they come from
these as well. and what pollinated them?
A What would happen to our food and to us if all the bees died?
A How do you feel about bees? Are you scared of them?
A How should we behave if a bee comes close to us?
(We should remain very still and calm and not run around and scream.
Eventually the bee will fly away. We should not kill bees)
A What would we do without bees?
A What would farmers do without bees?
A Why should we be kind to bees and protect them?
21
Bees and farmers depend on each other
Worker bee busy on the
honeycomb in the hive Worker bee collecting pollen
and nectar from a flower
Queen bee
laying eggs
in cells after
mating with
a male bee
(drone)
Pollen basket
Cells of the comb
Bee larvae
Bee pupae
Farmers need bees to pollinate their crops

Bees are very important to the farmers in Elgin, near Cape Town. They depend on bees to
pollinate their fruit trees in order to produce good fruit. In the spring the apple, pear or
plum trees all begin to blossom at the same time. The orchards are big and many millions
of flowers need to be pollinated in just a few days. There are not enough wild bees in the
area to pollinate all these flowers. So the farmer has to hire some bees from a beekeeper
to come and do the job.
Farmers need many bees for pollination

First the farmer has to work out how many beehives will be needed. Usually two hives are
needed for an orchard depending on its size. There are about 3 000 bees in each hive.
Each hive has a queen bee and worker bees. The queen bee lays the eggs and the worker
bees look after the queen and the eggs until they hatch. The older worker bees fly out to
collect pollen and nectar from flowers and they pollinate the flowers at the same time.
The farmer grows special trees to attract the bees

In each orchard, (for example in an apple orchard), the farmer prunes (cuts) the trees into
shape so that they are not too tall and all the branches will get the right amount of
sunlight. He also plants a few trees in the middle of the orchard, which he does not prune,
and they stand out above the other trees. These are called the pollenizers. A pollenizer is a
tree of a different apple variety, which flowers at the same time as the other apple trees.
Because it stands up so high above the other trees the bees are attracted to it first. The
bees collect pollen from the pollenizer and they take it to the other trees. This is so that
cross-pollination can take place. Cross-pollination produces better fruit.
22
Properly pollinated trees make good fruit
Apple trees can also be pollinated by wind. But the farmer cannot rely on wind
pollination because not all the flowers will be pollinated and the size and
evenness of the fruit is not as good. The farmer keeps his orchards free of
flowering weeds so that the bees don’t go to them instead.
Beekeepers bring bees to the farmer

Beekeepers bring their bees (in beehives) to the farmers. The farmer has to pay
the beekeeper for every day that the bees are in the orchards. The beekeeper in
turn, has to look after his bees well. The beekeepers like to bring their bees to
the apple orchards because apple blossoms contain a good supply of nectar to
feed the bees. Pear blossoms, however, do not contain a lot of nectar and the
bees become exhausted because they do not get enough nectar. The beekeeper
must also see that the bees are kept in a clean hive and at the right temperature
and have enough water. The beekeepers also make money from selling honey.
More people are training to become beekeepers

Many people in rural areas of South Africa are learning to become beekeepers
so that they can keep bees and earn a living. They hire the bees out to pollinate
the farmers’ orchards, and they also sell the honey made by the bees.
Beekeepers also help to protect bees. Bees are one of our living national
treasures because we depend on them to pollinate our food plants.
Teacher Task Observe

Take learners outside to some flowers or bring some and show learners
the yellow pollen in the flowers. Let them rub some pollen off onto
their skin. See if you can find any bees pollinating flowers. Also show
learners the sticky sweet juice called nectar which is inside the
flowers. This is what the bees feed on and make honey from. When
bees pollinate flowers they transfer the pollen from one flower to the
next whilst they are collecting pollen for themselves.
Pollen is found here on

Explain
the anthers 1. Explain that bees are very important because:
Firstly, bees are essential to the food web because they are
pollinators.
A Fruits and seeds can develop from flowers only after they have
been pollinated.
A Without pollinators such as bees farmers would not be able to
grow our foods.
A Seeds, nuts and fruit that develop after pollination provide food
for animals.
A Pollination also ensures that there are fertilised seeds so that a
new generation of plants can grow.
– Other insects such as butterflies, wasps, beetles and moths
also pollinate flowers.
Secondly, bees are important because they produce honey and
beeswax and propolis.
A beekeeper 2. Ask learners to read the fact sheet on page 56. Discuss the facts
about the bees and beekeeping with the learners.
23
Assessment
task for LO3 Different kinds of beehives
Learner Task Bees have been farmed in different kinds of hives for thousands of years. Here
are some examples of beehives.
Assessment standards 1. Read about the beehives
This assessment task works towards the following
assessment standards for LO3 grade 5 Ancient Egyptian hives. This shows Egyptian
• Learner identifies ways in which products and beekeepers taking honeycombs out of their hives. These
technologies have been adapted from other times
hives were hollow and were made of dried mud from the
and cultures.
• Learner identifies the positive and negative effects Nile River. Hives like this were first used 4 400 years ago.
of scientific developments or technological The bees build their wax combs inside, hanging down from
products on the quality of peoples’ lives and/or the top.
the environment.
task card to
Wall painting in
the tomb of
photocopy on
Rekhmire, West page 53
Bank, Luxor.
The upper
register shows
honey being
harvested from
hives and
packed into
containers.
Egypt, c.1450
B.C
Modern Egyptian
Entrances for the bees
hives. These
beehives are still
used in Egypt today. Clay pipes
They are made from
clay. The bees build
their wax combs
inside, hanging down
from the top. The
beekeeper takes the
honey out of the
back of the hive.
African tree trunk hives. These hives

are made from hollow wooden logs. They
are used in Kenya in Africa. The bees
build their wax combs inside, hanging
down from the top. The hives are placed
in the trees where the bees collect pollen.
They are still used today. The beekeeper
takes the honey from the back.
24
Crib shaped hives. This kind of beehive lid
was first used in Kenya and in Tanzania.
They are now also used in other parts of
Africa. They are made of wood. The honey comb
combs hang down from the wooden wooden frame
frames, which can be removed.
Beekeeper wearing protective
clothing
holes for the
bees to enter
Smoker
Frame with honeycomb Langstroth hive. This kind of box hive is used
fits into the box in Africa and in many parts of the world. It is
named after the man who invented it. It is
made of wood. The combs hang down from
Honey boxes
the frames, which can be removed. These
hives are used by beekeepers that hire out
their beehives to farmers. They are easy to
Brood box
move from place to place. Commercial
beekeepers use special clothes to protect
themselves from being stung.
Group work 2. Discuss with your group

A How do these beehives work?
A What do you think is good about these beehives?
A Have beehives changed very much from those of ancient Egypt?
A What do all beehives have in common?
A Where would you put a beehive?
A Is beekeeping helpful to the environment?
A How does beekeeping help the environment?
3. Make a table like the one below and fill in the information about each type of hive
Type of hive What is the Where do the Where do the Where does What are the
hive made bees enter the bees attach the beekeeper advantages of
from? hive? their comb to open the hive this kind of
the hive? to take the hive?
honey out?
Ancient
Egyptian hives
Modern
Egyptian hives
African tree
trunk hives
Crib shaped
hives
Langstroth hive
25
4. Make your own design of a beehive. It must be comfortable for the bees and easy
for the beekeeper to use. Make a picture to show your hive and its environment.
Draw and write to explain how it works. Explain how bees and beekeepers help
the environment.
Assessment criteria to assess understanding

about bees, hives and beekeeping
Make your own The drawing and /or explanation of the design should show application and
design of a understanding of the following knowledge:
beehive. About the hive
a A hollow container
a An opening for the bees to come in and out
a A small platform for the bees to land and take off
a Placed high above the ground for safety
a Be placed in a suitable area
a Have places for the bees to build brood combs and honey storage combs
hanging down from the top
a An opening for the beekeeper to collect honey from the combs that are
nearest the outside of the hive, without disturbing the brood combs
About processes of beekeeping and behaviour of bees
a Understand some of the processes of beekeeping, such as honey
harvesting, trapping a swarm, moving the hives to place them in an
orchard, bees becoming drowsy when smoked etc
a Explain a few points that show understanding of how bees and beekeeping
benefit the environment. E.g. They pollinate flowers so that fruits and
seeds are formed and the plant can reproduce, provide food for other
living things, produce honey for food, etc.
The African bee hive

Consolidation
Give learners constructive
feedback about the task.
Discuss
a Would you like to
keep bees for a
hobby? Why?
a What kind of
person might
become a
beekeeper?
a Would you like to
have a career as a
beekeeper? Why?
26
6 We all depend on each other
Key concepts Preparation Teacher Task
• Plants and animals live
together and they depend
Kowie River Poster: If possible get the learners to colour in a
on each other to complete photocopied version of the poster on page 62 before doing this
their life cycles successfully. activity. This helps kids to get to know the poster better. If the learners
• We should value all life on are working in a group, then fold the paper into 4 or 6 depending on
Earth
the size of the group and get a different learner to colour in each
section. Give them several days to do this during free time.
Introduction
1. Ask learners to look at the poster showing the life in the Kowie
River in the Eastern Cape. See poster and key, pages 60 and 64.
2. Read the story about this poster to the learners.
Ask
a What can you see in the poster?
a What kind of landscape is this?
a Have you ever been to a place like this?
a Do you know any of these plants or animals?
a Why do you think there are so many plants and animals in this
place; what are they all doing there?
a Can you see any life cycles in the poster?
3. Ask learners to answer the questions about the poster on page 28.
4. After the activity the groups can display their coloured posters, and
answers on the walls.
27
Learner Task
task card to
The biodiversity of the Kowie River
a Look at the poster. Can you see any life cycles in the poster?
photocopy on a Choose two plants or animals in the picture and draw their life cycles. Label
page 59 the life cycles. Say what the plant or animal depends on to complete its life
cycle.
a Count the biodiversity in this picture and then record the number on your
copy of the poster.
a Where do you think people would fit into this poster? Draw a person and
show what the person is doing. Will the person affect any of the plants and
animals? Write a sentence to explain how.
a Where would you find bees in this picture? What would they be doing?
Draw a bee in the picture, where do you think they would make their nests?
a Look for the following plants and animals in the picture and say what you
think they need to survive.
Plants and animals What do they need, and why?

Spider e.g. a place to make its web to catch insects for food
Snake
Water boatman (insect)
Leopard
Dragonfly (baby nymph)
Eastern Cape Rocky (fish)
Yellow pansy butterfly
Dassies
Plumbago (shrub)
Crab
Reeds
Terrapin (water tortoise)
Cape chestnut (tree)
Otters
Nile monitor (big lizard)
Waterbuck
28
Consolidation
What do you now know and understand about biodiversity and what
Learner Task would you still like to find out more about?
Talk about it, write and draw.

Or
Write a praise poem about biodiversity.
To find out more about the Kowie River poster contact:

Dr Jim Cambray
Makana Biodiversty Centre
Albany Museum
Somerset Street
Grahamstown
6139
29
Suggested Work Scheme
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4 Period 5
Learning Exp 1 Learning Exp. 2 Learning Exp. 2 contd. Assessment task for Assessment task contd.
Biodiversity • Sorting • Learners draw bones and LO1: Investigating • Learners complete
• Teacher introduces • Teacher introduction to write explanation about biodiversity classification table
biodiversity show bones vertebrates • Teacher prepares • And draw leaves and
• Learners sort pictures • Learners classify • Teacher consolidates learners for assessment write about them
and make class display animals using key and task • Display their work in
• Teacher summarizes record on table • Class discussion to plan classroom
• Learners copy summary investigation
into books • Learners go outside and NB Decide when to give
• Learners add to display collect and sort leaves feedback about
over the week assessment task
• Teacher consolidates

Learning Exp 3 Learning Exp 3 contd. Assessment task for Assessment task contd Learning Exp 4
Food chains and webs • Learners work out the LO2: Teacher prepares • Learners write about Life cycles
• Teacher introduces: garden food web and learners for assessment what they have learned • Teacher introduces
• We depend on others, draw it task about food webs Madiba’s life cycle, class
food chains • Teacher consolidates and • Learners draw and label discussion
• Learners draw food explains concepts in food their own food web NB Decide when to give • Sequence human life
chains web: producers, feedback about cycle on board
• Teacher explains food consumers, decomposers, assessment task • Teacher explains story
webs trophic levels (for wheel
extension) • Learners sequence life
cycles onto story wheel
Learning Exp 4 contd. Learning Exp 4 Contd. Learning Exp 4 Contd. Learning Exp 5. Learning Exp 5 contd.
• Learners complete life • Learners make life cycle • Teacher checks learners • Teacher introduces bees • Teacher explains why
cycles onto story wheels of their own choice life cycles and and taste honey bees important in food
and display them • They write and draw consolidates • Discussion about web
• Teacher consolidates and • Learners display life difference between • Teacher helps learners to
writes summary about cycles honey and syrup. read the fact sheet about
life cycles • Class discussion about • Teacher reads story bees
• Learners copy summary importance of animal about apple farmer and • Class discussion about
completing its life cycle pollination bees and beekeeping
• Learners visit flowers to
see pollen and bees
pollinating
Assessment task for Assessment task contd. Learning Exp 6: We all Learning Exp 6 contd. Learning Exp 6 contd.
LO3 • Learners do individual depend on each other • Learners do task about • Teacher checks learners
• Teacher prepares designs and explanations • Teacher introduces the poster task and consolidates.
learners for assessment of beehives Kowie River poster • Learners talk write and
task • Learners colour in their draw about biodiversity
• Learners read about NB Decide when to section of the poster
beehives and discuss in give feedback about • Teacher reads
groups assessment task information about the
• Learners make a poster
summary table about • Discussion about the
hives poster
this suggested work

scheme assumes 50-minute
periods. make your own
adjustments.
30
SECTION 2
Teacher resources
Learner task cards to photocopy
Task card 1 Sorting the vertebrates using a classification key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Pictures of animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Key for sorting leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Task card 3 Food chains and Food webs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Garden ecosystem puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Making our own food web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Identification chart of invertebrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Task card 5 Life cycles of plants and animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Life cycle pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Different kinds of beehives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Fact sheet:
Why are bees so important to the world? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Task card 7 – The biodiversity of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Poster of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Key of the Kowie River Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Key to the animals of the Kowie River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Background information on Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
31
TASK CARD 1 Task card to photocopy
Learner Task
Sorting the vertebrates using a classification key
1. Sort the pictures of animals into vertebrates and invertebrates. Then sort the vertebrates
into groups. Give a reason why you have grouped certain animals together.
2. Use the sorting key. Follow the questions one by one to sort your pictures until you have
five different groups.
3. Find a name for each group.
4. When you have sorted the animals into their classes, copy and complete the table below.
Classes of vertebrate animals

Name of class
Fishes Frogs Reptiles Birds Mammals
Drawing of
one animal
Names of
more
examples
Some
characteristics
of this class
32
Sorting key for Activity 2
In biology, we study living things. It helps to study living things if we put them
into groups or sets. We must put all living things of the same kind into each set. bat
Here are fourteen animals. They all look different. They can all do
different things. We can divide these animals into groups.
salmon
frog
lizard
baboon shark
eagle
ostrich
trout
rabbit
chicken
a trout
snake
lion crocodile
Look for the facts (characteristics) about each animal. We can make sets of the
animals with the same characteristics. Write the names of the animals in each set.
FACTS
1. Where do the animals live? 3. What kind of skin do the animals have?
(a) Put all the animals that live on land in one (a) Put all the animals with feathers into one set
set. (b) Can all these animals fly?
(b) Put all the animals that live in water in (c) Put all the animals with scales into one set.
another set. (d) Are all these animals fish?
(c) Which animals do not fit well into these two (e) Make sets of all the animals with:
sets? (i) feathers
2. How do the animals move? (ii) hair or fur
(a) Put all the animals that fly into one set. (iii) scales
(b) Put all the animals that swim into another (iv) scales and fins
set.
(v) a smooth dry skin with segments.
(c) Put all the animals with wings into another
set. EXAMPLE
(d) Are all the animals that fly birds? A Animals that live on the land: a snake, a lizard, a
(e) Are all the animals that swim fish? frog, a rabbit, a baboon, a lion, an eagle, a bat,
(f) Do all the animals with legs live on land? an ostrich and a chicken.
A A crocodile lives on land and in water.
33
Pictures to sort
Centipede
Geometric tortoise
Weavers
Bullfrog
Cat
Butterfly
Reindeer
Impala
Cock
Cobra Black oystercatcher
Chick Skink
Whale
Beetle Giraffe Star fish
34
Volstruis
Crab Rhino
Goat Suricate (meerkat) Leervis
Pigeon
Grasshopper Earthworm Snail
Sea anemone Bushbaby Fly
Penguin
Fish
Lioness Jelly fish Owl
35
Cycad
Fir tree
Aloe
Seaweed
Fern
Boabab
Pincushion Boerboom
Bushman tea Grapes
Grape
King protea
Succulent
Brandy bush daisy Potato
36

Investigating the biodiversity of plants around us
The purpose of this assessment task is for the learners to plan and carry out an
investigation, and to communicate their findings
A. Planning the investigation

1. Decide on the area where you will go and collect leaves.
B. Collecting and sorting the leaves

a Collect as many different kinds of leaves as you can find in your area.
a With your whole group, sort the leaves that you think go together into groups.
a Explain why you put them into those groups.
C. Classifying, describing and counting the leaves and sharing

a Look at the leaf shapes. Also look at the leaf edges.
a Make a table or poster like the one below. (You will need a big piece of paper).
Copy or cut out the shapes in the key below and paste them next to the
appropriate heading. Then sort the leaves you found according to the table.
Leaf
shapes
Leaf
edges Circular Heart Oval Kidney Arrow Elliptical Hand Palm Strap
shaped shaped shaped shaped shaped shaped
Smooth
edge
Serrated
Toothed
Bumpy
Wavy
Total
Number
37
TASK CARD 2 (cont.)
a Place the leaf in the column according to its shape. Place it in the row next
to the correct leaf edge.
a When you find leaves with shapes or edges different to the ones shown on
the table, then draw the shape or edge and make up your own name for its
edge and shape.
a Add up the total of each kind that you found.
D. Sharing the results

Drawing and writing task
1. Choose three different leaves that you found interesting. Draw them. Make
a heading and write what shape they are. Name and label their edges.
2. Write a few sentences to describe the leaves. Describe their shape, their
edges, their colour and any other interesting features.
3. Write a sentence to tell how many different kinds of leaves the whole class
found altogether.
4. Display your drawings on the classroom wall.
38
Key for sorting leaves
Different leaf edges
a entire (smooth) b serrated c toothed d bumpy e wavy
Different leaf shapes
a circular b heart-shaped c ovate (egg-shaped) d kidney-shaped e arrow-shaped f elliptical
g palmate h hand-shaped i strap leaves

(like the palm of your hand)
39
Learner Task Food chains and food webs
Food chains
1. Choose any food that you ate today. In your books, draw a food chain to show where
your food came from. Write labels for your food chain. Show the steps all the way
back to the sun. Write to explain your food chain. Remember the arrows go from the
food to the animal eating it.
Food webs
1. Use the Garden Ecosystem puzzle.
2. Work out the food web in the puzzle.
3. Then draw it into your books and put in the arrows. The arrows go from the food to
the animal eating it. There will be more than one arrow linking some animals and
plants.
Questions
Answer these questions about the Garden Ecosystem. Write the answers in your books.
a Why does the food web start with plants at the bottom?
a What do the arrows show?
a Why do some animals have more than one arrow going to them?
a Why do some animals and plants have more than one arrow going from them?
a What is decomposition? Why is it important for the food web?
40
A garden ecosystem
41

Making our own food web
The purpose of this assessment is for the learners to name and describe, and sort plants and
animals into categories.
Draw your own food web

The food web must have
1. At least 10 living things in it; including both vertebrates and invertebrates
2. A human as part of the food web
3. Labels showing the names of the plants and animals
4. Arrows showing what the different animals feed on
5. For the extension activity: labels showing the primary producers, primary consumers,
secondary consumers and tertiary consumers
Try to make your food web using some real plants and animals that you have seen near your
home or school.
Use the identification chart of invertebrates to help you name and identify some of the
animals.
Write
Write a few sentences on what you have learnt about food webs
42
Identification chart of invertebrates
Centipede Aphid
Butterfly
Bee Crab
Crayfish
Dung beetle
Earthworm
Earwig
Butterfly caterpillar (eats leaves) Fly
Lady beetle
Locust Slug
43
Identification chart of invertebrates
Cutworm (a caterpillar which eats stems close

to the ground)
Praying mantis
Millipede
Moth
Rove beetle
Dragonfly
Mosquito
Spider
Scorpion
Wood louse
Ground beetle Stag beetle
Plant bugs
Snail
44
Learner Task Life cycles of plants and animals

Group task
A. Sequence a life cycle

Sequence the pictures of a person’s life from birth to old age. You can also use or draw
pictures from your own family.
Write labels for each stage and place them under the pictures.
Write the story of the life cycle.
Group task
B. Sequence a life cycle onto a story wheel

a Sequence the pictures of a life cycle.
a Place them into a story wheel. Make sure you have enough spaces in the story wheel
to place all your pictures.
a Label each stage.
a Show and tell your sequence to the class.
a Write the story of the life cycle next to the pictures you have sequenced in the story
wheel.
a Write to explain how the plants or animals in the life cycles you sequenced depend on
other living things in order to complete their life cycles.
Individual task
C. Make a life cycle of your own

a Draw a life cycle of a plant or animal that you have seen or know about.
a Place your drawings onto a story wheel. Make sure you have enough spaces in the
story wheel to place all your pictures.
a Label each stage.
a Label each process that the animal goes through as it develops.
a Write the story of the life cycle next to the pictures you have sequenced in the story
wheel.
a Write to explain how the plants or animals, in the life cycles you drew, depend on
other living things in order to complete their life cycles.
45
Life cycle of a fish
male
female swollen with eggs
female releases eggs
male releases sperm

over the eggs
young fishes hatch out
46
Life cycle of a tomato
47
Life cycle of an apple
48
Life cycle of a bean
49
Life cycle of an African Monarch butterfly
Mating: An adult butterfly must find another African
Monarch butterfly to mate with. When the male butterfly
finds a female, he flies just above her. He sprinkles some
black dust that he takes from the spots on his wings and
lightly brushes the female’s feelers on her head. The
chemicals in the dust tell the female that he is ready to mate
with her. Then they mate.
Egg hatching: The female lays eggs after mating. She lays
one egg at a time on each leaf of a milkweed plant. Each
egg is beautifully patterned and has a tiny breathing hole.
Adult butterflies After some time a baby caterpillar breaks out.
just before
mating
Caterpillar: The Pupa hanging from

caterpillars only eat the a leaf
leaves of the milkweed
plant. They spend all
their time eating. Their
jaws work like a small
pair of scissors.
Pupa: When the cater-
pillar has grown fat from Caterpillars
feeding, it begins to feed on leaves
move slowly and loses
its appetite. It spins a
little string of silk and
hangs upside down
underneath a shady leaf.
Slowly its skin begins to Baby caterpillar
change into a hard green emerges from the egg
and gold covering. The
caterpillar is now a pupa.
Slowly the caterpillar’s
body begins to change
inside its hard covering. Adult
butterfly
emerges
from the
Butterfly emerging; Early one
pupa
morning before the sun rises, the
hard covering of the pupa begins
to break open and an adult African
Monarch butterfly emerges. At first
the butterfly’s skin is damp and the
wings are crumpled. As the sun
touches the wings, they open out
and begin to move. The adult
butterfly flies away to find a mate.
Drawings: Beatrice Bramwell
50
Life cycle of a dung beetle
The dung
beetle collects
the dung and
rolls it into a ball
The dung beetle

lays an egg in
The egg grows The egg hatches The larva
the dung
into a larva becomes
a pupa.
51
52
Worker bee busy on the
honeycomb in the hive
Worker bee collecting pollen

and nectar from a flower
Queen bee
laying eggs
in cells after
mating with
a male bee
(drone)
Life cycle of a the bee
Cells of the comb Pollen basket
Bee larvae
Bee pupae

Different kinds of beehives
The purpose of this task is for the learner to identify ways in which products and
technologies have been adapted from other times and cultures.
Also the learner must identify the positive and negative effects of scientific
developments or technological products on the quality of peoples’ lives and the
environment.
Beehives
Bees have been farmed in different kinds of hives for thousands of years.
Read about the beehives.
Ancient Egyptian hives. This shows Egyptian
beekeepers taking honey combs
out of their
hives. These
hives were
hollow and
were made of
dried mud from
the Nile River.
Hives like this
were first used
4 400 years
ago. The bees
build their wax
combs inside,
hanging down
from the top.
Modern Egyptian hives. These are beehives that are still used in Egypt today.
They are made from clay. The bees build their wax combs inside, hanging down
from the top. The beekeeper takes the honey out of the back of the hive.
Entrances for the bees
Clay pipes
53
Task card 6 cont.
African tree trunk hives.

These hives are made from
hollow wooden logs. They
are used in Kenya in Africa.
The bees build their wax
combs inside, hanging
down from the top.
The hives are placed in the
trees where the bees collect pollen.
They are still used today. The beekeeper
takes the honey from the back.
Crib shaped hives. This kind of hive was first used in Kenya
and in Tanzania. They are now also used in other parts of Africa.
They are made of wood. The combs hang down from the wooden
frames, which can be removed.
Langstroth hive. This kind of box hive is used in Africa and in
many parts of the world. It is named after the man who invented
it. It is made of wood. The combs hang down from the frames,
which can be removed. These hives are used by beekeepers that
hire their beehives out to farmers. They are easy to move from
place to place. Commercial beekeepers use special clothes to
protect themselves from being stung.
Group work
Discuss in your group:
How do these beehives work?
a What do you think is good
about these beehives? Pouring honey … then and now
a Have beehives changed very
much from those of ancient Egypt?
a What do all beehives have in common?
a Where would you put a beehive?
a Is beekeeping helpful to the environment?
a How does beekeeping help the environment?
54
TASK CARD 6 (cont.)
3. Make a table like the one below and fill in the information about each type of hive.
Type of hive What is the Where do the Where do the Where does What are the
hive made bees enter the bees attach the beekeeper advantages of
from? hive? their comb to open the hive this kind of
the hive? to take the hive?
honey out?
Ancient
Egyptian hives.
Modern
Egyptian hives.
African tree
trunk hives
Crib shaped
hives
Langstroth
hive.
Assessment task
Individual work
4. Make your own design of a beehive. It must be comfortable for the bees and easy for the beekeeper
to use. Make a picture to show your hive and its environment. Draw and write to explain how it
works. Explain how bees and beekeepers help the environment.
55
FACT SHEET
Why are bees so important
to the world?
Bees pollinate flowers. After pollination the
flowers make fruits and seeds. Bees
pollinate almost all our food crops. There
are thousands of different kinds of bees.
Some bees make honey in large amounts;
these are called honeybees.
Bees visit flowers to collect pollen and
nectar and at the same time they pollinate
the flowers. They carry the pollen back to Honeybee pollinating a flower
their hives to feed their babies. They take
nectar back to the hive where they make wax
and honey.
Honey and wax
The bees feed on the honey and make wax.
They build wax honeycomb in their hives.
a They lay their eggs in some of the combs
a They store honey and pollen in the other
combs, to feed their larvae
Propolis
Bees collect the sticky glue from buds of new Worker bees busy on the honeycomb in the hive.
leaves on certain plants. The bees make this
glue into a chemical called propolis. There are 3 kinds of bees in each hive
a Propolis is like a glue. It is called ‘bee
glue’ and the bees use it to repair their hives.
a The bees use propolis to cover the inside of their
hives. The propolis is a strong anti-biotic. It prevents
the hive from getting infected with germs from the
air.
a When an animal, such as a mouse or other insect,
gets into the hive by mistake the bees kill it by
stinging it. Normally the body would rot and the Queen bee
germs from it would infect the hive. Instead
the bees cover it with propolis and the dead
animal’s body dries out and does not become
rotten. The bees then bite it
into little pieces and throw it out of the
hive.
a Propolis is also used as a medicine for
people.
Worker bee Drone
56
How do honeybees live?
Honeybees live together in large numbers and co-operate
with each other. A large group of bees living together is
called a colony. They usually live inside something that is
hollow, such as an old tree trunk. This hollow container is
called a hive. A swarm of bees will start a colony when
they have a queen bee that can lay eggs. There are three
kinds of bees in every hive.
One large queen bee that lays about 2 000 eggs a day
all the time after mating.
Thousands of small female worker bees.
They do the following work in the hive depending on their
age.
a They keep the larvae warm and feed them
a They clean the hive
a They make the wax and build the comb bee hives
a They guard the hive entrance
a They pollinate flowers
a They collect pollen, nectar, propolis
and water
a They make honey.
The younger worker bees stay in the hive
and do the work around the hive. The
older worker bees go out to collect pollen
and nectar and they make the honey.
Large male drones. These male bees mate
with the queen bee so that she can A queen bee lays an egg while surrounded by her
begin to lay eggs. attendants
People and honey

Honey gathering
People have always collected the sweet honey
from beehives. Before people knew about
getting sugar from sugar cane, the only sweet
food they could get was honey. So honey was
very highly prized and the bees were
considered to be sacred.
Farming bees
People realised they could farm bees instead
of going out and searching (hunting) for
honey in the wild. People who farm bees are
called beekeepers. The oldest evidence of bee-
keeping comes from Egypt in Africa. People The first official mention of bee-keeping dates
have kept bees in Africa for thousands of from about 2400 BCE. Cylindrical hives like
years. Today there are beekeepers all over the the ones in the picture from the tomb of
world. Pabasa in Egypt were made of clay.
57
When you farm bees, first you have to understand the
life cycle of bees and how they behave. Then you have
to collect a swarm of bees from a tree or cave. You
knock the swarm into a hollow container, or you put the
container over the swarm and they will all fly into the nice
dark container (hive) where the bees can feel safe and comfortable.
The bees build their combs and nest (in the combs) hanging down
inside the container and the beekeeper can collect some of the honey.
When the beekeeper wants to collect the honey from the bees he uses
a smoker. The bees think there is a fire and they quickly feed on
some honey before they fly away. This makes them drowsy
so that they don’t sting the beekeeper.
The structure of a beehive

A beehive has to be a hollow container. It must Bees building the wax
a have an opening for the bees to come in and go out comb. The bees make the
a have a small platform for the bees to land and take off wax shape into cells
a be high above the ground for safety
a have places for the bees to build the combs (the combs
always hang down from the top).
Some of the combs are brood (nesting) combs where the eggs are laid and the larvae grow.
The queen lays her eggs in the combs that are in the most protected part of the hive. The
other combs are where the honey is stored. The bees store the honey in combs that are
nearest the outside of the hive.
a The beekeeper takes honey from the outside combs without
disturbing the brood combs where the larvae are growing.
a The beekeeper never takes all the honey because the bees need it for food in the
seasons when there are few flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen.
a It must be placed in a safe place where the bees can go out and collect nectar,
pollen, and propolis.
To find out more about bees and beekeeping contact the:
Honey Bee Foundation & Products
Cnr. Parow and Milner Road
Maitland, 7504
South Africa
Tel: (021) 511 4567
Fax: (021) 511 9962
Also read this useful book: “Beekeeping A practical guide for Southern Africa”
Written by: D Marchand & J Marchand-Mayne
Published by: Aardvark Press, 2003
Useful websites are: The World Beekeeping Directory (http://www.beehoo.com);
Beekeeping in Africa (http://www.biavl.dk/africa/).
58
We all depend on each other:

Learner Task The biodiversity of the Kowie River
Look at the poster. Can you see any life cycles in the poster?
Choose two plants or animals in the picture and draw their life cycles. Label the
life cycles. Say what the plant or animal depends on to complete its life cycle.
Count the biodiversity in this picture and then record the number on the poster.
Where do you think people would fit into this poster? Draw a person and show
what the person is doing. Will the person affect any of the plants and animals?
Write a few sentences to explain how.
Plants and animals What do they need, and why?

Spider
Snake
Water boatman (insect)
Leopard
Dragonfly larvae
Eastern Cape Rocky (fish)
Yellow pansybutterfly
Dassies
Plumbago (shrub)
Crab
Reeds
Terrapin (water tortoise)
Cape chestnut (tree)
Otters
Nile monitor (big lizard)
Waterbuck.
Look for the following plants and animals in the picture and say what you think
they need to survive. Make a table like the one below.
Learner task
What do you now know and understand about biodiversity and what would you
still like to find out more about?
Talk about it, write and draw. Or
Write a praise poem about biodiversity.
59
60
61
Above
the
surface
of the
water
Below
the
surface
of the
water
BIODIVERSITY COUNT Number of plants and animals
62
63
Key to animals on the Kowie River Poster
1. Eastern Cape Rocky fish 23. African black duck
2. Damsel fly 24. Water strider insect
3. Rock dassie 25. Water boatman insect
4. Yellow-throated plated lizard 26. Marsh terrapin (water tortoise)
5. Yellow pansy butterfly 27. Boomslang
6. Small orange-tip butterfly 28. Knysna Lourie bird
7. Citrus swallow-tail butterfly 29. Bushbuck
8. Dragonfly 30. Nile or water monitor (big lizard)
9. Platanna frog 31. Freshwater mullet fish
10. Freshwater crab 32. Estuarine round-herring fish
11. Longfin eel 33. Freshwater mussels (shell fish)
12. Mayfly nymph (baby) 34. Golden orb-web spider
13. Whirlygig insect baby 35. Halfcollard kingfisher bird
14. Freshwater limpets (shell fish) 36. Green-banded swallowtail butterfly
15. Hamerkop bird 37. Yellow-striped reed frog
16. Leopard 38. Painted reed frog
17. Grey heron bird 39. African finfoot bird
18. Cape clawless otter 40. Platanna tadpoles

19. River goby fish 41. Dragonfly nymph (baby)
20. African fish eagle 42. Goldie barb fish
21. Cape weaver bird 43. Dragonfly nymph (baby)
22. Egyptian goose 44. Caddisfly larva (baby)
The story of the poster

This poster was designed to remind us that all plants nesting site. He is a very good father and fiercely
and animals, including humans, need other forms of protects the nest area from any threat to the
life (biodiversity) to survive. It also reminds us that if developing eggs. Sometimes the male chases off the
animals and plants are able to breed and reproduce, female after she has laid the eggs, in case she eats
they will survive into the future. The poster shows them.
that rivers (such as the Kowie River) are places This poster, entitled Kowie River, home of the
where many plants and animals can live and endangered Eastern Cape Rocky, sponsored by
reproduce. People are trying to conserve the Kowie TOTAL SA, can be purchased from the Albany
River in order to protect the biodiversity there. Museum.
The main fish shown in the poster is the Eastern Dr Jim Cambray
Cape Rocky. The male is mating with the female. Makana Biodiversty Centre; Albany Museum;
During the mating the male squeezes out eggs from Somerset Street
the female and the fertilized eggs fall into this Grahamstown 6139
64
Background information on
biodiversity
The Earth’s biodiversity depends on three different things
a The gene pool
a Many different species
a The landscape
1. THE GENE POOL

Differences between individuals
There are differences between individuals of the same species.
In any population of plants, animals or people there are differences between individuals
even though they are of the same species (type) of plant or animal. For example, in
plants of the same kind some individuals grow taller than others. Some have bigger
leaves or more brightly coloured flowers, and so on. Another example is in the cat
species. Some individual cats can run faster or slower or grow bigger, or have longer
teeth and claws.
In humans some individuals have stronger muscles than others. Some people are
naturally small and agile. Other people are naturally tall and strong. Others are faster or
slower runners.
These differences are called variations in a species. These variations occur because
individuals are born with genetic differences. When we take all these differences together
in a population of plants, animals or people we refer to all the differences as a gene pool.
Big and small gene pools

We say there is a ‘big’ gene pool when there are a lot of individuals with many
differences. A big gene pool is better for a species because it means the species has a
better chance of surviving changes to the environment. When the environment changes,
there is more chance of some individuals surviving because they are different from those
that cannot survive. For example you may have a gene pool of plants that includes some
individuals that don’t need a lot of water and others that do need a lot of water, although
they are of the same species. If there should be a drought then the plants that need a lot
of water will die. However, the plants that do not need a lot of water will survive, and
the species will continue because they had a big gene pool.
If the gene pool becomes very small because there are very few individuals, there may
not be enough variation between them and the species would die out.
2. MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES

The Earth’s biodiversity is rich because there are many different species. We know that
every plant and animal depends on other plants and animals for food, for shelter, for
pollination and so on. Every time a species dies out in a habitat it affects all the other
plants and animals directly or indirectly. For example if all the bees in a habitat die out
this will directly affect the plants that need to have their flowers pollinated by bees. This
means these plants will not produce fruit and this will affect the animals that feed on the
fruit.
When a species dies out it also affects the habitat. For example, in some habitats there
65
are dung beetles. The dung beetles collect the droppings of large animals such as cattle
and elephants. They roll the droppings into a ball and lay their eggs in the ball of dung.
The dung beetle then buries the ball of dung. Eventually new dung beetles hatch from the
dung. But the dung also contains the seeds of many plants. The seeds germinate in the
dung and grow. If all the dung beetles died, the dung would not be buried and there
would be fewer plants germinating from the seeds in the dung. As a result the habitat
would change.
Every plant or animal that becomes extinct (dies out completely) affects the Earth’s
biodiversity and the survival of everyone. At present many species are dying out because
of human activity. An example is in the tropical rain forests in South America, Africa and
Asia. These tropical rain forests are home to millions of different species. They also
contain huge trees, which provide valuable wood for furniture and buildings. Many
countries buy this wood. These large trees are cut down for wood. The result is that all
the species of birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and other plants and animals that depend
on the trees also cannot survive. Many hundreds of species become extinct in this way
every year. In time the biodiversity will become less and less and this will affect plants and
animals and people all over the world. It may also affect the climate of the Earth.
3. THE LANDSCAPE
The type of landscape determines what plants and animals live there. In a mountain
landscape you will find plants and animals that can live in rocky exposed places. In a desert
landscape you will find plants and animals that can survive dry harsh conditions. In a low-
lying, wet landscape you will find plants and animals that can survive being wet most of
the time. In a very rocky and stony landscape you will find small plants that grow on the
rocks and animals that shelter under the stones. In a landscape where there are many
caves you will find plants and animals that are suited to living in or near caves.
So it is important to preserve many different types of landscapes if we want to preserve
the Earth’s biodiversity.
Many landscapes are changed by human activity. People change the landscape when they
build houses and cities. They also change the landscape when they build large dams and
highways, golf courses and other sports grounds. Mining for minerals such as aluminium
and iron ore also changes the landscape. This mining involves cutting away the landscape
and creating large quarries and open cast mines.
All these changes to the landscape destroy the natural biodiversity in that area.
66
Assessment tool
Assessor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name of learner: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grade: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Learning area: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LO: AS:
Assessment task: Y/N (tick if
done, cross if
not done)
Criteria:
Level of performance: Code 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Comments
Explanation of the Codes
4 The learner’s performance has exceeded the expectations as described in the assessment criteria
3 The learner’s performance has fulfilled the expectations as described in the assessment criteria
2 The learner’s performance is partially completed and/ or does not contain all the detail
described in the criteria. The learner needs to do further work
1 The learner’s performance is incomplete and has very little of the necessary detail. It does not
meet the requirements described in the criteria
70
SECTION 4
Extracts from the Revised National Curriculum Statements
for Natural Sciences Grades R-7
Core knowledge and concepts for Life and Living (RNCS) ................................................. 72
Learning outcomes and assessment standards (RNCS)...................................................... 78
71
Natural Science
CORE KNOWLEDGE AND CONCEPTS IN LIFE AND LIVING
Life Processes and Interactions in Biodiversity, Change and

Healthy Living Environments Continuity
Unifying statement: Living Unifying statement: Unifying statement: The huge
things, including humans and Organisms in ecosystems are diversity of forms of life can
invisibly small organisms, can dependent for their survival be understood in terms of a
be understood in terms of life on the presence of abiotic history of change in
processes, functional units factors and on their environments and in
and systems. relationship with other characteristics of plants and
organisms. animals throughout the world
over millions of years.
Foundation Phase
1 Many of our body parts 3 We depend on plants and 6 There is a large variety of
correspond to parts of animals for food, and we plants and animals, which
animals, such as limbs, breed certain animals and have interesting visible
heads, eyes, ears, feet, and grow certain plants as differences but also
in many cases animals use crops. similarities, and they can
them for the same 4 We see cultural diversity be grouped by their
purposes we do. in the kinds of food similarities.
2 Animals and plants have people like to eat. 7 Plants and animals change
needs similar needs to 5 Some animals, like flies as they grow, and as the
ours, for food, water and and ticks, carry germs years pass, and as the
air. which can make people seasons change.
sick.
Intermediate Phase
1 Green plants produce their 5 Animals cannot make 10 New plants can grow from
own food and grow by their own food, and so certain parts of a parent
using water and substances some animals eat plants plant. This is called
from the air and soil. for food while some vegetative reproduction
Energy from light is animals eat other animals. and does not need seeds.
needed to change these All animals ultimately The new plants have all
simple substances into depend on green plants for the characteristics of the
food and plant material. their food. parent plant.
Green plants are the only
organisms that can
produce food in their own
bodies.
Core
Core Knowledge
Knowledge and
and Concepts
Concepts in in Life and
Matter and Materials
Living
72
Revised National Curriculum Statements Grades R–9 (Schools)

Intermediate Phase
2 Living things need food 6 Ecosystems are self- 11 Sexual reproduction is the
for energy, to move, grow contained areas where a process by which two
and to repair damage to wide variety of plant and individual plants or
their bodies (‘tissues’). animal species live and animals produce another
Animals including reproduce. They depend generation of individuals.
humans have digestive on each other and on the The next generation’s
systems for getting non-living environment. individuals look like the
nutrients from food. The life and reproduction parents but always have
Humans need a balanced of all the organisms in an slight differences
diet from certain groups ecosystem depend on the (‘variation’) from their
of food to be healthy. continuing growth and parents and from each
3 All living things can reproduction of plants. other.
respond to their 7 Organism habitats are the 12 South Africa has a rich
environment in various places where they feed, fossil record of animals
ways; animals, including hide, reproduce and, in and plants which lived
humans, have specialised many cases, shelter the many millions of years
sense organs. young until they have a ago. Many of those
better chance of survival. animals and plants were
Animal species live in different from the ones
their habitats in a variety we see nowadays. Some
of social patterns (such as plants and animals
being solitary, pairing for nowadays have strong
life, or living in packs, similarities to fossils of
prides, herds or troops). ancient plants and
8 Ecosystems depend on animals. We infer from the
soil. Soil forms by natural fossil record and other
processes from rock and geological observations
dead plant and animal that the diversity of living
material, but it takes an things, natural
extremely long time to environments and
form. Substances which climates were different in
plants take from the soil those long-ago times.
must be replaced to main (Links with fossils in
fertility of the soil. (Links Planet Earth and Beyond)
with soil in Planet Earth
and Beyond)
Core Knowledge and Concepts in Life and Living

Core Knowledge and Concepts in Matter and Materials
73
Natural Science

Intermediate Phase
4 Living things can move 9 Water plays an important

themselves; animals, role in ecosystems,
including humans, can sustaining both plant and
move themselves from animal life. Industrial,
place to place. Many agricultural and domestic
species of animals move activities may have a
themselves by means of serious impact on the
muscles attached to some quality and quantity of
kind of skeleton which is water available in an area.
either inside or on the (Links with Planet Earth
surface of the body. and Beyond)
Senior Phase
1 Humans go through 10 Human reproduction is 16 Offspring of organisms

physical changes as they more than conception differ in small ways from
age; puberty means that and birth; it involves their parents and
the body is ready for adults raising children, generally from each
sexual reproduction. which requires other. This is called
2 Human reproduction judgement and values variation in a species.
begins with the fusion of and usually depends on 17 Natural selection kills
sex cells from mother the behaviour of other those individuals of a
and father, carrying the people in a community species which lack the
patterns for some and environment. characteristics that
characteristics of each. 11 Each species of animal would have enabled
3 Conception is followed has characteristic them to survive and
by a sequence of changes behaviours which enable reproduce successfully in
in the mother’s body, and it to feed, find a mate, their environment.
during this period the breed, raise young, live Individuals which have
future health of the in a population of the characteristics suited to
unborn child can be same species, or escape the environment
affected. threats in its particular reproduce successfully
4 Knowledge of how to environment. These and some of their
prevent the transmission behaviours have arisen offspring carry the
of sexually transmitted over long periods of successful characteristics.
diseases, including the time that the species Natural selection is
HIVirus, must be population has been accelerated when the
followed by behaviour living in the same environment changes;
choices. environment. this can lead to the
extinction of species.
Core
Core Knowledge
Knowledge andand Concepts
Concepts in Life and
in Matter and Materials
Living
74
Revised National Curriculum Statements Grades R–9 (Schools)

Senior Phase
5 Green plants use energy 12 All organisms have 18 Variations in human

from the sun, water and adaptations for survival in biological characteristics
carbon dioxide from the their habitats (such as such as skin colour,
air to make food by adaptations for height, and so on, have
photosynthesis. This maintaining their water been used to categorise
chemical reaction is balance, obtaining and groups of people. These
central to the survival of eating the kind of food biological differences do
all organisms living on they need, reproduction, not indicate differences in
earth. protection or escape from innate abilities of the
6 Animals, including predators). groups concerned.
humans, require protein, 13 An ecosystem maintains Therefore, such
fat, carbohydrates, numerous food webs and categorisation of groups
minerals, vitamins and competition for food by biological differences is
water. Food taken in is among different neither scientifically valid
absorbed into the body individuals and nor exact; it is a social
via the intestine. Surplus populations. South Africa construct.
food is stored as fat or has certain ecosystems 19 Biodiversity enables
carbohydrate. which have exceptional ecosystems to sustain life
7 Animals, including biodiversity. All uses of and recover from changes
humans, have a circulatory these areas must be based to the environment. Loss
system which includes the on principles of of biodiversity seriously
heart, veins, arteries and sustainable development. affects the capacity of
capillaries, and which 14 Pollution interferes with ecosystems and the earth,
carries nutrients and natural processes that to sustain life.
oxygen to all parts of the maintain the Classification is a means
body and removes waste interdependencies and to organise the great
products. Oxygen, which is diversity of an ecosystem. diversity of organisms and
provided by the breathing make them easier to
system, reacts with food study. The two main
substances to release categories of animals are
energy. (Links with the vertebrates and
Energy and Change) invertebrates, and among
vertebrates the five classes
are amphibians, birds, fish,
reptiles and mammals.

75
Natural Science

Senior Phase
8 All living things, including 15 Many biological changes, 20 Human activities, such as
humans, have means of including decomposition the introduction of alien
eliminating waste and recycling of matter in species, habitat
products which are ecosystems and human destruction, population
produced during life diseases, are caused by growth, pollution and
processes. Water plays an invisibly small, quickly- over-consumption, result
important role in this reproducing organisms. in the loss of biodiversity.
process. This becomes evident
9 Water makes up a large when more species
proportion of all living become endangered, or,
things, and their health ultimately, extinct.
depends on water passing 21 Extinctions also occur
through them in various through natural events.
ways, using structures Mass extinctions have
(such as kidneys, skin or occurred in the past
stomata) which can fulfil suggesting that huge
this function. changes to environments
have occurred. However,
these changes occurred
very slowly, compared to
the fast rate at which
humans can destroy plant
and animal species. (Links
with Planet Earth and
Beyond)
22 The cell is the basic unit
of most living things, and
an organism may be
formed from one or many
cells. Cells themselves
carry on life processes
such as nutrition,
respiration, excretion and
reproduction, which
sustain the life of the
organism as a whole.

76
Notes
77
78
79
80
81
Learning Outcome 3: Science, Society and the Environment
The learner will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the
interrelationships between science and technology, society and the environment.
82
83
WESTERN CAPE PRIMARY SCIENCE
PROGRAMME TRUST (PSP)
The PSP is an in-service education organisation that supports primary school

teachers in the field of Natural Sciences and related learning areas particularly in
township primary schools in the Western Cape. We are based at the Edith Stephens
Wetland Park, Philippi, situated close to many disadvantaged communities in the
Cape Flats.
The PSP has been operating since 1984 and has built up good relationships with
over 200 primary schools from all the township areas, including the Boland and
West Coast rural areas. More than 1050 teachers from grades 4 to 7 and 126,000
children benefit from the work of the PSP.
The PSP works in an environment where most teachers and learners have to
operate in a 2nd or 3rd additional language. We therefore also work on developing
learners’ communication skills while focusing on science related learning areas and
environment.
The PSP currently operates with a compliment of 9 staff.
CONTACT DETAILS
Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP)
Edith Stephens Wetland Park
Lansdowne Road
Philippi, Cape Flats, 7785.
P.O. Box 24158

Lansdowne 7779
South Africa
Tel: (021) 6919039 ( Fax: (021) 6916350
e-mail: info@psp.org.za (website: www.psp.org.za)
NPO: 015-822
Registration Number: IT2806/99

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WESTERN CAPE PRIMARY SCIENCE PROGRAMME

An example of a learning experience in the Natural Sciences

LIFE AND LIVING GRADE 5

Course presented by Nontsikelelo Mahote and Rose Thomas

Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP)

Biodiversity means all the living things on Earth and their

Teacher Note The skeleton of a typical mammal The bones in a hand

yellowtail toad tortoise chicken pig

Different leaf shapes

a circular b heart-shaped c ovate (egg-shaped) d kidney-shaped e arrow-shaped f elliptical

g palmate h hand-shaped i strap leaves

a entire (smooth) b serrated c toothed d bumpy e wavy

C. Classifying, describing and counting the leaves and

D. Sharing the results

Ask and think about

B. Collecting and sorting the leaves

C. Classifying, describing and counting

Sun d Mealie seeds d Chicken d Person

Sun d Grass d Cow d Person

Introduce and explain

Ladybird Spider Frog

Aphid Cricket Moth

Rose bush Arum lily Gazania DECOMPOSERS

Assessment task Assessment criteria for LO2

Former President Nelson Mandela as a young

A Ask learners to help you sequence these pictures on the chalkboard.

Learner Task A. Sequence a life cycle

A life cycle story wheel

adult frog eggs

adult frog tadpoles tadpoles

tadpoles with legs need water and

Man-made threats to the environment …

Farmers need bees to pollinate their crops

Farmers need many bees for pollination

The farmer grows special trees to attract the bees

Beekeepers bring bees to the farmer

More people are training to become beekeepers

Teacher Task Observe

Pollen is found here on

African tree trunk hives. These hives

Group work 2. Discuss with your group

Assessment criteria to assess understanding

The African bee hive

Plants and animals What do they need, and why?

Water boatman (insect)

Dragonfly (baby nymph)

Eastern Cape Rocky (fish)

Yellow pansy butterfly

Terrapin (water tortoise)

Cape chestnut (tree)

Nile monitor (big lizard)

Talk about it, write and draw.

To find out more about the Kowie River poster contact:

Period 6 Period 7 Period 8 Period 9 Period 10

Period 16 Period 17 Period 18 Period 19 Period 20

this suggested work

Task card 1 Sorting the vertebrates using a classification key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Classes of vertebrate animals

Cobra Black oystercatcher

Beetle Giraffe Star fish

Goat Suricate (meerkat) Leervis

Grasshopper Earthworm Snail