Hamilton's 'living things and their habitats' science blocks cover all of the key stage 1 and key stage 2 science objectives in this area, such as the characteristics of living things, lifecycles and classification.
Hamilton's science scheme encourages using the local environment and taking advantage of seasonal study opportunities and this is particularly true in our 'Living Things and Their Habitats' blocks. The sessions also provide opportunities for pattern seeking, exploring, problem solving, fair testing, and analysing secondary sources.
Explore all of our science blocks or see below for those focused on 'living things and their habitats'.
Living Things and Their Habitats in Key Stage 1
Year 1/2 - Food Chains
Talk about food chains and role play the interdependence between creatures in a chain, considering what part each plays in its survival. Explore the school grounds, looking for examples of food chains. Learn about water-based food chains and reconstruct them in tanks of water. Interpret the transfer of energy in a food chain through a dance, using masks and torches.
Year 1/2 - Habitats and Homes
Make a playground allotment complete with edible plants and bird scaring sculptures. Weed and tend the allotment; visit a farm; and explore farming with small world play. In groups, design a bug hotel and build it.
Year 2 - Habitats
How can we work out what’s alive and what’s not? Collect specimens and sort them into categories. Investigate habitats and food chains. Design and make a bug hotel that contains a variety of micro habitats to encourage a range of creatures.
Year 2 - Gardens and Allotments
Have you ever wondered what home-grown foods might taste like? In this block, you will create a class allotment, grow and nurture your own plants, understand how food chains work and learn that energy from the Sun is passed through each link in a food chain.
Living Things and Their Habitats in Lower Key Stage 2
Year 3/4 - A World of Living Things
Our planet is full of beautiful plants and remarkable animals, it is an incredible world of living things, but what is special about something that is alive? Learn about MRS NERG/MRS GREN and create an amazing interactive book that explains all about our incredible world of living things. Discover how living things are grouped according to their features.
Year 3/4 - Habitat Helpers
The plants and creatures in our amazing world are in danger because their habitats are changing for lots of different reasons. It is your job to help, but how? Governments are trying to make changes but they can only do so much. To make a difference, everyone needs to care enough to make changes.
Year 4 - Name That Living Thing!
Become experts in the use of classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things. Learn about the 7 characteristics of a living thing (MRS NERG/MRS GREN). Sort living things in a number of ways and make a dichotomous classification key to identify local invertebrates.
Year 4 - Help Our Habitats!
Your local council needs you! They want to turn an old industrial site in your town back to a wildlife haven. Which plants and animals would have lived here? What do they need to be able to live here again? Learn about wildlife and their habitats. How have their environments changed? What can we do to help them?
Living Things and Their Habitats in Upper Key Stage 2
Year 5 - The Art of Living
You have been commissioned to create an inspirational and informative collection of scientific illustrations on the theme of animal and plant life cycles. Develop your mastery of key art skills as you create accurate and eye catching illustrations that tell the life cycle story of a range of nature’s wonders.
Year 5/6 - Illustrating Life Cycles
You have been commissioned to create an inspirational and informative illustrated book on the theme of animal and plant life cycles. Develop your mastery of key art skills as you create eye catching illustrations that accurately tell the life cycle story of a range of nature’s wonders.
Year 5/6 - The Classification Code
Explore the world of classification and release the next part of your classification code with each new challenge. As you become more expert you will move closer to cracking the code and discovering an interesting fact from the world of classification. Meet Linnaeus along the way; identify a range of living things right on your back door step; and explore creatures further afield as well.
Year 6 - Classification Connoisseurs
Take part in classification training, gaining credits along the way to gain your Classification Connoisseur qualification. Discover Linnaeus’ system and identify a range of living things. Your challenge culminates in designing your own new creatures that fit within the classification system.
Hamilton also provide a complete range of science planning for Animals Including Humans and for Life Cycles.