Living things and habitats
What happens under a paving slab?
Does covering a patch of grass change what lives there?
Watch first
Discover how plants, animals and decomposers all depend on each other.
What you need
Tick each one as you find it — 0 of 3 ready.
Plan the fair test
- Change: Whether the patch was covered
- Measure: The colour of the grass and what lives there
- Keep the same: Same kind of grass, same week of weather, same size patch
Objectives this evidences
- Recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things
Do it, one step at a time
Step 1 of 4
- Step 1. Choose two similar patches of grass. Write down what each looks like and what you can see living there.
- Step 2. Cover one patch with the plank or card and leave the other alone.
- Step 3. After a week, lift the cover and record the colour of the grass and any creatures underneath.
- Step 4. Compare the two patches, then take the cover off so the grass can recover.
What should happen
The covered grass goes pale and floppy without light, and damp-loving creatures like woodlice and worms move in.
Think about: This change was small and you undid it. What would happen if a car park were built there instead?
Write up your result
A sentence or two is enough to save it.
The lessons behind this practical
Each one opens with the same short film, and the film has a written transcript underneath if reading is easier than watching.
Now the quiz for this topic
Questions come from the lessons behind this practical, so nothing is asked that has not been taught.
Quiz
Living things and habitats quiz
4 questions from the lessons in this stage. No timer, and you can try again as many times as you like.