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Year 2

The basic needs of animals

I can describe what animals need to stay alive.

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New
New
Year 2

The basic needs of animals

I can describe what animals need to stay alive.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Animals, including humans need certain things in order to stay alive.
  2. To survive means to continue to stay alive.
  3. All animals need food and water to grow, remain healthy and stay alive.
  4. All animals need air so that they can breathe and stay alive.

Common misconception

Different animals need different things in order to stay alive.

Examples of different types of animals and how they need the same things to stay alive e.g. different foods they eat.

Keywords

  • Animals - An animal is a living thing that moves and eats other animals or plants.

  • Alive - Living things are alive. They grow, sense, reproduce, move, feed and excrete waste material.

  • Survive - Survive means to continue to stay alive.

  • Basic needs - A living thing's basic needs must be met in order for them to stay alive.

Ensure that children understand that humans are also animals and that our basic needs are the same. Looking at different types of animals and discussing how their basic needs are met will aid children's understanding.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a life cycle?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: A life cycle shows how an animal grows and changes from birth.
A life cycle shows each year of an animal's life.
A life cycle shows where an animal lives.
Q2.
True or false? Animals stay the same at every stage of their life cycle.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: false, false., False.
Q3.
Scientists look closely at animals to see how they grow and change over time. Which skill are they using?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: observing
researching
recording
Q4.
Which of these things do humans need to stay alive?
Correct answer: food
computers
cars
Q5.
Scientists record information about an animal's life cycle. What does record mean?
An image in a quiz
Finding information from the internet.
Looking closely and noticing any changes.
Correct answer: Keeping information so it can be passed on to others.
Q6.
Laura is observing caterpillars as they change and grow into butterflies. How could she record a butterfly's life cycle?
An image in a quiz
Using the internet to find out about different sorts of butterflies.
Correct answer: Taking photos, videos, creating drawings or keeping a butterfly diary.
Looking in non-fiction books to find out about caterpillars.
Looking closely at the caterpillars as they grow and change.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Animals need food and water to survive. What does survive mean?
An image in a quiz
Survive means to grow.
Survive means to have offspring.
Correct answer: Survive means to stay alive.
Q2.
Animals need food and drink to...
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: stay alive
Correct answer: grow
Correct answer: be healthy
wash
Q3.
What do animals need to stay alive?
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Correct answer: food, water, air
water, air, offspring
air, water, friends
Q4.
All animals have basic needs. What are basic needs?
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Correct answer: Basic needs are the things an animal needs to stay alive.
Basic needs are the things an animal needs to sleep well.
Basic needs are the things an animal needs to stay clean.
Q5.
True or false? Fish live underwater so they do not need air.
An image in a quiz
False. Fish have to come up for air.
Correct answer: False. Fish use their gills to take in the air in the water.
True. Fish do not breathe air.
Q6.
Sofia has a new puppy. What does the puppy need to stay alive?
An image in a quiz
dog food, water, cuddles
water, toys, cuddles
Correct answer: dog food, water, air
Q4 two rhinoceros drinking water from a lake