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Science Stage 4 Australian Environments (G) Part 4, Reduced DEd Material, by Mr Danic Teachers: Mr Danic, [email protected] Mr Planting, [email protected] Acknowledgments Sydney Distance Education High School gratefully acknowledges the following owners of copyright material. Centre for Learning Innovation Front cover photograph – The Mountain Pygmy Possum The Mountain Pygmy Possum is an Australian marsupial. At 11 cm long, it is so small that it can easily fit into the palm of a person’s hand. However, its tail, at around 14 cm, is longer than its body. Mountain Pygmy Possums are an endangered species. They were thought to be extinct until 1966, when a living specimen was discovered at Mt Hotham in Victoria. Its numbers are small because it lives in high up in the Australian Alps in Victoria and NSW and due to the development of the ski industry much of its habitat has been destroyed. Its numbers are also threatened by habitat loss due to increased temperatures and decreasing snow cover as a result of global warming. NOTICE ON MATERIAL REPRODUCED OR COMMUNICATED UNDER STATUTORY TEXT AND ARTISTIC LICENCE FORM OF NOTICE FOR PARAGRAPH 135ZXA(a) OF COPYRIGHT ACT 1968 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Sydney Distance Education High School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1960 (the Act).

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Page 1: matdanic.files.wordpress.com€¦  · Web viewThe Australian environment changes often and it is not easy to predict what events will affect the ecosystems or when these events will

ScienceStage 4Australian Environments (G)Part 4, Reduced DEd Material, by Mr Danic

Teachers: Mr Danic, [email protected] Mr Planting, [email protected] Acknowledgments

Sydney Distance Education High School gratefully acknowledges the following owners of copyright material. Centre for Learning Innovation

Front cover photograph – The Mountain Pygmy Possum

The Mountain Pygmy Possum is an Australian marsupial. At 11 cm long, it is so small that it can easily fit into the palm of a person’s hand. However, its tail, at around 14 cm, is longer than its body.Mountain Pygmy Possums are an endangered species. They were thought to be extinct until 1966, when a living specimen was discovered at Mt Hotham in Victoria.Its numbers are small because it lives in high up in the Australian Alps in Victoria and NSW and due to the development of the ski industry much of its habitat has been destroyed. Its numbers are also threatened by habitat loss due to increased temperatures and decreasing snow cover as a result of global warming.The Mountain Pygmy Possum is nocturnal and feeds on seeds, berries and moths. During winter it hibernates (goes into an inactive resting state).To help protect the Mountain Pygmy Possum in NSW, an area has been ‘roped off’ in Perisher Ski Resort to prevent the possums being disturbed while they hibernate.

Lesson 1: Events affecting Australian ecosystems

NOTICE ON MATERIAL REPRODUCED OR COMMUNICATED UNDER STATUTORY TEXT AND ARTISTIC LICENCE

FORM OF NOTICE FOR PARAGRAPH 135ZXA(a) OF COPYRIGHT ACT 1968

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Copyright Regulations

1969 WARNING

This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Sydney Distance Education High School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1960 (the Act).The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be subject to copyright protection regulation under the Act.

Do not remove this notice.

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Australia is one the most arid (dry) continents on Earth. It has ecosystems that are unique (not found anywhere else) with unique communities in them.Australia’s ecosystems are exposed to both human-made and natural events. The main events affecting Australia’s ecosystems are:

bushfire flood drought.

The Australian environment changes often and it is not easy to predict what events will affect the ecosystems or when these events will occur. Droughts can last for years. Then devastating floods arrive. Bushfires have been common in Australia for ages.Events such as bushfire, floods and droughts can cause widespread damage to both human property and natural environments. Although they can destroy much of an ecosystem, they can also have positive outcomes.The effects of these events may be felt for many years, resulting in changes within ecosystems.

Activity 1 - Australian ecosystemsIn Set 1, you learnt what an environment was and how Australia has many different ecosystems.

1. There are many interactions (relationships) in an ecosystem.What happens to these interactions when one part of the environment changes because of a bushfire, flood or drought?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Use these words to complete these sentences.

community interact environmenthabitat smaller ecosystem

The ___________________ of an organism is its surroundings. Scientists divide environments up into ____________________ parts called ecosystems.An ___________________ includes all the living things in a particular area along with the non-living parts of the environment with which they __________________. The _____________ of a living thing is the place where it lives in the ecosystem. The organisms found together in a particular place form a ___________________.You also learnt that the environment includes all the living things and the non-living things that are present in the environment.3. Use these words to complete these sentences.

wind Non-living conditions living bacteria

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____________ things include organisms such as plants, animals, _______________ and fungi, as well as organisms that were once living and are now dead._______________ things include such things as water, air, soil, rocks, metals, etc, as well as __________________ such as rainfall, temperature, _________________ , light, etc.

This task relates to Lesson 2. It is on this page though because it fits better. Complete lesson 2 then come back to answer these questions.1. Although bushfires cause considerable damage to an ecosystem, bushfires can

sometimes be helpful. Give ONE benefit of a bushfire__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Give ONE adaptation to survive a bushfire that is found in the seeds of some Australia plants.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Describe what some animals. E.g. wombats, can sometimes do so that they might survive a bushfire.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Lesson 2 - What if there is a bushfire?Bushfires can be a natural event. For millions of years, lightning strikes have sparked bushfires in Australia.The Aboriginal people deliberately set fires for thousands of years before European settlement.They did this for many reasons, e.g. to clear land for improved hunting and to make it easier to travel through the bush, as well as for communication and for ceremonies. The effect of these fires was to reduce the build-up of fuel on the ground, and so it reduced the occurrence of large, intense fires.Today, humans often see bushfire as a destroyer. However, to native Australian ecosystems it is also a great renewing force.

How do bushfires benefit an ecosystem?Bushfires can sometimes be helpful. For example:

many Australian plants produce seeds with hard covers that will only open to let the seed start to grow after being scorched by the heat of a bushfire

the ash from bushfires helps to fertilise the soil by returning nutrients to it, so that plants can use them again

bushfires clear away fallen branches, which reduces the build-up of fuel on the ground. This can prevent a large fire happening in the future.

The Fire Brigade sometimes conducts ‘burning off’ or ‘controlled back burning’ of bushland areas because it reduces or removes fuel before the onset of a bushfire. This helps to minimise damage to life, property and the environment if a bushfire does occur.

How do bushfires damage an ecosystem?

An ecosystem works because all the living things interact with each other. When some organisms are killed, all organisms are affected.

A fast-moving fire will burn dried leaves, sticks and grass. Animals such as insects and possums will be killed. Animals that move quickly, e.g. kangaroos and birds, can usually escape an approaching fire. Slower animals such as wombats and echidnas may survive by sheltering in burrows or logs while fire passes overhead. Reptiles and amphibians also hide underground.

After the fire, new animals and plants may move into the area. This changes the ecosystem, maybe forever.A slow-moving fire causes even more damage. It kills most plants and many animals. It can even kill decomposers in the soil. Old logs and

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stumps disappear, so there is nowhere for animals to live and reproduce. Whole areas can be destroyed, e.g. a bushfire in a rainforest usually destroys it all.

This photo was taken in a national park south of Sydney after a devastating bushfire.The ground is grey ash and everything looks very dead.However, there is one native plant that has released its seeds as a result of the fire. It is the banksia tree.

How have Australian plants adapted to bushfire?

Bushfires have affected the kinds of native plants that now grow in Australia. To survive a bushfire, plants must have special adaptations to grow again after the bushfire has occurred.Some plant adaptations to bushfires include:

some plants produce seeds with hard covers that will survive and start to grow after fire

some ferns have underground rhizomes (special underground stems) that can send out new roots and shoots that develop into new plants. This means that ferns can regrow after a fire.

Some Eucalypt species (gum trees) have lignotubers (as shown in diagram on the right). These are large woody growth underground that store water and food reserve for re-growth.

Some trees have special buds that are protected under their bark – these buds can re-sprout after a fire.

This diagram shows a Eucalypt tree with a lignotuber and shoots being sent out from special buds under the bark

This gum tree is regenerating after a fire

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Lesson 3 - What if there is a flood?Many areas of Australia are very flat. When rivers flood, water spreads out over large areas of land affecting many living things.

Floods occur as a natural part of the water cycle. Many natural ecosystems can cope with the effects of a flood because flood waters often rise slowly or only affect small areas.

How can a flood benefit an ecosystem?Initially, floods cause much damage to an ecosystem. However, floods can also have positive effects, such as: they replenish (re-fill) underground water supplies and soil water which helps to

feed the creeks with water they spread silt and nutrients over the land around the river - this improves the

quality of the topsoil the flood waters provide breeding areas for many varieties of birds, insects and

frogs they re-fill the wetlands in inland Australia – this results in more water for the

water birds to breed they replenish dry inland ecosystems, e.g. in the salt lake ecosystems of Central

Australia (e.g. Lake Eyre), which need irregular flooding to survive many coastal estuaries need to be ‘flushed out’ by flood water. Without a flood,

the estuary silts up and gets closed off from the ocean, then because the water is not moving, it becomes stagnant (stale), instead of a healthy breeding area for fish and birds.

How are floods a problem?In most cases, floods only become a concern to people when they threaten lives or property. The problems caused by floods include: the cost due to the destruction of buildings, livestock, crops and grass in the

paddocks is often considerable farmers may have to buy food for their stock and handfeed them after a flood, farms are unable to produce at their normal rate for some time and

this causes a further loss of income - the cost of severe floods can run into millions of dollars

flooding can cause health problems as it increases the risk of disease and can contaminate water supplies

in some countries, flooding kills many people. Only a small number of people have died in floods in Australia

What can be done to manage floods?Modern technology can now be used to monitor rising river waters. This means that floods can sometimes be predicted. If there is time, warnings can sometimes be given so that people can take precautions to minimise the effects of a flood.

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For example, sand bagging and spillways can prevent water entering towns and buildings, turning off electrical power at the right time can prevent deaths due to electrocution, farmers can move their stock to higher ground, extra food and fresh water can be stored, etc.Some ways to avoid flooding include:

not constructing any buildings in flood-prone areas and making sure that all buildings are above peak water levels

making sure there is sufficient drainage in built-up areas near rivers, dykes and levees should be built next to river banks where flooding is

known to occur as this will keep flood waters in the river

Exercise 21. Floods have advantages and disadvantages for farmers.

Use these words to complete the sentences below.

Flooding can be an advantage for farmers because it can bring new ______________ that is rich in ________________.Flooding can be a disadvantage for farmers because it can damage buildings and fences, kill _______________ and destroy _________________. It can also spread ____________.

2. Floods have advantages and disadvantages for ecosystems.Use these words to complete the sentences below.

Flooding can be an advantage for ecosystems because it provides more ______________for animals such as frogs, insects and water birds to ______________.Flooding can be a disadvantage for ecosystems because it damages the ecosystem by ____________ or _______________ animals, and destroying ____________________.

crops weeds nutrients livestock soil

drowning water breed isolating plants

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Lesson 4 - What if there is a drought?What is a drought?

A drought occurs when there is much less rain than usual.

Droughts in Australia have occurred for thousands of years and can be very severe. The effects of a drought can be devastating (disastrous), particularly to humans and their farms. This is because many plants and animals die due to lack of both water and food.Activity 2 - How do droughts affect ecosystems? Droughts affect all parts of an ecosystem. The following six boxes on this page and the next page list the effects of droughts.Complete the heading for each box with one of the following choices:

farmers plants decomposers

city people non-living things animals

1. How droughts affect…………………………………………

3. How droughts affect……………………………………………

Stop growing. Drop their leaves.Die back (get smaller). May die.

Stop growing and reproducing. May die.

2. How droughts affect…………………………………………

4. How droughts affect……………………………………………

May move to other areasMay stop reproducing.Destroy plants as they try to get food.May die.

Water levels in creeks, rivers and dams is low or non-existent.Winds cause dust storms, due to less plants and therefore less plant roots to hold the soil.

5. How droughts affect…………………………………………

6. How droughts affect……………………………………

Crops fail. Not enough food for livestock . Increased costs due to cost of

buying food for hand feeding stock.

Cannot water gardens as much. Restrictions on washing cars and filling

swimming pools. May be increased food costs due to

food having to be transported from places outside drought areas.

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Some plants and animals have adaptations to cope in droughtsDrought makes life very tough for farmers and for rural communities. However, many native plants and animals are well adapted for long dry periods. Many individuals may die, but the populations always recover. Even just a few survivors can rapidly re-grow the population after years of drought.

Many Australian plants produce drought-resistant seeds which can survive for decades, and sprout when conditions improve many years later.

Most Australian mammals are marsupials (pouched mammals), e.g. kangaroos, wombats, etc. This form of reproduction helps drought survival, because when there is little food and water, the marsupials simply stop reproducing. If they have an embryo already growing in their pouch, they can suspend its development until more water is available.

Also, most marsupials can survive on very little water because their body systems are adapted to conserve water. Some, like kangaroos, are highly mobile so they can move long distances to search for water and food supplies.

Exercise 31. Why do farmers have to buy in food to hand feed their stock during a drought?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why are there water restrictions for people who live in cities during a drought?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. State 3 adaptations found in kangaroos that help them to survive a drought.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 5 – Revision of ‘Australian Environments’There have been many scientific words used in this topic. Some are listed in the table below.

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non-living living community habitat senses rain gauge

decomposers detritivores consumers eaten herbivore carnivore

food web food chains recycled nutrients Sun chemist biologist

chloroplast aquatic terrestrial adaptation plant respiration

omnivore predator preydiurnal nocturnal interact

ecologisttemperature animals producers photosynthesisecosystem

Here is an activity for you to check if you remember their meanings and know how to spell them. If you need help, look at the words in the table above.

Activity 3 - Revision of words and their meanings1. A b _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is a person who would study the structure of a cat.2. A c _ _ _ _ _ _ is a person who would study the substances that make up different

compounds.3. Plants, animals, bacteria and fungi are called l_ _ _ _ _ things.4. The physical features of the environment such as wind are called n _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _

things.5. All the living and non-living things that interact in a particular area are called an e

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

6. The h _ _ _ _ _ _ of a living things is the place where it lives in an ecosystem.

7. The organisms found together in a particular place form a c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

8. A person who studies how living things interact with their environment is called an e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

9. When living things i _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , they affect each other.

10. Ecologists use their five s _ _ _ _ _ to investigate ecosystems.

11. Scientists use a thermometer to measure t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

12. Scientists use a r _ _ _ g _ _ _ _ to measure rainfall.

13. A _ _ _ _ _ _ feed on other living things, while plants make their own food in a process called p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

14. Plant cells have a structure called a c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in which photosynthesis occurs.

15. Since plants make their own food, they are called p _.

16. Animals are called c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ because they cannot make their own food and so they eat other living things.

17. A c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ eats only other animals, a h eatsonly plants and an o _ _ _ _ _ _ _ eats both plants and animals.

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18. D _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and d _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are both important because they break down rubbish into simpler substances that other living things can use.

19. Cellular r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is the process that plants and animals use to release energy from food.

20. The n _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that plants and animals use from their environment are r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ from previously living organisms.

Exercise 4: Revision Test

1. What do you call a scientist who studies the interactions of organisms with their environment?

a. biologistb. ecologistc. chemistd. geologist

2. What is an ecosystem?a. All the food chains and food webs in an area.b. Only the non-living things such as the rocks and soil in an area.c. All the living things that form a community in their habitat.d. All the living and non-living things that interact in an area.

3. Which of these statements is correct about plant and animal cells?a. All plant and animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm and a cell membrane.b. Both plant and animal cells have vacuoles, chloroplasts and cell walls.c. Both plant and animal cells have decomposers living in them.d. Only animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm and a cell membrane.

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4. What name is given to the process that plants use to make food?a. Cellular respiration.b. Photosynthesis.c. Chloroplasts.d. Food webs.

5. Which of these statements is correct about bacteria and fungi?a. They are decomposers that feed on dead plants and animals.b. They are detritivores that feed on decomposing plants and animals.c. They are producers that are found in all food chains.d. They are herbivores that recycle nutrients in the environment.

6. Why does cellular respiration occur in all the cells of all living things?a. To control the substances moving in and out of their cells.b. To store the food made in photosynthesis.c. To release energy from their food so that they can survive.d. So that living things can be nocturnal in the desert.

7. What type of animal is a dingo that is eating a mouse?a. Producerb. Omnivorec. Herbivored. Carnivore

8. Which statement correctly describes the relationships shown in the following food chain?

a. The snake is prey of the owl and the predator of the mouse.b. The mouse is prey of the owl and the snake.c. The snake is predator of the owl and the prey of the mouse.d. The owl is a predator of the snake, mouse and wheat.

9. Which of the following food chains is written correctly?

a. Dingo grass rabbit

b. Fox rabbit grass

c. grass beetle grasshopper hawk

d. grass caterpillar small bird

10. What is the source of energy for all the organisms in an ecosystem?a. Photosynthesisb. Sunc. Producers

wheat mouse snake owl

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d. Consumers

11. Which of the follow statements is correct?

a. Aquatic organisms live in water, terrestrial organisms live on land.

b. Aquatic organisms live on land, terrestrial organisms live in water.

c. All terrestrial organisms are adapted to living in dry ecosystems.d. All aquatic organisms have adaptations for surviving in cold

waters.

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Congratulations!

You completed your first Distance education module!

The last few pages attached are the answers for the activities in 4 parts covered, not exercises.

If you have any internet access and have not yet checked out the Google Classroom, hop on there

now and see some extras that you might be able to do.

Make sure to hold onto all your Booklets for when school inevitably returns.

Stay safe and keep your hands clean!Mr Danic & Mr Planting

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Australian Environments Distance Education Module ANSWER BOOKLET

Note: Answers are only for the activities. Exercises may need to be checked by a teacher or parent.

Multiple choice in Part 4 lesson 5 will be marked upon return to school.

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Part 1 – Activity Suggested answersLesson 1 – Scientists and scientific skills Activity 1

Activity 22.a. geologist, b. chemist, c. zoologist, d. botanist, e. ecologist

Lesson 2 - Looking at the environment Activity 3

Activity 41. a. rock platform b. creek c. mountain lake

d. mangrove mudflats e. river f. coral reef

Lesson 3 -Describing ecosystems Activity 51. organisms 6. environment

2. plants

3. animals

4. decomposers

5. interact

7. ecosystem

8. ecologist

9. community

10. habitat

Lesson 4 – How ecologists observe ecosystems, Activity 6

1. A good diagram should: have a heading to describe the whole diagram be drawn in pencil, so you can make changes easily have simple, clear lines that are drawn with a sharp pencil be drawn in cross-section, that is, in two dimensions have labels to describe important features have straight lines, drawn with a ruler, to link labels to parts of the

diagram show the size of the object, by using a scale2. (a) 60 mm (b) 12 m

(Did you remember to include the units?)

Activity 7

Lesson 5 – Measuring temperature and rainfall Activity 11

1.30ºC2. 6ºC3. 10 pm4. summer

Job Scientific skillJournalist able to extract relevant information from a variety of

sources, Journalist, Nurse,

Nurse able to check the reliability of data by comparing it with several sources, Journalist, Librarian

Swimming trainer

able to work in a team, Nurse, Swimming trainer, Librarian

Librarian able to record data accurately, Journalist, Nurse, Swimming trainer, Librarian

Living things gum tree snakeGrass, mushrooms

Non-living thingsriver airrocks wind

Branch of science Scientist

astronomy astronomer

biology biologist

botany botanist

chemistry chemist

ecology ecologist

geology geologist

zoology zoologist

Body part

Sense

eyes sight

ears hearing

nose smellskin touch

tongue taste

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Part 2 – Activity Suggested answersLesson 1 – Living things in your environment Activity 1

Living things Non-living things

butterfly dog grass gum tree moss mould person worm

air clouds paper sand stone water wooden toy

2. The five best answers are: They grow; They reproduce; They are made of cells They respond to a stimulus They use food and oxygen to make energy

Activity 2

Plants Animals

cabbage gum tree seaweed bird coral fish koala spider worm human

2. Plants are important in ecosystems because they carry out photosynthesis to make food for themselves and plants are food for other organisms in the ecosystem.Activity 3 1. cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus2. cell wall, vacuole, chloroplast, 3. chloroplastLesson 2 – Who eats what? Activity 4 (Page 14)Tony’s storyAt the zoo I saw a monkey eat peanuts, leaves and small grubs that live in the bark of a tree. The grubs were eating the rotting bark and leaves.

Who’s story? ProducersConsumers

Carnivore Herbivores Omnivores

Tony’s tree (leaves and bark) peanuts

grubs monkey

Marie’s lettuce Kingfish shark

fish* gulls

* Most fish are herbivores and some are carnivores. You cannot be sure which type of fish are in the story. So you can put ‘fish’ into either the herbivore or carnivore column.

Lesson 3 – Decomposers and detritivores Activity 51. Decomposers and detritivores are important because they break down rubbish into simpler substances that other living things can use.2. (a) animals (c) disease

(b) decomposers (d) Detritivores, earthworms

Lesson 4 – Food chains Activity 6

Activity 7

Marie’s story

I saw gulls eating fish by the seashore. The gulls also ate bread and lettuce from

my sandwiches. One of the gulls landed on the water and was eaten by a shark.

The shark must have come close to the shore looking for kingfish. The kingfish

were eating the same fish as the gulls.

Nutrients enter food chains when plants (producers) are eaten by animals

(consumers). Decomposers and detritivores break down dead plant and animal

remains. The breakdown of these organic remains allows nutrients to be returned to

the environment so that they can be reused by plants.

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1. a) ‘is eaten by’b) Grass is eaten by kangaroo and the kangaroo is eaten by the dingo.

2. seaweed → limpet → starfish

Activity 8 1. grass → grasshopper → sparrow → eagle2. The sparrow is the predator of the grasshopper, and it is also the

prey of the eagle.3. Plants make their own food. They do not need to eat other

organisms.[Note: The exception is carnivorous plants, such as Venus fly traps, pitcher plants and sundews. These plants catch small insects to get nitrates from them because the soils where they normally live do not contain this nutrient.]

Lesson 5 – Food webs Activity 9 (a) lettuce, grass, tree roots(b) caterpillar, bandicoot, small bird, fox(c) decomposers(d) caterpillar, bandicoot(e) small bird, fox(f) small bird, bandicoot(g) is eaten by

Part 3 – Activity Suggested answersLesson 1 - Different types of animals Activity 1 (Page 10)

Description NumberMasses of brown feeding pellets 5

Skeleton leaf 2Blotches on leaves 1

Bore holes in bark 4Pieces eaten out of leaves 3

There are 9 different types of evidence in the diagram. Lesson 2 – Different kinds of adaptations Activity 2 (Page 13 - 16)

Some examples of adaptations

1. Large eyes to see at night, strong wings to fly quickly, claws to grab small animals, a sharp hooked beak for tearing food.

2. A good sense of smell to find food and to avoid animals that could kill it, strong claws and legs for digging, strong jaws and teeth for chewing grasses.

3. Deep roots to reach for water, hard waxy leaves to prevent water escaping, hard leaves that do not dry out or wilt as quickly as other trees’ leaves.

4. An adaptation is a feature that helps an organism to survive in its environment.

5. Can run quickly, has large eyes to see food and enemies, a strong beak to eat fruit, plants and insects, and its colour helps it to hide.

Humans have adaptations

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6. Hair on the head insulates and protects the head. It stops too much heat being lost and stops the skin from being sunburnt.Eyelashes protect the eyes by stopping dust and grit getting into the eyes.

7. Your heart beats faster (so that sugar and oxygen can move more quickly in the bloodstream to your muscle cells, where they are needed for energy to be made).

8. Your body shivers.Lesson 3 – Animal adaptations, Activity 3

Purpose of adaptation

Adaptation For gathering

food

To protectthe animal

Produce poison Claws for digging

Special teeth for tearing, cutting or chewing food

Warning scents

Scents to attract their victims

Make noises to frighten other animals away

Silk nets are cast by spiders to trap their prey

Hairy nostrils and eyelashes to keep sand and dust out of noses and eyes

Thick fur to keep warm in cold climates

Beaks on birds to crush, peck or reach into very small places

Lesson 4 – Plant adaptations, Activity 4

A tap root goes deep into the ground, to get water and to act as an anchor.

A fibrous root spreads out to get water from a large space around the plant.

Did you say that aerial roots take in oxygen?

Activity 5 (Page 27)

AdaptationAustralian ecosystem that

adaptation would suit

Thick fleshy leaves with a waxy surface

desert

Aerial roots growing upwards out of the mud

mangrove mudflats

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Part 4 – Activity Suggested answers

Lesson 1 – Events affecting Australian ecosystems Activity

1 (Page 10)1. The interactions in an ecosystem can also change.

2. The environment of an organism is its surroundings. Scientists divide environments up into smaller parts called ecosystems. An ecosystem includes all the living things in a particular area along with the non-living parts of the environment with which they interact. The habitat of a living thing is the place where it lives in the ecosystem. The organisms found together in a particular place form a community.

3. Living things include organisms such as plants, animals, bacteria and fungi, as well as organisms that were once living and are now dead. Non-living things include such things as water, air, soil, rocks, metals, etc, as well as conditions such as rainfall, temperature, wind, light, etc.

Lesson 4 – What if there is a drought?

Activity 2 1. plants 4. non-living things2. animals 5.farmers3. decomposers

Lesson 5 – Revision of ‘Australian

Environments’ Activity 3 (Page 18 - 20)

1. biologist2. chemist3. living4. non-living5. ecosystem6. habitat7. community8. ecologist9. interact10. senses11. temperature12. rain gauge13. Animals,

photosynthesis14. chloroplast

15. producers16. consumers17. carnivore, herbivore, omnivore18. decomposers, detritivores19. respiration20. nutrients, recycled21. Sun, food chains22. eaten23. plant24. prey, predator25. food web26. adaptation27. Nocturnal, diurnal28. Terrestrial , aquatic