Animal Survival - Lesson Plan

The lesson plan provided by The Primary Science Advisory Service Ltd is aimed at Year 2 students and focuses on the basic needs of animals for survival, which include water, food, and air. Students will explore these needs through a series of activities that encourage observation, pattern recognition, grouping, classifying, and comparative testing. They will build on previous learning from Year 1, where they identified and named common animals, and prepare for future topics such as nutrition and the digestive system in Years 3 and 4, and the impact of diet and lifestyle on body function in Year 6. The lesson also corrects common misconceptions, such as the belief that camel humps store water or that polar bears have white fur, when in fact their skin is black and their fur is colourless and hollow.

Throughout the lesson, students will engage in cross-curricular activities, including writing a pet care guide in English, drawing pictures of pets in Art, and constructing birdfeeders in Design and Technology, ensuring a comprehensive educational experience. Health and safety considerations are also outlined, with specific instructions for activities such as making birdfeeders. The lesson includes interactive components like creating a Survival Mind Map and playing the Needs or Wants Card Game, which help students differentiate between what is essential for survival and what is merely desirable. Equipment needed for the lesson is listed, and important guidance is provided for activities such as observing birdfeeders over time to understand seasonal changes in birds' feeding habits. The lesson plan is structured to facilitate understanding of animal survival in a hands-on and engaging manner.