W.S.32. A place to live.

Name ………………………………………

The place where a plant or animal lives is called its HABITAT. All species have special
features called ADAPTATIONS which help them to survive in their habitats. For
example a polar bear has a thick coat of fur to protect it from the cold and a camel
can store large amounts of water in its stomach. The table below shows some of the
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS that are important for survival.

Environmental condition Why it is important for survival

Temperature This affects the chemical reactions inside the cells of
living organisms. When it is cold organisms slow down.

Light Plants need light to make food by photosynthesis.

Animals need the food that plants make.

Water Water is needed to dissolve chemicals for transport and

so that chemical reactions can take place.

Oxygen This is needed so that energy can be released inside the

cells by respiration. There is plenty of oxygen in the air
but it may be in short supply in water, soil or mud.

Exercise 1 – Join up the organisms below to their correct habitats.

shark buttercup newt monkey fox

meadow ocean woodland pond jungle

Exercise 2 – Complete the sentences below.

1) A __________ is the place where an organism lives.

2) An __________ is a special feature that helps an organism to survive.

3) An adaptation of a cactus is a thick ______________ outer covering.

4) An organism’s surroundings are called its ______________

5) _________ is needed for chemical reactions to take place inside cells.

environment adaptation water habitat waterproof

KS3 Science Revision Worksheets Special Edition  P. Hill, Beaver Educational Resources 2000. Registered to Fitzalan High School. CF11 8XB.
 W.S.33. Changing habitats. Name ………………………………………

The conditions in a habitat are always changing from day to night and from one
season to the next. Light and temperature increase after sunrise and usually reach a
peak at midday. In dry deserts the days are very hot but the nights are cold.
Lizards and snakes need to absorb heat from their surroundings to keep their
bodies working quickly.

Early morning the lizard basks Later in the morning At midday the temperature
in the sun to warm its body so the lizard is very active in the desert is too high and
that it can move more quickly. and hunts for food. the lizard hides in the shade.

The lizard’s behaviour is an adaptation to help it to survive. Many desert animals are
NOCTURNAL (only active at night) when it is cooler.

The British winter is very cold and there is little food. Many animals grow a thicker
fur coat to reduce heat loss. Some animals HIBERNATE. This is like a deep sleep. The
body temperature falls and the heart and breathing almost stop. The body needs less
energy and the animal can use its stored fat reserves over the winter.

Many birds MIGRATE during the winter months. This means that they fly to warmer
countries where they can find enough food.

Exercise 1 – Write down the correct words beside their meanings.

Word Meaning

____________________ Only active at night.

____________________ A deep sleep to save energy.

____________________ Fly to a warmer country.

Exercise 2 – Complete the missing words in the passage below.

The conditions in a habitat are always C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ from day to night.
In a desert it may be very hot during the day and C _ _ _ at night. Many
desert animals are N _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The British winter is very cold and
there is not much F _ _ _ for animals. Some animals adapt to cold
winters by growing a T _ _ _ _ _ _ fur coat. Most animals store F _ _
under the skin during autumn. Animals hibernate to save E _ _ _ _ _

KS3 Science Revision Worksheets Special Edition  P. Hill, Beaver Educational Resources 2000. Registered to Fitzalan High School. CF11 8XB.
W.S.34. Food chains. Name ………………………………………

Green plants make food by PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Animals must feed on plants or

other animals. The food is passed along a FOOD CHAIN.

grass woodmouse fox

Food chains always begin with plants. Animals that eat plants are called
HERBIVORES. Animals that eat other animals are called CARNIVORES. Carnivores
are also called PREDATORS and the animals that they hunt are called the PREY. In
most habitats there are more plants than herbivores and more herbivores than
carnivores. This can be shown with a PYRAMID OF NUMBERS.

FOX

WOODMOUSE

GRASS

Pyramids of numbers are usually large at the bottom and small at the top.
Sometimes they have a different shape because of the different sizes of the
organisms in them. Two examples of this are shown below.

FLEAS

BLUE TITS LIONS

GREENFLY ZEBRA

ROSE BUSH GRASS

Exercise - Fill in the missing words in the passage below.

In habitats there is a mixture of ..................... herbivores and carnivores.

Carnivores are animals that eat other ......................... Herbivores eat
plants and are ..................... by carnivores. Another name for carnivores is
......................... and the animals that they hunt are called the .........................
The amount of plants in a habitat must be ..................... than the amount of
herbivores or else the herbivores would run out of .................... In the
same way there must be ........................ carnivores than herbivores.

predators animals food fewer eaten plants prey greater

KS3 Science Revision Worksheets Special Edition  P. Hill, Beaver Educational Resources 2000. Registered to Fitzalan High School. CF11 8XB.
 W.S.35. Food webs. Name ………………………………………

Food chains can be connected together to make FOOD WEBS. The diagram below
shows a food web in a lake.

large fish grebe

water beetle small fish newt

tadpole water snail water louse

pondweed algae (tiny plants) dead tree leaves

Exercise - Complete the food chains and sentences below.

PONDWEED ……………………………… WATER BEETLE LARGE FISH

LEAF WATER LOUSE ……………………………… GREBE

1) The predators of small fish are ____________ and _____________

2) The prey of water beetles are _____________

3) The prey of grebes are _____________ and ______________

4) The animal that only eats dead tree leaves is the ______________

5) The 3 herbivores are __________ __________ and ____________

6) The 2 top predators are the ____________ and ____________

KS3 Science Revision Worksheets Special Edition  P. Hill, Beaver Educational Resources 2000. Registered to Fitzalan High School. CF11 8XB.
 W.S.36. Poisoned food chains. Name ………………………………………

Farmers often spray their crops with PESTICIDES to kill pests such as
insects and weeds. Pesticides may stay in the environment (surroundings)
a long time and poison animals higher up the food chains. Pesticides can
also be washed into streams and ponds. The diagram below shows how
pesticides can build up along food chains.

One hawk
eats many
small birds.

One small bird eats

many caterpillars.

One caterpillar eats many leaves

and takes in the pesticide.

A farmer sprays his crop with pesticide.

If the pesticide is passed on from the caterpillars into small birds and
then into the hawk we can see how it would quickly build up in the hawk’s
body. Scientists are now trying to make pesticides that only affect the
pest and break down a short time after they have been used. They are
also trying to find other ways of controlling pests by using their natural
enemies. This is called BIOLOGICAL CONTROL.

Exercise – Complete the sentences below.

1) P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are poisons that kill pests.

2) Pesticides can get into food C _ _ _ _ _ and poison other animals.

3) Small B _ _ _ _ eat many insects which may have pesticides in them.

4) Hawks may be P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ by eating birds that contain pesticides.

5) Pesticides can also be washed into S _ _ _ _ _ _ and P _ _ _ _

6) B _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ control means using a pest’s natural enemy to

destroy it.
KS3 Science Revision Worksheets Special Edition  P. Hill, Beaver Educational Resources 2000. Registered to Fitzalan High School. CF11 8XB.