1.12 General science

Natural sciences

Life and way of living

Educator section

Memorandum

1. Each organism is adapted for a particular way of life. In this way many organisms are able to live together without having to compete for food

2. Organisms are changing continually in an effort to improve their adaptation to the environment.

3. Changes in the environment.

4. The temperature is rising.

5. No. Some will probably become extinct.

6. They will have to adapt to the changes. Their ability to adapt will depend on the degree and tempo of changes in the environment.

The extinction of the dinosaurs: Discuss drastic changes such as the arrival of the ice age with the learners and mention the speed with which it occurred, etc. Encourage them to collect information and to bring it to the class.

Human beings can contribute to it through disruption of the natural balance, e.g. by destroying forests, pollution, and extermination of particular animal species.

Leaner section

Content

Activity 13: to apply conceptual knowledge, to arrive at conclusions and to dare make predictions [lo 2.3, lo 2.4]

Diversity and change

You now know that a large variety of plants and animals occur in ecosystems. Try to answer the following questions:

1. Why is there a variety (diversity) of plants and animals (why do plants differ from one another and why do animals differ from one another)?

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2. Will the plants and animals that are alive today remain unchanged forever or will they gradually change? Explain your answer.

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3. What causes plants and animals to change?

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4. Name one non-living factor that currently is busy changing and that eventually will cause the nature of ecosystems all over the world to change.

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