Vertebrate classificationDo you have a dog or a cat as a pet? These animals both fall under the kingdom Animalia. Their bodies are made of billions of cells. All animals are consumers. That means that they do not make their own food. They need to eat other living things in order to survive. Animals that eat meat are carnivores (kahr-nuh-vohrs). Some animals only eat plants. They are herbivores (hur- buh-vohr). Some animals eat both plants and animals. They are omnivores (om-nuh-vawrs).

What are Vertebrates?Take your hand and run it up and down the center of your back. Do you feel anything? That hard bone in your back is your backbone. That bone is inside of your body. That is why you are able to stand upright. Your backbone is a part of your skeletal structure. Together, they protect your vital organs such as your lungs. Nerves that connect your brain to other parts of your body run through your spine. All vertebrates have a backbone that serves the same purpose. Some vertebrates are small and some are very large.

Categories of VertebratesVertebrates can live almost everywhere. They can live in the deepest ocean, and they can live in the driest desert. They can even survive in the Arctic. There are five categories of vertebrates. They are fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

FishHave you ever gone fishing? Fish are the only group of living things who spend their entire life in water. A number of factors are used to classify an organism as a fish. Fish do not breathe with the help of lungs like you and me. They breathe through gills. Gills are located on both sides of their head. They are able to take oxygen out of the water through their gills. Fish use their fins to move around in water. Fish are cold blooded. That means that their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment. Examples of fish include stingrays and tuna.

BirdsBirds are a special group of vertebrates. Birds are the only living things with feathers. These feathers help birds to float on air with their wings. Birds lay eggs that have a hard shell. This shell protects the egg from predators. Birds are warm blooded. They can be found all over the world. Examples of birds include parrots and pigeons.

Mammals (mam-uh lz)Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrate animals. They are warm blooded, because they are able to regulate, or control, their own body temperature. That means that warm-blooded creatures are able to live in many parts of the world. Some mammals live on land and some live in water. Mammal babies grow inside of their mother. When the babies are strong enough to survive outside of their mother's body, the mother will give birth. Mammals feed their babies by producing (making) milk. Mammals breathe by using their lungs. Most mammals, such as yourself, have four limbs. Your limbs include your hands and your legs. A mammal's body is covered with hair or fur. Apart from humans, examples of mammals include whales, dolphins, lions, and dogs.

Reptiles (rep-tilz)Reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates. That means that they are not able to control their own body temperature. This limits where reptiles can live. Reptiles do not eat as often as other warm-blooded vertebrates. Reptiles produce their young when they lay eggs. When reptiles are strong enough to survive on their own, they leave the eggs (hatching). Reptiles breathe the same way you do. They have lungs. Reptiles have a special skin. Their skin is dry and very tough. Examples of reptiles include lizards, snakes, and crocodiles.

Amphibians (am-fib-ee-uh nz)Amphibians, just like reptiles, are cold-blooded vertebrates. Amphibians lay eggs. They have gills and lungs depending on their age. As they get older, they outgrow their gills and develop lungs. Amphibians can live on both land and water. They have four limbs. The soft skin of amphibians allow them to absorb water and air. Examples of amphibians include frogs, newts, and toads.

Name:_______________________________________________ Date: __________________________

1. Which of the following is true about all vertebrates?

A. They all have feathers B. They all have a backbone C. They are all mammals D. They all take care of their babies

2. Which of the following is NOT a vertebrate animal group? A. Amphibians B. Reptiles C. Insects D. Mammals

7. What is the difference between a cold blooded and a warm blooded organism? A. Cold blooded are evil living things, while warm blooded are good living things. B. Cold blooded can control their own body temperature, but warm blooded cannot. C. Cold blooded cannot control their body temperature but warm blooded can. D. Warm blooded like to live where it is warm and cold blooded animals like to live where it is cold.

8. Which of the following has a soft body and

3. A. B. C. D.

4. A. B. C. D.

5.

Why are fish classified as vertebrates? They can live in water only They have scales They have a backbone All of the above

Which animal does not belong? DogCat Starfish Fish

Why are living things sorted into groups?

can live on land or in water? A. Birds B. Amphibians C. Mammals D. Fish

9. How would you classify the following organisms?

They breathe with lungs Their babies hatch from eggs They are cold-blooded They have dry and tough skin

A. B. C. D.

To make it easier to sell themTo make them easier to study To make them easier to look at All of the above

A

. B. C. D.

Fish Reptiles Amphibians Bird

6. How would you classify a warm blooded organism that has wings and does not lay eggs? A. Birds B. Reptiles C. Mammals D. Fish

10. Classify the following organism that Sam discovered:

Does not have lungs Lays eggs Lives only in water

Has scales Which of the following accurately describes the

organism that Sam discovered

(A) Mammals (B) Amphibians (C) Birds (D) Fish

The Ecosystem of the Forest

1. Even if it doesn't look like it, all living things constantly interact with their environment. For instance, every time you take a breath, you get oxygen from the air, and every time you breathe back out, you release carbon dioxide into the world around you. Both oxygen and carbon dioxide are vital gases that different organisms can use. You, a human, need the oxygen for energy and need to get rid of the carbon dioxide, because it's a waste matter.

2. Just like us, all other organisms take something from their environment while putting waste back into it. When several kinds of organisms interact with each other in one particular area, it's called an ecosystem. In the forest, living beings (plants, animals, insects, fungi and bacteria) all interact with each other and with the soil and water to form the forest's specific kind of ecosystem.

3. So, how does it work? Every organism in the forest can be put in one of three categories. Depending on which category they're in, they'll interact with each other and the forest's resources in a different way. The categories are producer, decomposer and consumer. Let's look at each one.

4. Producers are living things that can make their own energy out of nonliving resources all around them like, oxygen and water. They're also known as autotrophs. Autotrophs do not need to kill anything in order to eat. Plants and algae, for example, are producers. In the forest's ecosystem, the trees, shrubs and moss are all producers. They turn water and sunlight into the energy they need to live and grow, through a process called photosynthesis. And remember that carbon dioxide you expelled as waste matter? Well, for plants, carbon dioxide is a vital gas. It is used to help aid with the process of photosynthesis.

The Ecosystem of the Forest

5. Like producers, decomposers don't need to kill another living being to obtain food. However, they differ from producers because they still need to get their nutrients from other organisms or from waste matter expelled by other organisms. Usually they eat dead animals and plants. Bacteria and certain kinds of fungi are examples of decomposers. They're very important because by helping break down dead organisms, they actually provide energy to living ones.

6. Consumers are the living beings that need to eat other organisms to survive. You may have heard about this group as being "at the top of the food chain." They're also known as heterotrophs. Humans are heterotrophs who eat both plants and animals to live. In the forest, a deer eating plants, a wolf hunting deer, a hawk eating rodents, and rodents eating both bugs and plants, are all examples of the ecosystem's consumers. As you can see, carnivores, omnivores and herbivores are all different kinds of heterotrophs. It doesn't matter which kind of organism they eat; as long as they eat other organisms to survive, they're consumers/heterotrophs.

7. So, now that you know each type of player, how does the ecosystem's cycle work? Well, when an organism dies and its body decomposes, bacteria go to work. Let's imagine the dead organism is a deer. Bacteria obtain energy from the deer's body, while helping it decompose efficiently. When the deer's body breaks down, because of the work done by the bacteria, it returns to the soil. This is important for the earth, because the carcass actually gives vital energy back to the environment. It makes the soil rich in nutrients for plants to grow there. Grasses, flowers and trees then grow in that soil and get the energy they need, along with energy from the sun and water. The water also filters through the soil, which is necessary for the forest's flowers and trees to be able to take it up through their roots. Heterotrophs, like deer, eat those plants to get their energy, and other heterotrophs, like wolves, eat the deer for their energy.

8. As you can see, in a forest ecosystem or any kind of ecosystem, every being interacts with other beings. What's important to remember is that each part of the ecosystem is as important as another. Without soil, there'd be no plants. With no plants, there'd be no deer, rodents or certain kinds of insects. And without tiny microbes (remember, the decomposers), animals and plants would die without their bodies being returned to the earth. Because forests cover about a quarter of the total land surface of the world, keeping their ecology balanced is important for the entire earth.

Questions: The Ecosystem of the Forest

Name: _____________ Date: _______________________

1. What is an ecosystem?

A A living being, such as a human, that eats other living beings in order to survive Bthe process by which the body of a living thing is broken down by decomposers

C one particular area where several kinds of organisms interact with each other D an organism that breathes in oxygen and then breathes out carbon dioxide

2. What does this passage explain?

A. This passage explains what the difference between plants and fungi is. B. This passage explains what an ecosystem is and how it works. C. This passage explains how oxygen is used by the human body after it is breathed in. D. This passage explains what happens when a decomposer dies in the forest.

3. In an ecosystem, different organisms interact with each other.

What evidence from the passage supports this statement?

A Plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide in a process called photosynthesis. B Forest ecosystems cover about a quarter, or one-fourth, of the total land surface in the world. C Producers are living things that can make their own energy out of non-livingresources. D A deer decomposing in the soil provides food for bacteria and nutrients for

plants to grow.

4. Based on the information in the passage, what do all ecosystems have in common?

A All ecosystems are home to living beings that interact with each other. B All ecosystems are home to trees, deer, humans, rodents, wolves, hawks, and bacteria. C All ecosystems have an equal number of consumers, decomposers, andproducers. D All ecosystems have a few consumers that do not interact with decomposersand producers.

5. What is this passage mainly about?

A the differences between oxygen and carbon dioxide B different kinds of consumers and the reasons they are "at the top of the food chain" C different organisms in a forest ecosystem and how they interact D what happens when the ecology of a forest is thrown off-balance

1

Questions: The Ecosystem of the Forest

6. Read the following sentence: "Consumers are the living beings who need to eat other organisms to survive."

What does the word "organisms" mean?

A environments B waste matter C categories D living things

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Every organism in the forest can be put in one of three categories, _______ producer, decomposer, or consumer.

A namely B although C as a result D earlier

8. What is a decomposer?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2

Name: ____________________ Date: _______________

Period: _________

Ecological Succession

Ecosystems constantly change. A tree falling in a forest affects the forest ecosystem. A fire might alter the forest habitat so much that some species cannot survive and others can thrive. The process of one community replacing another as a result of changing abiotic and biotic factors is called ecological succession.

How does soil form in primary succession?

There are two types of ecological succession – primary and secondary succession. Primary succession is the establishment of a community in an area of bare rock that does not have topsoil. For example, suppose a lava flow alters an ecosystem. The lava hardens to form bare rock. Usually, lichens begin to grow on the rock first. Because lichens and some mosses are among the first organisms to appear, they are called pioneer species.

Pioneer species secrete acids that help break down rocks. As pioneer species die, their decaying organic materials mix with small pieces of rock. This is the first stage of soil development. Small weedy plants begin to grow in the soil. These organisms die, adding to the soil. Seeds brought by animals, water, and wind begin to grow. Eventually, enough soil forms to support trees and shrubs.

It might take hundreds of years for the ecosystem to become balanced and achieve equilibrium. When an ecosystem is in equilibrium, there is no net change in the number of species. New species come into the community at about the same rate that others leave the community. This is a climax community – a stable, mature community in which there is little change in the number of species.

How does secondary succession occur?

Disturbances such as fire or flood can disrupt a community. After a disturbance, new species of plants and animals might occupy the habitat. Over time, the species belonging to the climax community are likely to return. Secondary succession is the orderly and predictable change that takes place after a community of organisms has been removed but the soil remains. Pioneer species begin the process of restoring a habitat after a disruption. The figure below shows how the community changes after a forest fire, leading again to a mature climax community.

Comprehension Questions

1. What are two things mentioned in the reading that can happen that might affect an ecosystem?

2. Define ecological succession.

3. What is primary succession?

4. Describe an example of primary succession.

5. What is a pioneer species?

6. How long might it take for an ecosystem to become balanced?

7. What happens when an ecosystem is in equilibrium?

8. Define climax community.

9. Name two things that can disrupt a community.

10. What is secondary succession?

Erosion Rachelle Kreisman

1. Nature is always changing. Those changes are called natural events. Some natural events happen quickly. Think of a fire that starts when lightning strikes a tree. Other events occur slowly, such as when rocks are worn down over hundreds of years. Erosion (ih-ROH-jzun) is the name given to that very slow change.

2. Moving water can cause erosion. Have you ever seen waves crash against rocks on the shore? The water can chip off small pieces of rock. As more waves hit the rocks, the pieces become even smaller. Eventually, those pieces may turn into sand.

3. Ice can cause erosion. Some mountains have solid sheets of ice near the top. During warmer weather, a bit of ice melts. Then the sheet of ice may move slowly down the mountain. As the solid ice moves, it scrapes rocks, breaking off pieces.

4. Wind also causes erosion. Wind can blow sand and dirt. It can carry the dirt far away. In some places, strong wind will push sand against rocks. Over a long period of time, the wind wears down those rocks.

Landforms, Weathering, and Erosion

1 How many people have been to the Rocky Mountains or the Grand Canyon? When people go to visit these natural wonders, they may not realize that it took millions of years for each of them to form. Today, the Earth continues to go through changes that effect the land around us. Many of these changes, such as the formation of a canyon or mountain range can take millions of years.

2 Many of the changes to the Earth's surface come about through the process of weathering, erosion, and deposition. The surface of the Earth is constantly exposed to water, wind, ice, and growing plants. Each of these can break down rocks into smaller and smaller pieces. This breaking down of the rocks is called weathering. Water can cause some rocks and minerals to dissolve. When this happens underground, huge caverns can be formed. Water rushing through these underground caves pushes the smaller bits of rock and sand away and soothes down rough edges of larger rocks. Strong winds can also break down large rocks into smaller pieces and smooth out rough parts of large rocks. The wind can carry away very small pieces of rocks and dirt to other places. Ice can cause rocks to break as well. When water seeps into small cracks of rocks and freezes, the ice expands and breaks the rock. Plants can also break some rocks as their roots grow underground. The roots spread inside cracks and cause the rocks to break apart.

3 When water and wind carry small pieces of rock, sand, and dirt from one place to another it is called erosion. Erosion carries materials that have been weathered away from a place. These materials are then dropped and left in a new place in the final part of the cycle. The cycle that began with weathering and continued with erosion is now concluded with deposition. Deposition is the leaving of the particles in a new place. The cycle of weathering, erosion, and deposition destroys old natural structures and create new ones. This cycle is responsible for creating many of the natural structures on the Earth. These natural structures are called landforms. 4 Some of the most common landforms created by moving water are canyons. As rivers flow, they weather and erode the surface of the Earth around them. The rivers literally carve deeper and deeper into the Earth's surface. After many years, the rivers have cut deeply into the surface of the Earth. The high walls on either side of a river along with the river itself are now known as a canyon. The Grand Canyon in Arizona was formed by the weathering and erosion caused by the Colorado River. 5 Moving water and wind are the major forces behind weathering, erosion, and deposition, but ice can also generate the cycle. In many cold parts of the world there are very large sheets of ice on the Earth's surface. These huge chunks of ice are called glaciers. Glaciers move very slowly across the Earth's surface. As glaciers move, the ice scrapes away pebbles, rocks, and even large boulders. As the glacier drags the pieces of rock along, holes are formed in the land. If a glacier melts, some of the rock and dirt is left behind, completing the cycle of weathering, erosion, and deposition. Some of the glaciers leave behind open holes in the surface of the Earth that are large enough that they are considered valleys. As glaciers melt, these valleys can fill with water to form lakes.

6 The area where the land meets the ocean is called the coastline. Because this coastline is a place where water is constantly crashing against the land, the place is always changing. The land area next to the ocean may be filled with rocky cliffs or sandy beaches. Winds that push waves toward the shore weather away rocks on the shore. These same waves can erode away the sand on the beach or deposit more sand onto the beach.

7 The natural cycle of weathering, erosion, and deposition does not create all of the Earth's landforms. Some mountains are created when land is squeezed together. When this happens, some of the surface of the Earth is pushed upward, forming a mountain range. The Appalachians in North America were formed in this way. Other types of mountains are made when landslides upward or downward along a crack in the Earth's surface called a fault.

8 Canyons and mountains take a long time to form. Some things can change the Earth's surface relatively quickly. Volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, and landslides can cause rapid changes to the surface of the Earth. Volcanoes are formed when melted rock, called magma, from deep inside the Earth pushes upward and breaks through the Earth's surface. When the magma pushed upward, it caused the land to rise forming a volcano. When the magma makes it to the surface it is called lava. When the magma pushes out onto the surface of the Earth as lava, it is known as an eruption. An eruption not only can throw lava onto the Earth's surface, but can also throw ash, hot boulders, and gases into the air. Volcanoes can be very destructive. Earthquakes happen when giant pieces of rock push against each other underneath the Earth. These pieces of rock touch each other along a fault. When the rocks push against each other, one of the pieces suddenly begins to move a short distance. The force of this movement causes powerful waves to spread out from the point where the pieces of rock have pushed against each other. These waves are what is known as an earthquake. Landslides are caused when the force of gravity pulls down some of the land on the slope of a hill. Dirt and rock then come crashing down onto the surface. The loosened rock and dirt is usually eroded away and deposited somewhere else. Floods are usually caused by heavy rain. Floodwater can weather and erode rock and other landforms as the water rushes across the land. Dirt eroded away in a flood is deposited in a new place, usually at the mouth of a river.

9 The face of the Earth is always changing. Forces such as water, wind, and ice create many of these changes. These forces cause rocks and other landforms to break down in a process known as weathering. These forces can also move pieces of the Earth in a process known as erosion. When the pieces of Earth are left in a new place it is called deposition. It normally takes many, many years for the changes to be noticeable. Millions of years from now, the surface of the Earth may look much different than it does today.

1) The breaking down of rocks on the Earth's surface is called -

2) List at least 3 forces that can weather the surface of the Earth.

3) The process in which pieces of dirt and rock move from one place to another is called -

4) How does a glacier change the surface of the Earth?

5) How is a canyon formed?

6) The process in which eroded pieces of rock are left in a new place is called?

7.) What does the word weathering mean in paragraph 2?a) The breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces by natural forces.b) The moving of pieces of the Earth from one place to another.c) The destruction of natural resources by wind and water.d) Types of landforms created by living organisms.

8.) What does the word erosion mean in paragraph 3?a) The breaking down of rocks by wind and water.b) The moving of pieces of rock and dirt from one place to another.c) Rock and dirt left behind by natural forces.d) The movement of glaciers

9.) The word landforms in paragraph 3 means?a) A force such as wind and water.b) Types of energyc) Natural structure such as movement and canyons on the Earthd) The moving of rocks from one place to another

10.) The word deposition in paragraph 3 means the?a) Leaving a small particle of the Earth in a new placeb) Breaking down the Earth surface.c) Moving pieces of the Earth by forces such as water or iced) Formation of new particles of rock and dirt

11.) Which words in paragraph 5 help the reader to know the meaning of the word glacier?a) Major forces.b) Huge chunks of icec) Drags the pieces of rockd) Valleys can fill with water

12.) What does the word coastline mean in paragraph 6?a) The area where rocks underneath the surface of the Earth touch.b) The place where magma pushes out to the surface of the Earth.c) The place where rivers leave rocks and dirt behind.d) The area where the oceans meet the land.

13.) A fault in paragraph 7 is a?a) Crack in the Earth’s surfaceb) Piece of rockc) Type of earthquaked) Type of mountain

14.) What does the word magma mean in paragraph 8?a) Melted rock b) Large particles of sandc) Unknown volcanoesd) Underground volcanoes

15.) What does the word lava mean in paragraph 8?a) Large cracks in the Earth’s surface.b) Magma that has pushed through to the surface of the Earth.c) The force of wind.d) Very hot water.

Weather or Climate?1. What is the difference between climate and weather? The simple answer is “Time”2. Weather is what is happening in the atmosphere, the mixture of gases around the Earth, at a certain time

and place. Weather changes constantly. Air masses move. Fronts form when two air masses of different temperatures with different moisture contents meet. Then the weather will change. Often a front brings thunderstorms. Warm air rises. Cooler air sinks. It rains. It’s sunny. Weather changes from day to day or from hour to hour.

3. Climate is the average weather in a place over a long time. Weather data is recorded for a number of years. Climate is the average weather that has been recorded. Earth has many different climate zones. Tropical climate zones lie on either side of the equator. Polar zones are found near the North and the South Poles. Temperature climates are not too hot or too cold. Desert climates don’t receive much rainfall. Climate change is a trend of change in climate averages of the past.

4. Many things affect the climate of a place. One thing is latitude. Latitude is a measure of the distance form of the equator. Higher latitudes are closer to the North or South Pole. There, the sun’s rays are less direct than the equator. The sun’s energy is spread out over a larger area. There the land and ocean don’t get as much of the sun’s heat, so they have lower temperatures. At the equator, the sun’s rays are nearly at a right angle to Earth’s surface. The suns energy is concentrated. Land and ocean waters receive more heat than those near the poles.

5. Wind patterns affect the climate. If the wind starts out over water, it carries more water. If wind begin over land, the air mass is dryer. If the winds begin at high latitudes, the air masses are colder. Winds start out in the tropics carry warmer air.

6. Mountains affect the climate of a place. Along the mountains of the western coast of the U.S., for one example, it is common to have lush green forests on the windward side. Moist air over the Pacific holds lots of water. The wind blows the moist air toward the mountains. The mountains is a barrier that pushes air upward, and this causes it to cool. Cool air holds less moisture, so it rains on the side of the mountain facing the coast. The air that passes over the other side is dry. This is called the rain shadow effect. Because of this effect, desserts often are found on the leeward side (the side away from the wind) of mountains.

7. Ocean currents also shape the climate of a place. A current is a steady flow of water moving in one direction, like a river in the ocean. Warm ocean currents like the Jet Stream move heat from the near the equator to the colder north. This makes the climate warmer along the coast of Great Britain, for instance. Currents in the ocean help distribute the uneven heat of the sun. Warmer water moves from the equator toward the poles. Cold water around the poles moves toward the equator.

8. Weather changes from day to day. Climate is the average weather over a number of years in a particular area. Different patterns of temperature and rainfall are found in different climates. Many different factors affect the climate of a certain place.

Copyright © 2013 edHelper

1. _____ is what happening in the air or atmosphere at one time in one place.a) Climateb) Weather

2. Weather stays the same all the timea) True b) False

3. What happens when two different air masses enter?a) Fronts Formb) The weather will changec) Thunderstorms often happend) All of the above

4. What does the rain shadow effect explain? a) It explains why the climate is changingb) It explains why it often rains in the rainforest.c) It explains why deserts are often found on the leeward side of mountains d) It explains why clouds make shadows on the ground

5. What is climate?a) The average weather in a place over a long timeb) The same as weatherc) The reason for deserts near some mountainsd) All of the above

6. Which one of these does not affect the climate of a place?a) Ocean currents b) Ground coverc) Latituded) Mountains

7. The authors main purpose for the writing this story was to _______________a) Persuade readers that climate and weather are the sameb) Entertain readers with weather stories c) Inform readers with facts about climate and weatherd) Express the writer’s feelings about warm climates

8. How do ocean currents affect climate? Explain.___________________________________________________________________________________

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