WRIGGLE AND CRAWL

Week Two – Session One

Key Vocabulary

Minibeast

A small invertebrate animal such as an insect or spider.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Micro-habitat

A small specialised habitat within a larger habitat.

What is a habitat?Habitats are places where animals and plants live. The

plants and animals - including humans - in a habitat need each other to survive. Most things live

in habitats to which they are suited and different habitats provide for the basic needs of different

kinds of animals and plants.

Micro-habitatsMinibeasts can live in most habitats, from dry deserts to lakes. They often live in what are called 'micro-habitats', like a stone, a log, a tree or some dead leaves. These might be found in a range of larger habitats, but are

often perfect for minibeasts to live in or under.

Let’s find out a little bit more about micro-habitats

Please follow this link to watch a video:‘Exploring Micro-habitats’

https://hatfield-community-free-school.primarysite.media/

Spider

• Spiders are able to live just about anywhere.

• They do well in all types of habitats but they do have to find shelter when the weather

gets colder.

• Their body colours help them blend in well to their

surroundings.

• Spiders build webs to catch small insects to eat.

Ladybird

• During the summer, ladybirds live in shrubs, branches, and flowers.

• When the weather gets colder they find protective hiding places, such as tree stumps or cracks in wood.

This then becomes a place to hibernate - at the base of a tree, or even under a rock. They crawl under leaves to protect themselves

from the winter cold.

• When hibernating, ladybirds huddle together in order to keep

warm.

Honey Bee

• Honey Bees like to live in areas with lots of flowering plants, such

as gardens and meadows.

• In their natural habitats, they build nests inside holes in trees and under objects to keep them

safe from predators.

• Humans also build beehives for them to live in - usually

wooden boxes.

• In colder climates, honey bees store more honey to prepare for

the winter.

Snail

• Snails can survive nearly everywhere and can be found

all around the world.

• Some have adapted to survive in the water and you can even find snails in the desert!

• Snails prefer to stay close to rocks and plants to hide from

natural predators.

Photo courtesy of forbesimages (@flickr.com) –

granted under creative commons licence - attribution

Woodlouse

• Woodlice like dark damp places to hide during the day, such as compost heaps and woodland

gardens.

• They are the only species of crustacean that live on land and

not in the water.

• Woodlice can curl up into a ball to protect themselves from

predators.

Butterfly

• Butterflies can survive in varied habitats around the world. Some

live during the day and others are nocturnal. Some prefer the heat of

summer but others can live through Autumn and Winter. In the UK, butterflies tend to prefer

grasslands with lots of wild flowers. Each plant will usually be

food for a different type of caterpillar (butterfly larvae)

Caterpillar

• Caterpillars like to live on top and underneath leaves.

• This is so they can use their camouflage and blend

into the leaf.

• This helps protect them so they cannot be seen by

predators.

• The caterpillars can then also catch what they want

to eat.

Ant

• Ants mostly live underground.

• They live in big families.

• There are lots of insects to eat underground.

• Ants don’t have ears. Ants “hear” by feeling vibrations in the ground

through their feet.

Worm

• Worms like to live anywhere there is soil.

• They like to eat dead leaf matter and need the soil to

be moist.

• Worms help keep soil healthy as they dig tunnels that let air and water into soil and to the roots of

plants.

Task• Choose a minibeast and draw it.

• Underneath, write a short paragraphanswering the following questions:

- What is this minibeast’s micro-habitat?

- What is needed in the micro-habitat for itto survive?

• Repeat this for two more minibeasts.

Steps to Success:- I can match a minibeast to its

habitat.- I can identify what is needed in a

habitat for a minibeast to survive.

Plenary

Miss Wright wants to re-home one ant.

She thinks a fish bowl could be a suitablemicro-habitat for an ant.

Write a sentence convincing her that this is the wrong micro-habitat for this minibeast.

Quickly! Before it’s too late..

WRIGGLE AND CRAWL

Week Two – Session Two

Key Vocabulary

Adapt

Make suitable/adjust to new conditions.

Survive

Continue to live in spite of danger.

Protect

Keep safe from harm or injury.

How have minibeasts adapted to survive?Did you ever have a fly land on your nose, get stung by a bee, or feel the squishy feeling after accidentally stepping on a caterpillar?

You've probably noticed that minibeasts are everywhere, but did you ever wonder why there are so many minibeasts in the world?The reason is that minibeasts are masters of adaptations, meaning they have developed different features that help them survive.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways minibeasts have adapted to help them survive in different habitats..

Protective CoatsExoskeleton

Unlike you, many insects wear their skeletons on the outside of their bodies. The exoskeleton, or outer skeleton, gives the bug its shape. For a bug, wearing an exoskeleton is like wearing a suit of armour because the hard cover protects the bug's body organs and adds a layer of protection against the bite of a predator. The adaptive covering also prevents the loss of water when a bug finds itself in a dry environment.

Camouflage

The life of an insect can be scary because many insects are looked at as dinner by birds, lizards and other animals. To hide from predators, some insects use camouflage, which is a clever way to blend into the world around them. For example, a walking stick is a type of insect that has a body shaped like a twig on a tree while other insects have markings that make them look like leaves.

Ability to move

Wings

Wings are an adaptation enjoyed by many insects. Wings help insects avoid predators, find food, and flee cold climates. For example, a honeybee’s wings allow it fly from one flower to the next as it gathers pollen and nectar while the wings of the delicate-looking butterfly have adapted to allow it to fly south thousands of miles to avoid the cold northern winters.

Legs

Insects, by definition, are small animals that have six legs. The legs of many insects have been adapted to help them hop, dig, run, or swim. For instance, a grasshopper’s legs help it hop away from predators in tall grass, and the shovel-like legs of the mole cricket help it dig under the ground where it can eat its favourite food, grass roots.

Defending themselves

Stinky odours

Many insects use repellant odors to protect themselves, and perhaps the best-known group of such insects is the stink bugs. A stink bug has a special place in its body to store a small amount of foul smelling gas. The vile gas is released any time the stink bug feels threatened.

Some caterpillars make quite a show of releasing smelly odours. Some caterpillars concentrate toxins from their food plants and store them in a special pouch. When touched, the caterpillar releases the stinky and toxic substance for all to whiff.

Sting

Many bees, wasps, and even ants will go on the offensive when threatened. Social bees are particularly protective of their nests. They use a sting, to inject venom directly into the potential predator. The venom usually causes enough pain to send the predator packing, and when multiple insects sting a single victim, it can even be life-threatening. Venom allergies can also be deadly.

Task

Steps to Success:- I can draw a micro-habitat

- I can identify which minibeast lives in the habitat that I have drawn.

- I understand how minibeasts adapt to survive in their habitats.

• Choose a minibeast and draw it

• Underneath, write sentences about how the minibeast has adapted to survive in its micro-habitat

• Repeat for two more minibeasts

Use the example below to help you set yourwork out.

Minibeast: Bee

Microhabitat: Gardens / meadows

Bees have wings so they can fly from one flower to the next as they gather pollen and nectar. Bees have a sting which they can use to cause harm to predators. Bees will use their sting if they feel threatened.

Submission task! Please email a photo of this work to your

teacher!

Plenary

“Caterpillars have more than one way of protecting themselves and surviving in their habitat.”

Prove it.

WRIGGLE AND CRAWL

Week Two – Session Three

Key Vocabulary

Herbivore

Animals that only eat plants or vegetation.

Carnivore

Animals that only eat meat.

Omnivore

Animals that eat both plants and meat.

Herbivores and carnivores

Some minibeasts eat plants… they are calledherbivores.

Some minibeasts eat meat… they are calledcarnivores.

Some minibeasts eat both plants and meat…

they are called omnivores.

Spiders are carnivores

Millipedes are herbivores

Slugs are omnivores

Minibeasts – herbivores, carnivores, omnivores

HerbivoresThese minibeasts eat plants

and vegetation

CarnivoresThese minibeasts eat other

insects

OmnivoresThese minibeasts eat plants

and other insects

Millipede(eat plants, vegetation)

Spider(eats flies, mosquitos, butterflies)

Slug(eat leaves, mushrooms, snails, worms)

Snail(eats plants, algae)

Ground beetle(eat caterpillars, maggots, slugs)

Ant(eat plants, fungus, other ants, insects)

Woodlouse(eat dead leaves, rotting wood)

Centipede(eat spiders, worms)

Earthworm(eat grass, leaves, decaying animals)

Butterfly(drink nectar, tree sap)

What animals eat minibeasts?Insectivorous animals base their diet, or part of it, on eating insects. There is a great variety of animals that eat insects,

from amphibians to mammals. These animals get an important source of protein from these insects, needed to live a healthy

life. But which are the most common insect eaters?

Owls eat spiders, earthworms and snails

Toads eat flies, worms, spiders, slugs and snails

Praying mantis’ eats caterpillars, moths, and

flies

Moon rats eat worms and spiders

Minibeasts in food chainsMinibeasts are eagerly eaten by larger carnivores, such as birds, lizards, weasels, badgers and foxes. When a herbivore eats a plant….and then a carnivore eats the herbivore….the sequence of events is called a food chain. Each plant or animal is a link in the chain. Invertebrates are involved in the thousands of food chains that exist in every ecosystem.

Here is a five-link chain involving a herbivorous minibeast and a carnivorous one:-

Minibeasts in food chains

Nectar from flowers Fly Spider Owl Fox

Here is another five-link food chain involving a omnivorous minibeast and a carnivorous one.

Omnivorousminibeast

Carnivorousminibeast

Task

Steps to Success:- I can draw a five-link food chain

- I have included at least two minibeasts in the food chain

- I have added labels and explanations to the food chain

• Draw a five-link food chain

• Your food chain must include 2 minibeasts

• One should be a herbivorous/omnivorous minibeast and one should be a carnivorous minibeast.

• Label the creatures in your food chains and add explanations if you wish!

• Use the example on the previous page to help you set your work out

Plenary

Carnivore

Insectivorous

Omnivore

Eats only other animals

Eats both animals and plants

Animals that mainlyeat insects

Copy this into your bookDraw lines to match the key word with the definition