Year 1 Science: Three kinds of eaters
Part of the Year 1 Science what animals eat chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Three kinds of eaters
Animals eat different foods. What an animal eats tells us which group it is in.
A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Pets are animals too. These five pets are common in British homes.
Key ideas
- A herbivore eats only plants.
- A carnivore eats only other animals.
- An omnivore eats plants and animals.
- What an animal eats tells us its group.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a cow eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A cow eats grass. Grass is a plant.
- Use the rule. A herbivore eats only plants.A cow eats only plants.
- Write the group. herbivore
Check. Say the rule back: a herbivore eats only plants. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a hen eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A hen eats seeds, which are plants, and worms, which are animals.
- Use the rule. An omnivore eats both plants and animals.A hen eats both plants and animals.
- Write the group. omnivore
Check. Say the rule back: an omnivore eats both plants and animals. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a lion eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A lion eats zebras and other animals.
- Use the rule. A carnivore eats only other animals.A lion eats only other animals.
- Write the group. carnivore
Check. Say the rule back: a carnivore eats only other animals. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Watch out
Watch out: a big or fierce animal can still be a herbivore. A horse is big, but it eats only plants. Check the food, not the size.
Try it at home
With a grown-up, look at the food in your kitchen. Sort six foods into two piles. One pile is from plants: for example, an apple, a carrot or bread. The other pile is from animals: for example, an egg, cheese or fish. Wash your hands before and after you handle food.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child: “Is that food from a plant or an animal?” Then ask: “What does a rabbit eat? What does a cat eat?” Use the pets in the picture to talk about it.
Exercise 5A Herbivores, carnivores and omnivores
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Remember the rule for a herbivore.
- Find the group word. The question names the group.herbivore
- Remember what it eats. A herbivore eats only plants.Herbivore: eats only plants
- Write the answer. plants
Check. Read the rule back to yourself: a herbivore eats only plants. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole rule, so you do not miss a word.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Remember the rule for a carnivore.
- Find the group word. The question names the group.carnivore
- Remember what it eats. A carnivore eats only other animals.Carnivore: eats only other animals
- Write the answer. animals
Check. Read the rule back to yourself: a carnivore eats only other animals. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole rule, so you do not miss a word.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Remember the rule for an omnivore.
- Find the group word. The question names the group.omnivore
- Remember what it eats. An omnivore eats both plants and animals.Omnivore: eats both plants and animals
- Write the answer. plants and animals
Check. Read the rule back to yourself: an omnivore eats both plants and animals. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole rule, so you do not miss a word.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a cow eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A cow eats grass.
- Use the rule. A herbivore eats only plants.A cow eats only plants.
- Write the group. herbivore
Check. Say the rule back: a herbivore eats only plants. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a lion eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A lion eats zebras and other animals.
- Use the rule. A carnivore eats only other animals.A lion eats only other animals.
- Write the group. carnivore
Check. Say the rule back: a carnivore eats only other animals. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a pig eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A pig eats roots, plants and some small animals.
- Use the rule. An omnivore eats both plants and animals.A pig eats both plants and animals.
- Write the group. omnivore
Check. Say the rule back: an omnivore eats both plants and animals. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Check what each animal eats.
- Look at each animal. Find out what it eats.owl: mice; cow: grass; cat: meat
- Pick the plant-eater. A herbivore eats only plants, so it is the one that eats grass.cow eats grass
- Write the answer. cow
Check. The owl and the cat both eat other animals. ✓
Watch out. An owl and a cat are carnivores.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Check what a cow eats.
- Look at the food. A cow eats grass.grass = plant
- Use the rule. A carnivore eats only other animals, so a cow is not one.grass is not an animal
- Write the answer. False
Check. A cow is a herbivore. ✓
Watch out. Grass is a plant, so a cow is a herbivore.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at each pet and what it eats.
- Think about the dog. A dog eats meat and plants.meat and plants
- Use the rule. It eats both, so it is an omnivore.dog = omnivore
- Write the answer. dog
Check. The cat eats only meat, so it is a carnivore. ✓
Watch out. Look for a pet that eats both plants and animals.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at each pet and what it eats.
- Find the plant-eaters. A herbivore eats only plants.rabbit, guinea pig, tortoise
- Check the others. The dog eats both, and the cat eats only meat.dog and cat are not herbivores
- Write the answer. rabbit, guinea pig and tortoise
Check. These three pets eat only plants. ✓
Watch out. A pet that eats meat is not a herbivore.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what each animal eats.
- Sort them. Cow, sheep and rabbit eat plants.cow, sheep, rabbit = herbivores
- Find the one that is different. A lion eats other animals, so it is different.lion = carnivore
- Write the answer. lion. It is a carnivore, and the others are herbivores.
Check. Three of the four eat only plants. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size or the fur.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. How could we find out?
- Find out what it eats. We look at its food, or at a reliable book, with a grown-up.seeds and vegetables
- Think about the rule. Size does not tell us the group. A hamster eats plants and some animals.a hamster is an omnivore
- Write the answer. Look at what it eats. A hamster is an omnivore, so Jack is not right.
Check. Ask a grown-up to help you find a reliable book or website. ✓
Watch out. Do not decide the group from the size of an animal.