Year 4 Science: Environments can change
Part of the Year 4 Science habitats, change and food chains chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Environments can change
A habitat is the place where a living thing lives. The environment is everything around a living thing, such as the weather, the water, the soil and the other living things. The environment can change.
Some changes are natural, such as the seasons, a flood or a long dry summer. Other changes are caused by people, such as cutting down a hedge, building on a field, or dropping litter.
Key ideas
- A habitat is the place where a living thing lives.
- The environment includes the weather, the water, the soil and the other living things.
- Some changes are natural, such as the seasons or a flood.
- Some changes are made by people, such as building on a field or dropping litter.
Method. Think about where a flood comes from.
- Think about the cause. A flood is caused by heavy rain, and no person has made it.heavy rain
- Decide. A change that nature causes on its own is natural.natural
- Write the answer. natural
Check. Floods happen when rain fills the ground and rivers. ✓
Method. Think about who makes the change.
- Read the sentence. A person cuts the hedge down, to build a road.a person
- Decide. A change made by a person is a change made by people.people
- Write the answer. people
Check. The hedge is not cut down by nature. ✓
Method. Look at the two pictures.
- Look at the right-hand picture. The right-hand picture shows the pond with no water left.no water left
- Read the label. The label above that picture says long dry summer.long dry summer
- Write the answer. long dry summer
Check. The left-hand pond still has water in it. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a change is not always bad. Some living things are helped by a change, such as a plant that grows well after a fire. The key question is whether the change is dangerous.
Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Walk around a park or garden with a grown-up. Find one change in the environment, such as a fallen tree or a puddle, and say whether it is natural or made by people.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “What changed? Did nature change it, or did people?” Let your child name one natural change and one change made by people.
Exercise 4A Environments can change
Method. Think about changes that repeat each year.
- Think of a change. The seasons change every year, from spring to winter.the seasons
- Write one change. Any one repeating change is correct.one change
- Write the answer. Accept any one change that happens every year, such as the seasons, or the change from day to night.
Check. Seasons come round each year. ✓
Method. Read the key idea in section 4.1.
- Read the key idea. The environment can change, so the habitat can change too.can change
- Write the answer. true
Check. A pond can become smaller or dry up. ✓
Method. Think about who cuts the hedge.
- Think about the cause. A person cuts the hedge down.a person
- Write the answer. yes
Check. Changes made by people are called human changes. ✓
Method. Think about what causes a flood.
- Think about the cause. A flood is caused by heavy rain, not by a person.heavy rain
- Decide. So a flood is a natural change, and the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Natural changes are made by nature. ✓
Method. Look at each change.
- Look at the flood. A flood is natural, so it is not made by people.natural
- Look at the building. A building is put on a field by people.people
- Write the answer. building on a field
Check. People change habitats by building. ✓
Method. Read the two kinds of change.
- Think about the speed. A change over many years happens slowly, bit by bit.slowly
- Write the word. A slow change is called a gradual change.gradual
- Write the answer. gradual
Check. Gradual means happening slowly over time. ✓
Method. Think about the changes to trees through the year.
- Think about the leaves. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn in the UK.autumn
- Write the answer. autumn
Check. Autumn comes between summer and winter. ✓
Method. Think about the water in a pond.
- Think about the water. In a dry summer, less rain falls and the water level drops.water level drops
- Write one way. The pond may shrink or dry up completely.shrink
- Write the answer. Accept any one way, such as: the water level drops, or the pond dries up.
Check. A pond needs water to stay a pond. ✓
Method. Think about changes that can help some living things.
- Think about the changes. Some changes harm living things, and some do not.some do not
- Decide. So Ruby is not right, and the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. A change is only a danger when it harms living things. ✓
Method. Think about who builds the road.
- Think about the road. People build roads, so the field changes because of people.people build
- Decide. So the answer is yes.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. Changes made by people are human changes. ✓
Method. Think about what a frog needs from its pond.
- Think about the frogs. Frogs need water to lay their eggs and to live in.water to lay eggs
- Write the prediction. So fewer frogs should survive if the pond dries up.fewer frogs
- Write the answer. Accept any prediction with a reason, such as: the frogs will have no water to lay eggs in, so fewer frogs will survive.
Check. A prediction is checked by looking at what happens. ✓
Method. Think about the environment.
- Think about the causes. Nature and people can both change the environment.both
- Write the reason. When the environment changes, the habitat changes too.habitat changes
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says the environment can change naturally, or because of people, so the habitat changes too.
Check. The habitat is part of the environment. ✓