Year 4 Living Things and Habitats Worksheet - Beginner

Year 4 Living Things and Habitats worksheet for Year 4 (Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)). Beginner level science practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

Science•Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)•Animalsbeginner

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Living Things and Changing Habitats

Year 4 Science • Ages 8–9 • Beginner

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Instructions: Explore how living things can be grouped and how a simple classification key works. Then think about how changes to an environment can affect the plants and animals living there. Read each question carefully and use the answer boxes for your responses.

Group the Living Things

Use the features in each list to decide which living things belong in the group. Write the names that fit in the box. A living thing may fit more than one group.

Living things: oak tree, daisy, fox, frog, blackbird, snail

1. Which two are plants?

2. Which four are animals?

3. Which two animals have legs?

4. Which living thing has a shell?

Use a Classification Key

Follow each question in order, choosing the answer that describes the living thing. Continue to the next numbered question until you reach a name. Use the key to identify each organism.

Classification key

1. Does it have a backbone? Yes: go to 2. No: go to 4.

2. Does it have feathers? Yes: blackbird. No: go to 3.

3. Does it have moist skin and live part of its life in water? Yes: frog. No: fox.

4. Does it have six legs? Yes: beetle. No: go to 5.

5. Does it have a shell? Yes: snail. No: earthworm.

Use the key to identify each one.

1. A living thing with a backbone and feathers:

2. A living thing with no backbone and six legs:

3. A living thing with a backbone, no feathers, and moist skin:

4. A living thing with no backbone, not six legs, and a shell:

5. A living thing with no backbone, not six legs, and no shell:

Choose the Best Group

Choose the group that correctly describes each living thing. Think about observable features, such as feathers, a backbone or a shell. Circle one answer for each question.

1. A blackbird belongs to which group?

2. A snail belongs to which group?

3. A daisy belongs to which group?

4. A frog belongs to which group?

5. A beetle belongs to which group?

A Habitat Changes

Read the short account. Use details from it to answer the questions. A habitat is the place where a living thing gets the food, water and shelter it needs.

A pond is surrounded by reeds and wildflowers. Frogs shelter among the plants, and insects feed on the flowers. After a dry summer, the pond becomes smaller and some reeds dry out. Later, people remove many plants from the pond edge to make space for a path. The frogs have fewer damp hiding places, and fewer insects visit the remaining flowers.

1. Name one change caused by the dry summer.

2. What did people remove from the pond edge?

3. Give one way the plant removal could affect frogs.

4. Give one way fewer wildflowers could affect insects.

5. Name one change people could make to help wildlife around the pond.

Helpful or Harmful Changes?

Decide whether each change is likely to help or harm wildlife in a habitat. Write “helpful” or “harmful” and give a short reason. Consider food, shelter and safe places to live.

1. Planting native wildflowers in a bare area:

2. Removing every hedge around a field:

3. Leaving a small patch of long grass for insects:

4. Draining a pond where frogs live:

5. Planting a hedge that gives birds places to nest:

Explain Your Thinking

Use a complete sentence for each answer. You can use the words “features”, “group”, “food”, “shelter” and “habitat” to help explain your ideas.

1. Why do scientists group living things by their features?

2. How can a classification key help someone identify an unfamiliar animal?

3. Choose one change from Activity 5. Explain how it could affect an animal living there.

4. Why might a habitat with a variety of plants support more kinds of animals?

Answer Key

Activity 1: 1. oak tree, daisy ; 2. fox, frog, blackbird, snail ; 3. fox, frog, blackbird ; 4. snail

Activity 2: 1. blackbird ; 2. beetle ; 3. frog ; 4. snail ; 5. earthworm

Activity 3: 1. birds ; 2. animals with shells ; 3. plants ; 4. amphibians ; 5. insects

Activity 4: 1. The pond became smaller and some reeds dried out ; 2. Many plants ; 3. They have fewer damp hiding places ; 4. They have fewer flowers to feed on ; 5. Accept answers such as replant reeds or wildflowers, leave a patch of plants, or protect a damp area.

Activity 5: 1. Helpful—wildflowers can provide food for insects ; 2. Harmful—animals lose shelter and nesting places ; 3. Helpful—long grass can provide shelter for insects ; 4. Harmful—frogs lose their pond habitat ; 5. Helpful—the hedge can provide food, shelter and nesting places.

Activity 6: 1. To organise living things by shared features and make them easier to study ; 2. It asks questions about observable features and leads to an identification ; 3. Answers vary; the explanation should link the chosen change to an effect on an animal ; 4. A variety of plants can provide different kinds of food and shelter for different animals.