KEY IDEAS

• There is a wide variety of life
• There are variations between living things of the same type
• Living things inhabit an environment that suits them

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS

• What different groups of living things can you think of?
• Are all members of one group of living things exactly the same?

THERE IS A GREAT VARIETY OF LIVING THINGS

• Living things come in a vast variety of types, shapes and sizes.
• This variety includes mammals, fish, amphibians, insects, flowers, trees and fungi.

THERE IS VARIATION BEWTEEN LIVING THINGS OF THE SAME TYPE

• Each living thing is unique. For example, no two plants are exactly the same.
• Every individual daisy is different in some way from every other daisy.
• Every human is different from every other human.
• Many of these differences can be observed, measured and recorded.

LIVING THINGS LIVE IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT BEST SUITS THEM

• Animals and plants have evolved ways that allow them to live in their environments.
• These environments are where they can get the essential things they need (food, water, protection from weather extremes or predators).
• Some creatures, like houseflies, can live almost anywhere.
• Some animals and plants live naturally only in particular parts of the world.