Octopus Facts Primary Resource

This primary resource introduces children to octopuses. Learn all about these fascinating sea creatures and how they have adapted to life in oceans around the world. How do octopuses defend themselves from predators? Why do octopuses have blue blood? Which species of octopus lives at depths of up to 4,800m?!

Pupils will discover five, detailed facts about these incredible invertebrates in our National Geographic Kids’ Science primary resource sheet.

The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for discussion about octopuses and their defence mechanisms, anatomy, habitat and behaviour. It could be used as a printed handout for each pupil to review and highlight, or for display on the interactive whiteboard for class discussion.

Activity: Ask pupils to research another sea creature (perhaps another marine invertebrate) and compare it to the octopus. They could create a table or diagram to show the similarities and differences between the two animals, looking at the animals’ characteristics, habitat, body shape, behaviour, diet and defences. As a more creative activity, pupils could use the information in our primary resource to write a poem about octopuses. Children could read out their poems, or explain their tables/diagrams to the class in the style of a group presentation.

N.B. The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the English National Curriculum and Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email: schools@ngkids.co.uk

This Animals primary resource assists with teaching the following Key Stage 1 Science (Year 1) objectives from the National Curriculum:

Pupils should be taught to:  

• identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals

• describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including pets)

 Pupils might work scientifically by: using their observations to compare and contrast animals at first hand or through videos and photographs, describing how they identify and group them; grouping animals according to what they eat; and using their senses to compare different textures, sounds and smells.

National Curriculum Key Stage 1 Science (Year 2) objective:

• Pupils should be taught to: identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other 

• Pupils should be introduced to the idea that all living things have certain characteristics that are essential for keeping them alive and healthy. They should raise and answer questions that help them to become familiar with the life processes that are common to all living things. Pupils should be introduced to the terms ‘habitat’ (a natural environment or home of a variety of plants and animals) and ‘micro-habitat’ (a very small habitat, for example for woodlice under stones, logs or leaf litter).

• Pupils should compare animals in familiar habitats with animals found in less familiar habitats, for example, on the seashore, in woodland, in the ocean, in the rainforest.

• Pupils should be taught to: find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air)

National Curriculum Lower Key Stage 2 Science (Year 3) objective: 

• Pupils should be taught to: identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat

• Pupils might compare and contrast the diets of different animals (including their pets) and decide ways of grouping them according to what they eat. They might research different food groups and how they keep us healthy and design meals based on what they find out.

National Curriculum Lower Key Stage 2 Science (Year 4) objective:

Pupils should be taught to:  

• recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways

• explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment

• recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things 

• construct and interpret a variety of food chains, identifying producers, predators and prey 

This Animals primary resource assists with teaching the following Sciences First level objectives from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence:

• I can explore examples of food chains and show an appreciation of how animals and plants depend on each other for food.

• By comparing generations of families of humans, plants and animals, I can begin to understand how characteristics are inherited

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Second level Sciences objectives:

• I can identify and classify examples of living things, past and present, to help me appreciate their diversity. I can relate physical and behavioural characteristics to their survival or extinction.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Third level Sciences objectives:

• I can sample and identify living things from different habitats to compare their biodiversity and can suggest reasons for their distribution.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Fourth level Sciences objectives:

• I understand how animal and plant species depend on each other and how living things are adapted for survival. 

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