All living organisms have particular requirements to ensure survival and reproduction. In this topic, three aspects of the needs of animals provide contexts for learning activities and investigations by pupils. The areas for study are food, its importance and utilisation; sexual reproduction, including the process of fertilisation and particular adaptations to ensure successful development of the young; ways in which the body regulates an internal water balance and removes nitrogenous waste products. The emphasis in three of the sub-topics is on systems in vertebrates and particularly in mammals. The final sub-topic illustrates ways in which animals respond appropriately to changes in the environment.

This topic seeks to develop particular aspects of pupils’ experience of both variety of animals and their needs. There are opportunities to compare vital processes of animals with those of plants studied in other topics.

The sub-topic “The need for food” has links with other curricular areas such as Home Economics..

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