Richmond

Natural Science 6 is a collective work, conceived, designed

and created by the Primary Education department at Santillana,
under the supervision of Teresa Grence Ruiz.

WRITER
Beln Garrido
MANAGING EDITOR
Sheila Tourle
PROJECT EDITOR
Geona Edwards
EDITOR
Beatriz Bejarano del Palacio
PROOFREADING
Jane Drummond
James Price
ILLUSTRATIONS
Alademosca illustraci
Digitalartis
Jos Santos

Do not write in this book.

Do all the activities in your notebook.

PRIMARY

Natural Science

CONTENTS
Natural Science syllabus

Unit

People and health

Nutrition I

Topics
Nutrients
How nutrition works

People and health

Nutrition II

The circulatory system

Pulmonary circulation

16
People and health

3 Reproduction

Sexual characteristics
The reproductive system

26
TERM REVISION
Living things

4 Living things

Cells
Tissues

38

Living things

The classification
of living things

How to classify living things

The five kingdoms

48
Living things

Fungi and other

6 kingdoms

Fungi
Protists

58

TERM REVISION
Matter and energy

7 Matter and energy

Types of mixtures
Separation of mixtures

68

Matter and energy

Electricity and
magnetism

Electric current

80
TERM REVISION

Cooperative project: An electrical matching game

2 two

Electrical charges

Topics

Know how to
React in an emergency situation

The digestive system

The respiratory system

Digestion and health

Respiration and health

Systemic circulation

The excretory system

Circulation and health

Excretion and health

Sex cells

Pregnancy and birth

Fertilization

A healthy pregnancy

Organs

Organisms

Systems

Animal and plant tissues

The animal kingdom

Comparison of animals and plants

Use a key to identify plants

Comparison of protists and

bacteria

Describe a mushroom

Viruses

Physical changes

Chemical changes

Separate a mixture

Changes of state

Forms of energy

Conductors and insulators

Electric circuits

Power plants

Magnetism

Perform an experiment and interpret data

Read a scientific text and draw a diagram

Observe and draw cells

The plant kingdom

Bacteria

Build an electric circuit

three 3

6
6.1

Fungi and other kingdoms

The wonder of mushrooms

Wild mushrooms are living things that grow on
forest floors, tree trunks and even on top of each
other. They need moisture, cool temperatures and
some light. Wild mushrooms are seasonal and
can be found in autumn and spring.
There are many different types of wild
mushrooms, but they can look very similar. This
makes them very hard to identify. Wild
mushrooms are often spectacular. Some are
edible and delicious, but others are poisonous.
In addition, some wild mushrooms have healing
capabilities. These mushrooms can help fight
against bacteria, inflammation and even cancer.
They are known as medicinal mushrooms.

Read and understand

Where can you find wild mushrooms?
Why can you find wild mushrooms in autumn
and spring?

KNOW HOW TO
Describe different fungi and
how people use them.

What are medicinal mushrooms?

Identify the main

characteristics of protists
and monerans.

Have you ever been mushrooming? Where did

you go?

FINAL TASK

Why are mushrooms difficult to identify?

Look at the mushrooms on page 59. Which

species do you think is edible? Which do you think
is poisonous?

SPEAKING. Do you think mushrooms are plants
or animals?

58 fifty-eight

Describe a mushroom.

Coprinus micaeus

Amanita muscaria

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?

The five kingdoms

Living things are classified into five kingdoms:
animals, plants, fungi, protists and monerans.
Living things from the same kingdom share
similar characteristics.
1 Which kingdoms include unicellular living

things?
2 Which kingdoms include living things

that can make their own food?

3 Write two characteristics of each

kingdom.

fifty-nine 59

The Fungi kingdom

6.2

Fungi are different living things from plants and

animals. Like plants, they cannot move about and
many of them grow in soil. Like animals, fungi cannot
make their own food.
Fungi can feed on other organisms or their remains.
Therefore, they can be found not only on the ground, but
also on pieces of wood or on decomposing food.

Types of fungi
Fungi are classified into two groups:
Unicellular fungi, like yeasts.
Multicellular fungi, like mushrooms and moulds.
A

Some fungi produce mushrooms. A mushroom is only the

visible part of a fungus. The main part of these fungi grows
beneath the soil, and can be several kilometres long! In
autumn and spring, the fungi grow above ground as
mushrooms so they can reproduce. The main parts of a
mushroom are the cap, the gills, the ring and the stem. 2

cap


Different types of fungi.
A.Yeast seen through a microscope.
B.White mushroom. C. Bread mould.

WORK WITH THE PICTURE

Have you ever seen mushrooms
growing in the wild? Describe them.

gills

ring
stem


I saw some mushrooms last
spring. They were growing near
a tree
Have you ever seen bread that
looked like the bread in the
photograph? Explain.
Look at the diagram. Describe each
part of the mushroom.


Parts of a mushroom.

60 sixty

6
6.3

Fungi and people

Many fungi are beneficial to people, but others can be harmful.
Beneficial fungi

Some fungi can produce edible

mushrooms.

Some medicines, like penicillin,

are produced by fungi.

Blue cheese is made from mould;

bread is made from yeast.

Athletes foot is an infection

caused by a fungus.

Black mould is very toxic and

can cause respiratory problems.

Harmful fungi

Some fungi can produce

poisonous mushrooms,
which can be deadly.

ACTIVITIES
1 WRITING. Write sentences describing how fungi are similar

to plants, and how they are similar to animals.

2 Look at the photograph and answer the questions.

6.4

Which living thing can you see?

Which kingdom does it belong to?
Is this living thing unicellular or multicellular?

3 Read, think and answer the questions.

How are yeasts and moulds similar? How are they different?
Is a mushroom a complete fungus or only part of a fungus? Explain.
Why is it so important to identify mushrooms correctly?

sixty-one 61

The Protista kingdom

6.5

Protists include two very different types of organisms:

algae and protozoa.

WORK WITH THE PICTURE

Compare protozoa and algae.

Algae
Algae are aquatic living things that can be unicellular
or multicellular. They can make their own food. Some
multicellular marine algae can grow to a very large size.
A


Protozoa are always unicellular.
Algae can be unicellular, but...
Which of these living things can only
be seen through a microscope?
1


Examples of algae.
A. Diatoms: unicellular algae.
B. Kelp: multicellular algae.

Algae are very nutritious, so they are used as food in many

countries. They are also used as fertilizer and to produce
cosmetics. 2
A


Uses of algae. A. Sushi. B. Fertilizer. C. Beauty mask.

Protozoa
Protozoa are unicellular living things that live in aquatic
environments. They feed on other organisms. Some
protozoa can cause diseases, like malaria. 3
A

62 sixty-two


Examples of protozoa.
A. Amoeba. B. Paramecium.

The Monera kingdom

6.6

Monerans are unicellular living things. This kingdom includes

bacteria, the most abundant of all living things.

Bacteria
Bacteria are the smallest and simplest living things, and can
only be seen through a microscope. 4
Most bacteria feed on other organisms, but some bacteria
make their own food.
Bacteria can be found everywhere in the world. They can live
in all kinds of environments: in water, soil, air or inside other
living things.
Some bacteria are helpful, like the ones used to make
yoghurt, but others are harmful, like the ones that cause
cholera.

Bacteria on the head of a pin seen


through an electron microscope.

LEARN MORE
Viruses
Viruses are not included in any of the five kingdoms
because they are not considered living things. A virus is
not a cell. It is a microscopic body that can only
reproduce inside living things. Viruses may cause
illnesses.
The flu virus.

ACTIVITIES
1 Copy and complete the sentences with algae, protozoa and bacteria.

6.7

a.

and

only live in aquatic environments.

b.

can be multicellular.

c.

and

can make their own food.

d.

and

can be harmful.

2 Read, think and answer the questions.

How are animals and protozoa similar? How are they different?
How are plants and algae similar? How are they different?
Why are bacteria the most abundant of all living things?
Why are viruses not considered living things?
3 ICT. Search the Internet for more examples of helpful and harmful

bacteria, and make a list.

sixty-three 63

KNOW HOW TO

Describe a mushroom
Describing a mushroom is different from describing a plant or an animal. Different things have
to be observed in each case. You are going to describe a mushroom.

Observe and describe the cap and stem.

1 How wide is the cap of your mushroom? How is it attached to the stem?

How long and wide is the stem?

2 Describe the cap of the mushroom using one

of these words:
square

round

flat

3 Can you identify any other parts

of the mushroom?

Observe and describe the gills.

4 Remove the stem and observe the gills under the cap.

Notice their colour and describe how they are arranged,

using these expressions:
they are close to/far apart from each other
they are the same/a different size
they are/arent attached to the stem

Show that you can do it.

5 Make an index card with your description of the mushroom. Include

a drawing or photograph.
6 Observe the photographs of the poplar mushroom and make an index

card as in Activity 5.

64 sixty-four

FINAL ACTIVITIES
1 SUMMARY. Copy and complete the text in

your notebook, using these words.

6.8

4 Look at the photos. Which living things

are involved in producing these foods?

food - unicellular - protozoa environments - beneficial - monerans harmful - multicellular - aquatic - algae remains - bacteria
Fungi can be unicellular or
. They
,
feed on other living things or their
and they cannot move about. Some fungi
and others are harmful.
are
Protists include

and

Algae are aquatic living things that can

be unicellular or multicellular. They make
.
their own
All protozoa are
organisms that live
environments. They feed on
in
other living things.
are unicellular living things. They
, and can live in all kinds of
include
. Some bacteria can make their own
.
food. They can be beneficial or
2 Look at the photographs. Identify the

living things and say which kingdom they

belong to.

5 GROUP WORK. Find out about edible

mushrooms that grow in your area and

prepare a poster. Include their name,
description, growing conditions and
photographs.
6 CRITICAL THINKING. Algae and some

bacteria can make their own food.

Which specialized organelles can be found
in their cells? Explain your answer.

Show your skills

Choose and carry out one
of the following activities.
A. Make a plasticine model of a
mushroom and label its parts.
B. Search the Internet for information
about beneficial bacteria in the
intestinal tract. Prepare a
presentation for the class.

3 Draw a Venn diagram in your notebook

and include similarities and differences

between fungi, protists and monerans.

C. Write a story about a new virus.

Describe its effects, where it lives
and how it is transmitted. Finally,
draw a picture of your virus as seen
through a microscope.

sixty-five 65

TEST YOURSELF

Check your vocabulary

algae unicellular or multicellular aquatic living
things which make their own food.

invertebrates animals with no backbone,

such as sponges and worms.

angiosperms plants
that produce flowers
and fruits containing
seeds.

membrane the covering around a cell.

backbone a column
of ring-like bones
which all vertebrates
have.
bacteria the smallest
and simplest living
things. They are
unicellular.
cells the basic units of life.
cell wall the rigid covering around the
membrane of plant cells.
cytoplasm a jelly-like material between the
nucleus and the membrane of a cell.
chloroplasts specialized organelles in plants.
They absorb sunlight.
ferns non-flowering plants with large leaves
called fronds.

multicellular multicellular living things are

made up of many cells.
mushroom the visible part of some fungi.
nucleus the part of a cell that controls its
function.
organ a group of tissues that join together to
perform a common function.
organism a living thing. Cells, tissues, organs
and systems work together to form an
organism.
protists protozoa and algae. They can be
unicellular or multicellular.
protozoa unicellular aquatic living things which
feed on other organisms.
system a group of organs that join together to
perform a common function.
tissue a group of cells that join together to
perform a common function.
unicellular unicellular living things are made
up of a single cell.

fungi unicellular or multicellular living things

which cannot move about or make their own
food.

vertebrae the ring-like bones that make up

the backbone.

gymnosperms plants that produce seeds

grouped together in cones.

vertebrates animals with a backbone, such

as mammals and birds.

1 Improve your vocabulary by adding these words:

Types of animal and plant tissues.

The groups of vertebrate and invertebrate animals.
Types of fungi and the parts of a mushroom.
2 Identify the picture to the right. Copy it and label

its four main parts.

66 sixty-six

SECOND TERM

Check your progress

Copy and write the correct answers in your notebook.
1 The part of a cell that controls its function

is the
a. cytoplasm.
b. nucleus.
c. membrane.
2 Organs in multicellular living things are

made up of
a. tissues that work independently.
b. systems that perform the same function.
c. tissues that work together.
3 The plant tissue that performs

photosynthesis is
a. dermal tissue.
b. ground tissue.
c. vascular tissue.
4 Amphibians are

a. oviparous vertebrates.
b. viviparous invertebrates.
c. viviparous vertebrates.
5 Arthropods are

a. a type of fungus.
b. invertebrates with an external skeleton and
jointed legs.
c. invertebrates with long, soft bodies.

7 Seed plants include

a. gymnosperms and angiosperms.

b. molluscs and echinoderms.
c. mosses and ferns.
8 Yeasts are

a. fungi with mushrooms.

b. the visible part of fungi.
c. unicellular fungi.
9 Protozoa are...

a. unicellular.
b. multicellular.
c. unicellular and multicellular.
10 The smallest and simplest living things

are...
a. viruses.
b. bacteria.
c. fungi.
Check your answers
Correct the wrong answers.
Write in your notebook which lessons

you need to practise more.

6 The spores of ferns are found in

a. capsules.
b. sori.
c. cones.

Think like a mycologist

Imagine you are a mycologist: a mushroom expert. You are
going to lead a group of people on an excursion to find and
pick mushrooms in the countryside. Give them a talk before
you go out.
Start

with a general explanation of mushrooms. Draw some

pictures to help.

Talk

to the group about picking and eating wild mushrooms.

Do they need to follow any rules?

sixty-seven 67