Year 6 Term 1 Science Summary

Caring for the environment

Humans are the main reason for producing pollution to the earth.
Activities that create pollutions are: Cars, Factories, Deforestation, etc.
Pollution leads to many problems, such as loss of species or the increase in
atmospheric temperature (global warming)
We (Humans) have to depend on natural resources of the planets for our lives:
air, water, soil, plants, and animals. We cannot survive if they are destroyed.
How can we help? (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle)
o Recycling
o Reducing Waste
o Recycle energy consumption
o Not littering
o Protection of habitats
o Encouraging others to care for the environment
o Etc

Animal adaptations
Every plant or animal lives in a habitat. A habitat is another name for their
local environment. Plants and animals often have to adapt, or change in order
to survive.
A habitat is a place where a collection of plants and animals live and which
provides them with food and shelter.
Seashores, gardens and ponds are all examples of habitats. Habitats can be
big (a jungle, for example) or small (a leaf, for example). The animals and
plants living in a woodland habitat might include owls, thrushes, caterpillars
and oak trees.
Animals and plants are adapted to their habitats. This means that they have
special features that help them to survive.
o An African elephant lives in a hot habitat and has very large ears that it
flaps to keep cool.
o A polar bear lives in a cold habitat and has thick fur to keep warm.
o A Frog has webbed feet to help it swim quickly.
o A Water Spider has Hair-like bristles cover the abdomen, which allows
the spider to breathe underwater.
o Lily pad has a jelly-like substance on the bottom of its leaves to make it
hard for inse The animals and plants in one habitat are suited to live
there and may not be able to survive in other habitats.
When a habitat changes, the animals and plants that live there are affected.
For example, when pond weed is removed from a pond, the fish and snails that
rely on the weed for food may find it hard to survive and might lead to
extinction which would affect food chains and the ecosystem.
Food chains and webs
Food chains can be used to represent feeding relationships in a habitat.
Animals get energy and nutrients by eating other animals or plants. These
links between animals and plants are called
food chains.
If one part of a food chain alters, the whole
food chain is affected. For example, if a disease
suddenly wiped out caterpillars, it would affect
mice, owls and many other animals
Food chains always begin with a plant (the
producer), which uses energy from the sun.
Producer: Plants are called producers because
they make their own food. They are at the start
of a food chain. Plants get their energy from
the Sun.
Consumer: Animals are called consumers
because they eat other plants and animals.
Predator: A predator is an animal that eats
other animals.
Prey: The animals that predators eat are called prey.

Systems of the human body

Circulatory System
o Your heart keeps all the blood in your circulatory system flowing. Blood
helps oxygen get around your body. When
you exercise you can feel your pulse, it tells
you how fast your heart is pumping.
o Your heart is a very strong muscle that
pumps blood around your body. It is made of
four chambers, two upper chambers and two
lower chambers. Blood enters the upper
chambers. These squeeze and push the
blood into the lower chambers, which then
squeeze and push the blood out of your
heart.

1. Your heart first pumps blood to your lungs. Here, the blood picks
up oxygen from the air that you have breathed in.
 2. The blood (carrying oxygen) then travels
back to your heart.
3. The heart gives the blood a second
push. This time, it's sent to all the other
parts of your body, including the brain,
all the other organs and all the muscles.
The blood delivers oxygen to them all.
4. The blood travels back to the heart, and
it all begins again.

o The tubes that carry blood away from your

heart are called arteries. The tubes that carry blood back to your heart are
called veins.
o Your pulse is a measure of how fast your heart is beating. It is the number
of beats your heart makes in one minute. You can feel your pulse at certain
points on your body. The easiest place to feel it is in your wrist, using the
first two fingers of your other hand.
o When you sit, the average heart beats about 80 times per minute.
However, everybody is different, so your pulse could be higher or lower
than this.
o When you exercise, your heart beats more quickly. This is because your
muscles are working harder and need more oxygen to keep going. Your
lungs also work harder, making you breathe more quickly to get more
oxygen.
o When you sleep, your muscles need less oxygen, so your heart slows down.

Digestive System
o The food we eat has to be broken down into other substances that our
bodies can use. This is
called digestion. Without
digestion, we could not
absorb food into our bodies
and use it.
o Digestive System begins at
the mouth and ends at the
anus.
o food is digested in the mouth,
stomach and small intestine
digested food is absorbed into
the bloodstream in the small
intestine excess water is
absorbed back into the body in
the large intestine any
undigested food passes out of
the anus as faeces when we go
to the toilet
o The liver and the pancreas play an important part in digestion. The liver
produces bile, which helps the digestion of lipids (fats and oil). The
pancreas produces biological catalysts called digestive enzymes which
speed up the digestive reactions.

Excretory (Urinary) System

 o The excretory system is in charge of getting rid of bodily wastes and excess
water.
o Kidneys: Filtering of the blood takes place within these areas. Glucose and
chemicals, such as potassium, sodium, hydrogen magnesium and calcium
are reabsorbed into the blood. Almost
all the water removed during filtration
returns to the blood during the
reabsorption phase. The kidneys
control the amount of liquid in our
bodies. These wastes are called urine
and include urea, water and inorganic
salts. The cleansed blood goes into
veins that carry the blood from the
kidneys and back to the heart.
o Ureters: Ureters are muscular ducts that propel urine from the kidneys to
the urinary bladder. In the adult, the ureters are usually 2530 cm (1012
in) long.
o Urethra: A tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the
body.
o Bladder: The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the
kidneys prior to disposal by urination. Urine enters the bladder via the
ureters and exits via the urethra.
o Skin: Gives off bodily sweat or perspiration. Skin is the largest organ of the
human body. It also protects the inner organs and tissues of the body.
o Lungs: Lungs give off carbon dioxide, a bodily waste, during respiration.

Nervous System
o The human nervous system consists of:
1. the central nervous system (CNS) the brain and spinal cord
2. the peripheral nervous system nerve cells that carry information to or
from the CNS
o Nerve cells are also called neurones. They are adapted to carry electrical
impulses from one place to another: they have a long fibre (axon) which is
insulated by a fatty sheath, they have tiny branches (dendrons) which branch
further as dendrites at each end
Plants and seed dispersal
Plants need air, light, warmth, water and
nutrients to be healthy. If they are
healthy, they can continue making their
own food through photosynthesis. The
roots, leaves and the stem of a plant
have different functions that help to keep
it healthy.
A plant needs these things to grow well: air, light, warmth, water, and
nutrients. A healthy plant is upright with green leaves.
o A seed will not produce a plant at all if it is kept too cold. The seed
needs warmth to germinate (develop from a seed into a plant) and start
to grow into a healthy plant.
o A plant that is kept in a dark place will grow tall and spindly in search of
light and then become weak and die.
o A plant that is not watered will have a weak stem and dried up leaves
and will eventually die.
What different parts of plants do?
o The roots of a plant take up water and nutrients from the soil. The roots
also keep the plant steady and upright in the soil; they "anchor" the
plant.
o The stem carries water and nutrients to different parts of the plant.
o The leaves use light from the sun, along with carbon dioxide from the air
and water to make food for the plant. This process is called
photosynthesis.
o The life of a flowering plant has a cycle like pattern. Flowers come from
seeds, and they create seeds too. Each different part of a plant has a
unique purpose.
o Non-Flowering Plants: Not all plants produce flowers. These are called
non-flowering plants. Ferns and mosses are examples of plants which do
not produce flowers. They grow from spores instead of seeds.
o Flowering plants: Plants that produce flowers
Flowering plants go through the following life cycle: Roots begin
to form under the soil The stem, leaves and flower bud emerge
above the soil The plant grows tall, more leaves grow and the
bud opens to show the flower.
 How seeds are made?
1. Pollen is carried by insects or blown by the wind from one flower
to another. This process is called pollination.

2. Pollen reaches the carpel of the new flower.

Pollen then travels to the ovary where it
fertilises egg cells (ovules) to make seeds. This process is
called fertilisation.

3. The seeds are scattered by animals or the wind. This process

is called dispersal. Some of the seeds will grow into new
plants - germination.

Parts of flowers
1. Petals: Petals are often very brightly coloured. This is because their main job is
to attract insects, such as bees or butterflies, into the flower. The insects pick
up pollen from the flower, and carry it to the next flower they visit. This is how
most flowers are pollinated. Not all flowers have brightly coloured petals. Some
grasses, for example, have small, dull, off-white flowers. This is because they
are not pollinated by insects or other animals, but use the wind to blow their
pollen grains to other plants.
2. Sepals: Sepals are special types of leaves that form a ring around the petals.
Their job is to protect the flower while it is still a bud. After the flower has
opened, the sepals can still be seen behind the petals. Sepals are usually
green or brown, although in some plants they are the same colour as the
petals.
3. Nectaries: The nectaries are the parts of a flower that make nectar. Nectar is a
sweet substance, which insects drink to give them energy. Bees also use
nectar to make honey. The nectaries are usually right in the centre of the
flower. This means the insects have to reach deep into the flower to find the
 nectar. As they do so, their bodies pick up pollen from the
anthers, and they carry it to the next flower they visit
4. Carpels: The carpel is the female part of the flower, where
the seeds are made. The carpel has three parts: the
stigma, the style, and the ovary. The stigma is covered in a
sticky substance. Its job is to "catch" the grains of pollen
(which usually come from another flower). The style is the
stalk that holds up the stigma. The ovary contains the
ovules (or "eggs"). When the flower is pollinated, the
pollen sticks to the stigma. It then travels down the style
to the ovary. In the ovary, the pollen joins with the ovules,
and the ovules become seeds. This is called fertilisation.
After fertilisation, the ovary turns into the fruit.
5. Stamens: The stamens are the male parts of the flower. Their job is to
make pollen. Pollen is a fine yellow powder that is needed to make a new
plant. Each stamen has two parts: an anther and a filament.
The anther contains the pollen and the filament holds up the
anther. The pollen is carried to the stigma of another flower and
fertilises it, and new seeds are made. Sometimes pollen from
a flower gets onto the stigma in the same flower, and it
fertilizes itself.
6. Receptacles: The receptacle is the top part of the flower
stalk, where the parts of the flower are attached. It is often rounded
in shape. All the parts of the flower are attached to the
receptacle.

Material Properties and changing states

Matter can be solid, liquid or gas.
Solid
o Solids stay in one place and can be held.
o Solids keep their shape. They do not flow like liquids.
o Solids always take up the same amount of space. They do not spread
out like gases.
o Solids can be cut or shaped.
o Even though they can be poured, sugar, salt and flour are all solids.
Each particle of salt, for example, keeps the same shape and volume.
Liquid
o Liquids can flow or be poured easily. They are not easy to hold.
o Liquids change their shape depending on the container they are in.
o Even when liquids change their shape, they always take up the same
amount of space. Their volume stays the same.
Gas
o Gases are often invisible.
o Gases do not keep their shape or always take up the same amount of
space. They spread out and change their shape and volume to fill up
whatever container they are in.
o Gases can be squashed.
 Materials change when they are heated and cooled. (Cold Hot usually makes
Solid Liquid Gas and vice versa)
Heating makes solids MELT into liquids, and liquids EVAPORATE into gases
Cooling makes gases CONDENSE into liquids, and liquids FREEZE into solids
Water turns into steam when it is heated, but on cooling the steam turns back
into water.
Air contains water vapour and when this meets a cold surface it may
condense.
Boiling point of water is 100C and the melting point of ice is 0C.
When a liquid evaporates from a solution the solid is left behind.
Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold things are. You need
a thermometer to measure temperature. Temperature is measured in degrees
Celsius(C).
Material Properties: Materials have different properties that make them useful
for different jobs. Here are some properties that materials have.
o Transparent or opaque: Transparent materials do let light through (you
can see through them). Opaque materials do not let any light through
(you cannot see through them).
o Waterproof: Waterproof materials do not let water through and do not
soak up water.
o Absorbant: Absorbent materials soak up water and let water pass
through them.
o Strong or weak: Strong materials are very difficult to break. Weak
materials break easily.
o Flexible: Flexible materials are easy to bend.
o Rigid: Rigid materials are difficult to bend.
o Hard: Hard materials are difficult to scratch.
o Magnetic: Magnetic materials are attracted to magnets.
o Conductors: Some materials are good conductors of heat. This means
heat can travel through them easily. Some materials are good
conductors of electricity. This means electricity can travel through them
easily.
o Insulators: Some materials are insulators of heat. This means they do
not allow heat to travel through them very easily. Some materials are
insulators of electricity. This means that electricity cannot travel through
them.
Metals: Metals come from rocks called ores. They
are strong, hard and shiny materials that can be hammered into different
shapes without breaking. Many metals are good conductors of heat and
electricity. Some metals are magnetic. Iron is the most magnetic metal. Steel is
also magnetic because it is made of mostly iron. Their properties make them
useful for objects such as cutlery, saucepans, cars and coins.
Plastics: Plastics are materials made from chemicals and are not found in
nature. They are strong and waterproof, and can be made into any shape by
applying heat. Plastics can also be dyed different colours or made to
be transparent. Plastic is not magnetic. It is a good electrical insulator as it
does not conduct heat or electricity. Plastics are used to make all sorts of
things, such as bags, bottles and toys.
Glass: Glass is made by melting sand and other minerals together at very high
temperatures. Glass is normally transparent and can be made into many
different shapes. Thick glass can be strong, but thin glass will break very
 easily. Glass is used for objects that need to be transparent such as windows
and spectacles.
Wood: Wood comes from trees. It is strong, flexible and long lasting. Wood is
used to make things such as furniture that need to be strong and last a long
time. Wood is an insulator of heat and electricity.
Fabric: Fabrics are made from thin fibres woven together. Some fabrics, such
as wool, cotton and silk, are natural (the fibres come from living things). Some
fabrics, such as polyester and nylons are made from synthetic fibres, which are
made in factories, from chemicals. Different fabrics have different properties.
Fabrics can be stretchy (a pair of tights), insulating (keep you warm, like a
woollen coat) or absorbent (a towel). Fabrics are used to make clothes as they
are flexible and comfortable, can be warm and do not wear out easily.

Reversible and Irreversible changes

An irreversible change: Change that cannot be changed back again.
Irreversible changes are permanent. They cannot be undone. In an irreversible
change, new materials are always formed.
Examples of irreversible Change: Heating (Making cakes, Cooking eggs, etc),
Mixing (when vinegar and bicarbonate of soda are mixed, the mixture changes
and lots of bubbles of carbon dioxide are made), Burning (Burning wood gives
ash and smoke)
A reversible change: change that can be undone or reversed. A reversible
change might change how a material looks or feels, but it doesn't create new
materials.
Examples of reversible change: Melting (Melting Chocolate), Freezing (Freezing
ice lollies), Dissolving (Salt and water), Boiling, evaporating, and Condensing
(Water)

Solutions and filtering

Solution: Some substances dissolve when you mix them with water. When a
substance dissolves, it looks like it disappears. But in fact it has just mixed
with the water to make a transparent (see-through) liquid called
a solution.When you mix sugar with water, the sugar dissolves to make a
transparent solution. Salt dissolves in water too. When you mix sand or flour
with water, they do not dissolve.

Substances that dissolve in water are

called soluble substances.
Substances that do not dissolve in water are called insoluble substances.
Separating Mixtures
o Sieving/Filtering: Solid and Solid (of different particle sizes)
o Filtering: Insoluble solid and liquid
o Evaporating: Soluble solid and liquid