Year 2 - Living things and their habitats

This set of outdoor science lessons immerses children in exploring habitats, microhabitats, and food chains through observation, discussion, and creative activities. From large-scale food chain building to scavenger hunts and hands-on habitat investigations, pupils will develop scientific knowledge, inquiry skills, and a deeper connection to the living world around them—all using your school’s outdoor space.

Lesson Plans

Comparing living, dead & never alive

Carry out a scavenger hunt around your outdoor space and make use of the space for analysing your findings. Hold discussions around some interesting aspects of nature to provoke children’s thoughts about what living, dead and never alive really means.

Learning objective:

To compare the differences between things that are living, dead and never alive.

Identifying plants, animals and microhabitats

The main activity of this outdoor lesson sees your children identifying micro-habitats and the animals that live there to introduce them to the characteristics of different wildlife and their environments.

Learning objective:

To identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including micro-habitats

How animals are suited to their habitats

Deepen your children’s understanding of habitats and microhabitats through the context of your outdoor space. This lesson plan covers a range of scientific skills and is easily adapted to a range of outdoor spaces, so no need to worry if you don’t have extensive natural areas.

Learning objective:

To identify that most animals live in habitats to which they are suited

Building a habitat

This outdoor lesson plan combines scientific knowledge, creativity and technology all in one! All you’ll need is some pre-prepared video clips, your technology of choice, your outdoor space and a malleable material such as salt dough or clay!

Learning objective:

To identify that most animals live in habitats to which they are suited

Describing how habitats provide for living things

Have your children apply their understanding of habitats to inform in-depth discussions around the role each organism within a habitat plays. Using close observation of your outdoor space, your children will question why animals and plants are presented as they are and the relationship between them.

Learning objective:

To describe how a habitat provides for the needs of living things

How animals obtain their food

The main activity of this outdoor lesson involves creating large-scale food chains to help you assess your children’s understanding of food sources.

Learning objective:

To describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals

Before you get started

Safety and suistanability is super important!