Year 8 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 14
Challenge Worksheet
Learning Goals
Explain it to a Year 5 student
Imagine your younger cousin says: "Plants aren't really living systems, they don't have hearts or brains, so they don't have systems at all." Use the sentence starters below to write a clear explanation. You can use real examples, kangaroos, gum trees, gardens, to make your explanation easy to follow.
"The reason plants are still living systems is..."
"Plants move materials differently from animals, specifically they use..."
"One thing both plants and animals have in common as living systems is..."
"One thing people get confused about when comparing plants and animals is... but actually..."
1. A student claims: "Plants and animals are basically the same as living systems, they both have interacting parts, so the details are just minor variations." Evaluate this claim. What is correct about it and what does it overlook? Use at least two specific differences from the lesson in your answer.
2. Both a eucalyptus tree and a kangaroo need to take in useful materials and move them around. Compare how each organism carries out this function. Describe what structures are used and explain one key difference between the two approaches. Use "structure → role → function" language from the lesson.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?