CLIL Science: living things and their habitats
A habitat is the place where a living thing lives. This original beginner science activity connects English description words with observations of plants and animals. It is a supplementary CLIL exercise, not a reproduction of a textbook science lesson.
Ta fiche PDF illustrée
Le support, la méthode et les exercices corrigés à imprimer.
By the end of this lesson, you can
- Use English to describe a school garden
- Useful words for living things and observation
- Tell an observation from a conclusion
Before you startRead simple English sentences; use the starter lesson if you need help with names or numbers.
Un bon cours, ça se partage.
How do I describe living things and habitats in simple English?
A habitat is a place where a living thing lives. Use simple verbs to describe what you observe: Ants live in the soil; A tree needs water and light. Keep an observation separate from a conclusion that would require more evidence.
Use English to describe a school garden
Living things need suitable conditions. Plants need light and water to grow; animals need food and water. A description can use lives, grows, has and needs. With a singular subject, write A plant needs water; with a plural subject, write Plants need water.
Separate what you observe from what you infer. The sentence There are leaves on the plant reports a visible feature. The sentence The plant is healthy is a conclusion that needs more evidence. Use can when describing an ability, as in A bird can fly, while remembering that not every bird flies.
Useful words for living things and observation
| Word | Simple meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| habitat | a place to live | A pond is a habitat. |
| need | something necessary | Plants need water. |
| observe | notice and record | There are three leaves. |
| compare | find similarities and differences | Both plants have green leaves. |
Read the garden description
Read and explain this example
Near the school, there is a small garden. A tree grows beside a wall. Ants live in the soil. Birds visit the branches. The tree needs water and light. We can count its leaves, but we cannot tell its age from the number of leaves alone.
Tell an observation from a conclusion
There are three leaves is a detail that you can check by looking and counting. The plant is healthy is a broader conclusion. Leaves might supply some evidence, but their number alone is not enough to establish the plant's overall condition or age. Scientific language becomes clearer when you say exactly what you observed. A short English sentence can be precise without using difficult vocabulary: The leaves are green; The soil looks dry.
Remember
This page supplies its own science topic because the reference index labels the component only CLIL Science. It does not identify the exact hidden topic in that course.
Step by step
Put the idea into practice
- Choose one plant, animal or habitat from the scene.
- Write a detail that you can observe, using a simple subject and verb.
- Check whether a conclusion goes beyond the evidence available.
Frequently asked questions
How do I describe living things and habitats in simple English?
Why is it A plant needs but Plants need?
Can one observation prove that a plant is healthy?
Quiz: 1 questions
1 questions are randomly selected from this lesson’s 1-question bank. Choose one answer for each question and get an immediate explanation.
Q1What is a habitat?
Incorrect answer
Habitat names a living thing's place of life.
Correct answer: A place where a living thing lives
Habitat names a living thing's place of life.
Your score
0/1
Start with the worked examples
Read the lesson in small sections. Write your own example for each rule and try the Easy exercises before returning to the quiz.
Review: 1 missed question
What is a habitat?
Correct answerA place where a living thing lives
Habitat names a living thing's place of life.
Exercises with answers
4 exercises, from easy practice to challenges. Try each one yourself, then reveal the answer and explanation.
Exercise 1
EasyComplete: A tree (need / needs) light. Ants (live / lives) in soil.
Answer and explanation
Needs; live. A tree is singular and ants is plural.
Exercise 2
IntermediateWhere do the ants live in the text? Can we tell the tree's age by counting leaves?
Answer and explanation
They live in the soil. No, the text says leaf count alone does not tell its age.
Exercise 3
ChallengeWrite two observable details about a real or imagined school garden.
Answer and explanation
Example: There are two trees. A bird is on a branch. Report details that could be checked; do not add an unsupported age or health claim.
Exercise 4
IntermediateA pupil writes This tree is ten years old because it has many leaves. What can be reported more carefully?
Answer and explanation
Example: The tree has many leaves. We need more evidence to know its age. Leaf count alone does not establish the stated age.