KS2 SATs Science: Living Things and Working Scientifically Guide

Classifying living things

Living things can be grouped by their features. Animals are commonly split into vertebrates (with a backbone) — mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles — and invertebrates (without a backbone), such as insects and worms.

Life cycles

Different animals have different life cycles. A butterfly goes through complete metamorphosis: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, adult. A frog goes through egg, tadpole, froglet, adult. Flowering plants also have a life cycle: seed, germination, growth, flowering, pollination, seed dispersal.

Life processes

All living things carry out seven life processes, often remembered with the mnemonic MRS GREN: Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition.

Working scientifically

SATs questions often test how well you understand an experiment, not just the facts. Know the difference between: a fair test (only one variable is changed, everything else stays the same), a prediction (what you think will happen, and why), and a conclusion (what the results actually show).

Common mistakes

• Mixing up vertebrates and invertebrates — check for a backbone, not just size.
• Confusing a variable that is changed with one that is measured in an experiment.
• Forgetting that plants respire all the time, not just at night (photosynthesis only happens in daylight).