Here we focus on those scientific concepts that are the hardest to explain to children. We break it down into what pupils need to know and outline the background science. Even though much of the background science does not need to be taught to primary aged children, it is useful for you as a teacher when addressing misconceptions and children’s challenging questions. 

Please refer to your national curriculum documents when planning your sequence of work and ensure that you teach the correct knowledge for your year group. 

What do children need to know about animals, including humans? 

Your pupils’ learning about this very broad topic is closely connected to their learning in other topics, including living things and their habitats, evolution and inheritance. Highlighting these connections is integral to children’s overall understanding and progress. We have included some ideas for how to teach animals, including humans in part two of this topic guide. 

Key scientific concepts: Pupils need to... 

1. Identify a variety of common animals and be able to sort them into groups using common characteristics 

2. Understand that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults and the different processes of reproduction

3. Identify the position and function of the skeleton and major organs in the human body:

   1. Basic body parts and sensory organs

   2. Skeleton and muscles

   3. Digestive system and teeth 

   4. Circulatory system

4. Know how to keep healthy 

5. Know how humans develop to old age, including the changes associated with puberty

1. Identifying and classifying animals

Pupils need to know:

• Animals can be sorted into broad groupings of vertebrates and invertebrates 

• The broad groups of animals can be divided further into smaller groups using shared characteristics

• How to identify a variety of animals 

Background science:

Animals are initially classified into two broad groups: vertebrate (backbone) or invertebrate (no backbone). They can then be classified into smaller groups using their shared characteristics.

Vertebrates:

• Mammals: warm-blooded, feed their young with milk, have fur or hair (e.g., human, cow, elephant, leopard)

• Reptiles: cold-blooded, dry scaly skin, usually lay eggs (e.g., crocodile, snake, chameleon)

• Fish: cold-blooded, live underwater, breathe using gills (e.g., shark, eel, trout)

• Amphibians: cold-blooded, live both in water and on land, do not have scales (e.g., frog, toad)

• Birds: warm-blooded, have wings and feathers, most species can fly (e.g., crow, bullfinch, eagle, albatross)

Invertebrates: there are many types, including:

• Insects: exoskeleton (a hard, shell-like covering on the outside of its body), three main body parts (head which is specialised for sensory response and intake of food; thorax which is specialized for movement, with an attachment of wings and legs; and the abdomen which is specialised for digestion, reproduction, respiration and excretion), six legs, antennae (e.g., wasp, butterfly, cricket)

• Arachnids: two main body parts, eight legs, no wings or antennae (e.g., spider, scorpion)

• Crustacean: exoskeleton, segmented body, jointed legs (e.g., crab, lobster)

• Soft-bodied invertebrates, such as jellyfish, worms, slugs, squids

In addition to these groups, animals can also be classified in other ways. For example, you can group animals according to their diets and whether they are carnivorous (only eat meat), omnivorous (eat meat and plants) or herbivorous (only eat plants). 

2. Lifecycles and reproduction 

Pupils need to know:

• Animals reproduce to create offspring which grow into adults, developing through the stages of their life cycle

Background science

The life cycle of an animal describes its birth, development from an infant to an adult, how it reproduces to create offspring and dies. Although each species has its own unique life cycle, there are broad similarities between the life cycles of different animal groups. 

These videos from BBC Teach and STEM Learning provide an introduction to different life cycles.

3. The human body

a. Basic body parts and sensory organs

Pupils need to know:

• The names and positions of the main body parts

• The body parts associated with each sense

Background science:

Humans have five sense organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Our senses are important because they enable us to perceive the world around us and respond to our environment, allowing us to stay safe. Other animals have senses too and the degree of sensory capability varies among species. For example, dogs have a much better sense of smell than humans, but a weaker sense of sight.

1. Eyes/vision: we can see because light travels from a light source to our eyes or after reflecting off an object into our eyes. See the light topic guide for more information

2. Ears/hearing: sounds are caused by vibrations that travel through the air to our ears. See the sound topic guide for more information

3. Nose/smell: our nose is part of our olfactory system which enables us to smell different odours. Our sense of smell is much weaker than that of many other animals

4. Tongue/taste: we can taste a variety of tastes and flavours, including sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami using the taste buds on our tongue

5. Skin/touch: the largest organ in our bodies, the skin has receptors that enable us to perceive texture, temperature, pressure and pain

b. Skeleton and muscles

Pupils need to know:

• The skeleton and muscles provide support and protection and enable movement

Background science:

The human body gets its structure and shape from its skeleton. Humans are born with over 200 bones and they change and grow as we get older and our bodies develop. The skeleton provides the vital framework for supporting our body and protecting the organs inside. For example, our skull protects our brain, our ribs protect our heart and lungs. All vertebrates in the animal kingdom have a skeleton, varying in structure and size and giving each vertebrate its distinctive physical characteristics. 

Bones are made of four layers (including the inner soft bone marrow and the harder outer layer of tissue reinforced with calcium). Although bones are rigid, we can move because we have joints (e.g., at our elbows and knees). We have muscles to help us move which are attached to our bones by tendons. Muscles can either contract or relax and this is how they move our body parts. 

Maintaining the health of our bones is important to avoid them weakening and being more susceptible to breaking. Eating foods with lots of calcium and vitamin D, as well as getting plenty of exercise is important for good bone health. A healthy diet and exercise are, of course, also vital for maintaining good muscle health.

c. Digestive system and teeth 

Pupils need to know:

• The basic parts of the human digestive system and how they function

• Identify the different types of teeth in humans and their function

Background science:

The digestive system comprises all the organs that are used to break food down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into our blood and used for energy and to help us grow and develop. The four main stages of the digestion process are outlined by BBC Bitesize. This video from STEM Learning provides an introduction to the structure and function of the key organs of the digestive system and this one demonstrates how you can create your own model digestive system with household items.

Stage 1: Humans use their teeth and tongue to mechanically break down food, with chemical enzymes also doing some of the work. There are four types of teeth, each with a different function:

1. Incisors: for cutting and chopping food

2. Canines: for tearing food

3. Pre-molars: for crushing and grinding food

4. Molars: for mashing food ready to swallow

Stage 2: The food passes down the oesophagus into the stomach where it is churned around and mixed with stomach acid and enzymes to break it down further.

Stage 3: Passing into the small intestines, this is where most of the digestion takes place. More enzymes are secreted to break down the food molecules so that important nutrients can be absorbed into the blood.

Stage 4: Those nutrients that are left move into the large intestines and the water is absorbed back into the body. Any undigested food molecules are left to form our faeces, passing into the rectum and finally excreted through the anus.

d. Circulatory system

Pupils need to know:

• The main parts of the human circulatory system

• The functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood

Background science:

The circulatory system is the heart pumping blood all around the body through blood vessels, transporting useful materials (e.g., oxygen, nutrients and water) to our organs and removing unwanted waste products (e.g., carbon dioxide). It is a vital system for keeping our body healthy and enabling our organs to function as they should.

The heart pumps oxygenated blood at high pressure through arteries around the body and it returns to the heart at lower pressure (and deoxygenated) in our veins. Our blood contains essential components: red blood cells carry oxygen, white blood cells protect against disease, platelets help repair a cut by clotting, and plasma transports the cells and carries nutrients. 

4. Staying healthy

Pupils need to know:

• The basic needs of animals for survival 

• The importance of a healthy lifestyle, including the impact of diet, nutrition and exercise

• How some drugs and substances can be harmful to the human body 

• Some microorganisms cause disease and how to protect ourselves from them

Background science

All animals need certain basics to survive: air, water, food and shelter. Food chains and food webs are a useful way of representing the basic needs of different animals. See the living things and their habitats topic guide for more on this.

For humans, beyond basic survival, there are several important factors when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet provides us with the nutrition (the many different nutrients, vitamins and minerals) we need to function properly. We need food for energy, to help us grow and so our body can repair itself. BBC Bitesize has a simple introduction to a balanced diet.

Exercise is important for both our physical and mental health. A few examples of the benefits include:

• reduced risk of injury: regular physical activity strengthens muscles, bones and joints and increases mobility and flexibility

• healthy heart: getting the blood pumping keeps the heart, lungs and blood vessels strong

• weight: exercise uses up calories which reduces the risk of obesity

• stress-relief: physical activity can release tension and stress

• social contact: taking part in group activities or team sports is a social activity, which can have help improve mental health 

As well as the importance of eating well and exercising, children need to learn about the benefits and dangers associated with drugs. A drug is a substance that has an effect on your body; how you feel and behave. Drugs prescribed by a doctor that are used to help us get better are called medicines and drugs that are people take because they like the effect they have on their bodies are called recreational. Some drugs are addictive, and all can have harmful effects if they are taken incorrectly (even those prescribed by a doctor). 

Staying healthy also involves protecting ourselves from germs and disease. This Explorify article gives a great introduction to how our bodies are well-equipped to protect us from harmful bacteria and how we can protect ourselves.

5. Human development, including puberty

Pupils need to know:

• The stages of growth and development in humans

• The changes experienced by humans during puberty

Background science:

Puberty is a developmental stage that children go through as they become an adult. On average, girls begin puberty at 11 and boys at 12, but it can begin earlier or later. Boys and girls undergo physical and emotional changes during puberty. The BBC has a clear guide to the changes (note that this is written for children aged 11-14).

Ideas to try with your class  

Now you've got the tricky scientific concepts under your belt, try our ideas to help you explore animals, including humans with your class in a way they will understand in part two of this topic guide!  

You can also take a look at the related topic guides for living things and their habitats, evolution and inheritance.

Image credit: A compass jellyfish under the water by Arzu Kerimli via Shutterstock SL