You will learn
- Say what some animals eat.
- Name plant-eaters, meat-eaters and animals that eat both.
- Match an animal to its food.
- Say that animals need food and water.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Animals need food and water.
- Cows and goats eat plants.
- Lions and snakes eat other animals.
- Chickens and humans eat plants and animals.
Words to know
an animal that eats only plants
an animal that eats other animals
an animal that eats plants and animals
an animal that is eaten by another animal
1. Discover: Feeding time on the farm
Tunde helps feed the farm animals. The goat chews grass. The hen pecks seeds and small insects. The cat drinks milk and eats fish. “Do they all eat the same food?” he asks. “No,” says his aunt. “Each animal needs the right food.”
Think: Which food does each animal eat?
2. Understand: What animals eat
Idea 1: Plant-eaters
Herbivores eat only plants. Cows, goats, rabbits and elephants are herbivores. They eat grass, leaves, fruits or seeds.
Idea 2: Meat-eaters
Carnivores eat other animals. Lions, snakes and owls are carnivores. The animals they eat are called prey.
Idea 3: Both
Omnivores eat plants and animals. Hens, pigs and people are omnivores. All animals also need water to drink.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): What does it eat?
A rabbit.
- Does it eat meat? No.
- What does it eat? Grass and leaves.
- So it is a herbivore.
Answer: A rabbit eats plants, so it is a herbivore.
Example 2 (We do it together): Match
Lion, goat, hen.
- Lion: carnivore.
- Goat: herbivore.
- Hen: omnivore.
Answer: A lion is a carnivore, a goat a herbivore and a hen an omnivore.
Example 3 (You try): Why is water important?
A dog is thirsty.
Show the steps and answer
- It needs to drink.
- Where can it find water? A bowl.
- What happens without water? It gets sick.
Answer: All animals need water.
Did you know?
A blue whale is the biggest animal. It eats tiny sea animals called krill, millions at a time.
Why this matters
Knowing what animals eat helps us feed pets properly and understand how nature works.
4. Explore: Food sorting
Sort animal food cards into plant, meat and both.
- Make cards for animals and foods.
- Sort them into groups.
- Match each animal to its food.
- Say why each match is right.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Different animals eat different foods.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A goat eats ___.
- A lion eats ___.
- A hen eats seeds and ___.
- All animals drink ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What do cows eat?
Grass.
Question 2. What do lions eat?
Other animals.
Question 3. What is a herbivore?
An animal that eats plants.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What do cows eat?
- What do lions eat?
- What is a herbivore?
- What is a carnivore?
- What do all animals need?
Level 2: Grow
- Name two herbivores.
- What is an omnivore?
- What is prey?
Level 3: Stretch
- Sort: rabbit, lion, hen.
- Explain why we do not feed wild animals.
- Make a food chart for three animals.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
What do animals near you eat?
Show a sample answer
Grass, seeds, insects and scraps.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Some eat plants only.
Fix: All animals need water.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what some animals eat.
- I can name plant-eaters, meat-eaters and animals that eat both.
- I can match an animal to its food.
- I can say that animals need food and water.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Animals need food and water.
- Cows and goats eat plants.
- Lions and snakes eat other animals.
- Chickens and humans eat plants and animals.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Animal shelters. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a herbivore? [1 mark]
- What is a carnivore? [1 mark]
- Name an omnivore. [1 mark]
- What do all animals need? [2 marks]
- Match three animals to their food. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- An animal that eats plants [1]
- An animal that eats animals [1]
- A hen, pig or human [1]
- Food [1]; water [1]
- Three correct matches [1 each]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What do cows eat?
- What do lions eat?
- What is a herbivore?
- What is a carnivore?
- What do all animals need?
- Name two herbivores.
- What is an omnivore?
- What is prey?
- Sort: rabbit, lion, hen.
- Explain why we do not feed wild animals.
Homework
Draw a food chart for three animals you know. Write what each one eats.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What do cows eat? | Grass. | 1 |
| 2. What do lions eat? | Other animals. | 1 |
| 3. What is a herbivore? | An animal that eats plants. | 1 |
| 4. What is a carnivore? | An animal that eats animals. | 1 |
| 5. What do all animals need? | Food and water. | 1 |
| 6. Name two herbivores. | Cow and goat. | 1 |
| 7. What is an omnivore? | An animal that eats plants and animals. | 1 |
| 8. What is prey? | An animal that is eaten by another animal. | 1 |
| 9. Sort: rabbit, lion, hen. | Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore. | 1 |
| 10. Explain why we do not feed wild animals. | They can be dangerous and need natural food. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Grass.; 2 Other animals.; 3 An animal that eats plants.; 4 An animal that eats animals.; 5 Food and water.. Level 2: 1 Cow and goat.; 2 An animal that eats plants and animals.; 3 An animal that is eaten by another animal.. Level 3: 1 Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore.; 2 They can be dangerous and need natural food.; 3 Animal and food pairs..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what some animals eat | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Name plant-eaters, meat-eaters and animals that eat both | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Match an animal to its food | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say that animals need food and water | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “All animals eat meat.” Some eat plants only.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use five animals. Say what each one eats.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns what different animals eat and why they need food and water. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Watch what pets eat.
- Ask, “Is it a herbivore or a carnivore?”
- Never feed strange animals.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what some animals eat; name plant-eaters, meat-eaters and animals that eat both; match an animal to its food; say that animals need food and water.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Animal and food picture cards, chart paper, glue and crayons. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare picture cards for animals and foods. Make three columns: plants, meat, both.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “What do you think a goat eats?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach herbivore, carnivore and omnivore.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners sort cards.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners make a food chart.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What does it eat? Does it eat plants or animals?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “All animals eat meat.” Some eat plants only.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use five animals. Say what each one eats. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 4, topic 7; Next Generation Science Standards, from molecules to organisms (animal structures and needs); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, animals; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.