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Lesson · Grade 7 · Science

Competing for Food, Water and Space

  • Grade 7
  • Science
  • 1 min 11 s
  • British Columbia
  • BC7-SC-04

A meadow with four patches of grass, one pond and limited space has enough for four rabbits, but when there are eight they compete, because there is not enough food, water or space for all of them. The rabbits that lose out move away or die, which shows that a habitat can only support as many living things as its food, water and space allow.

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In one sentence

The question this lesson answers

Every living thing needs food, water and space.

But what happens when there is not enough to share?

Transcript

What the lesson says

Every living thing needs food, water and space.

But what happens when there is not enough to share?

This meadow has grass to eat, a pond to drink from and space to live.

When four rabbits live here, there is enough for all of them.

Then more rabbits are born, and soon there are eight.

The grass that fed four rabbits now has to feed eight.

So the rabbits compete with each other for the grass.

Competition happens when living things need the same thing and there is not enough of it.

Eight rabbits must share one small pond, so they compete for water too.

There is not enough room for every rabbit to make a home.

Rabbits that do not get enough must move away or may die.

With fewer rabbits, there is enough for the ones that stay.

So a habitat can only support as many living things as its food, water and space allow.

Living things compete when there is not enough food, water or space for all.

Curriculum

Where this fits

British Columbia, Grade 7

Science, Biology: survival needsBC7-SC-04

Previous: What Every Living Thing NeedsNext: Variation: no two individuals are the same

The outcomes and strands follow the British Columbia curriculum.

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