Biology (junior)

Where can I find facts and information about biology?

Senior Primary (Years 5-8)

Image: Biology and Bioengineering by Matt Harasymczuk on Flickr.

Contents

Useful words Facts and pictures Articles and videos Books

Entry last updated: 08/01/18

Introduction

Biology is a branch of science that studies organisms (living things) and their changes. It includes the study of cells, plants, animals and the human body. It studies all forms of life no matter where they exist, from the largest to the smallest.

Useful words

Here are some words you may come across when learning about biology:

Organisms: All living things are called organisms. Plants, animals, humans and even germs are all organisms.

Cells: All living things are made up of cells. Some living things like bacteria are made up of just one cell. Animals and plants are made up of millions of cells.

Genes: Genes determine how living things grow and function. They pass down characteristics from parents to children like hair colour and eye colour.

Life cycle: The stages that all living things go through from the beginning of life until the end of life.

Food chain: A food chain shows how living things get food from other living things. For example cows eat grass and humans eat cows. Grass is lower in the food chain than cows and cows are lower than humans.

Body systems: Are the organs and systems that keep the body functioning. They include the lungs in the respiratory system, the heart in the circulatory system and the stomach in the digestive system.

Facts and pictures

The sites below will help you understand the basics of biology.

Fact Monster

Fact Monster is an online encyclopedia and homework site. It has lots of basic facts and is a good starting point for all sorts of questions. At the bottom of the page you will see that it belongs to FEN Learning.

  • Use the search bar to type biology words.
  • Choose Science on the front page and then Biology.
  • Go to the Homework tab and choose Science, then Biology under Life Science.
Tips: Try the dictionary and thesaurus to find the meanings of biology words.

Biology4Kids

This is a great site for senior primary students. Each biology topic has diagrams and lots of facts.

  • from the links on the home page, choose biology topics like like cells, microbes, plants and invertebrates, or
  • use the search bar to find information.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. You can see at the bottom of the page that this website belongs to Andrew Rader Studios.

Articles and videos

The sites below are part of the EPIC collection of databases that cover lots of different topics. They are put together especially for New Zealand school students. You will find articles, videos and pictures to help answer your questions on biology.

Britannica School

Britannica School has different reading levels. Choose Primary for an easy-to-read summary, and Middle for more detail.

  • Use the search bar to type 'biology'.
  • Choose Biology for an overview.
  • Try other words like 'life cycle', 'food chain' or 'body systems'.
Tips: Remember to explore the different formats like videos and images.

Kids Infobits

This has easy to read information on lots of topics, including biology. To find information you can:

  • use the search box to look for biology topics, or
  • choose Science from the front page, then
  • select Biology and Nature to see all the biology topics.
Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6 pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Books

There are many books written on biology. Check out your local public library or school library to see what they have.

Some recommended titles are:

SCIS no: 1850838

Topics covered

Biology cells plants animals food chains food webs human bodies organisms body systems living world genes life cycles birds vertebrates invertebrates science microbes disease pollination germination photosynthesis mammals reptiles amphibians sea animals DNA nature of science animal classification
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