Table of Contents

Standards

Learning Targets

What Do I Need to Know

Vocabulary

Animals

Grouping Animals

Characteristics of Animals

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investigate or do an activity.

Click on this symbol to do an internet activity, view a

video, or learn a new song!

You will see this symbol when you should

share/compare with a science buddy.

All words highlighted in yellow are vocabulary words and their

definitions can be found on the Vocabulary Investigation page.
 Minnesota Standards
Standard Benchmark Code
Living things are diverse with Compare how the different 3.4.1.1.1
many different structures of plants and animals
characteristics that enable serve various functions of
them to grow, reproduce and growth, survival, and
survive. reproduction.

Identify common groups of plants 3.4.1.1.2

and animals using observable
physical characteristics,
structures and behaviors.

Offspring are generally Give examples of likenesses 3.4.3.2.1

similar to their parents, but between adults and offspring in
may have variations that can plants and animals that can be
be advantageous or inherited or acquired.
disadvantageous in a
particular environment.
Give examples of differences 3.4.3.2.2
among individuals that can
sometimes give an individual an
advantage in survival and
reproduction.

Cross Curricular
Standards

Standard Benchmark Code

Use information gained from (Reading Standard under

3.2.7.7
illustrations (e.g. maps, Integration of Knowledge and
photographs) & the words in Ideas)
text to demonstrate
understanding of the text.
 What do I Need to Know?
I can sort animals into groups
based on their characteristics.

I can explain how baby animals

are the same as their parents, and
also how they may be different.

I can explain what character-

istics animals have that help them
live in their habitat.

I can give examples of

adaptations animals have to make
them more likely to survive than
others.
 Hypothetically Thinking

o What do you know about animals and what they need

to survive?

o What do you know about animal groups and what the

animals in each group have in common?

o What do you wonder about animals with backbones

(vertebrates) and animals without backbones
(invertebrates)?

o What do you know about the characteristics of

animals and how they help them grow and survive?
 Vocabulary
Investigation
Adapt – change

Acquired – traits that are from experiences in the world – they are not inherited
or passed on (examples: (scimathmn.org)

Carnivore- an animal that eats meat

Characteristics - a special quality or appearance that makes an individual or group

different from others (www.wordcentral.org)

Cold Blooded: the temperature of a cold blooded animal will change with the
temperature around the animal. The temperature of the animal is cooler when it
is cool and warmer when it is warm.

Features – parts or details that stand out (Merriam Webster Word Central –
Student Dictionary)

Herbivore – an animal that eats plants

Inherited – traits that are passed down from parents

Invertebrates – animals without backbones

Migrate – to move from one place to another based on the seasons

Omnivore- an animal that eats plants and meat

Reproduction – when plants make more plants like themselves or animals make
more animals like themselves

Species -a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young
animals (Merriam Webster)

Survive – continue to live

Trait – a quality that sets one plant or animal apart from another

Vertebrates- animals with backbones

Warm Blooded: the temperature of a warm blooded animal stays about the same
all the time. The temperature does not change with the temperature outside the
animal.
 Living Things

Living Things
What is a living thing?
Living Things
Are all living things
the same? What are
two main groups of
living things?

Click here to find out what you

know about categorizing living
things:
Plants and
Animals
Characteristics are ways to describe
something. What are some
Plant and characteristics that animals have?
Animal
PPPPhttp://ww
Differences
OOnz/gamesactivities/plantanimaldif.ht
Record your ideas in your science
ml notebeook.
 Animals

With your partner, brainstorm the

names of as many animals as you can in a
minute. Are there any ways you can
Animal Sort –
group the animals?
Sort a stack of animal cards or
Record them in your science notebook.
pictures into groups. Label the
groups. (This could be preceded
by a brief introduction of the 6
animal groups or it could be done
to see what students know about
the animal groups, or to discover
what they choose to sort by –
legs, color, animal group, etc.
Animal Classification
Online option: This interactive
site has two parts – the first
gives facts about each animal
group and what makes them
unique. The second is a sorting
activity which gives facts about
the animal groups. There are There are over 1,000,000 different
two settings – one is the kinds of animals on our planet. One
African Savannah (no fish or way to classify animals is into
amphibians) and the other is groups that have certain
the North American Forest (no characteristics.
fish).
 Animal Classifications

Click here for a Brainpop Jr. video on classifying animals.

The six groups we will study are: Mammals, Reptiles,

Amphibians, Birds, Fish, and Insects.

Another way to classify animals is to decide if they are vertebrates

or invertebrates. Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds, and Fish are
vertebrates? Since almost all animal groups are made up of
vertebrates, it is amazing that there are far more invertebrates in
the world. How can this be? Keep wondering and investigating and
see if you can answer this question at the end of the chapter.

Click to see a Scholastic Study Jam on vertebrates. This slide show gives
information on the five vertebrate groups and a test yourself online quiz.
There is vocabulary – when you click on the word it gives the definition.

Scholastic Study Jams Invertebrates- this does not introduce insects,

but does introduce worms, jellyfish, etc. It is a slide show with a test yourself
section following it. Vocabulary words are included – when you click them, it
gives the definition.
 What makes a mammal a mammal?

Mammals have these characteristics in common:

1. Most mammals have live babies.

2. Mammals are warm blooded.
3. Mother mammals give milk to feed babies.
4. Mammals have fur or hair.
5. Most mammals have teeth.

There are 4,000 to

The blue whale is the largest mammal
5,000 species of
mammals.

Mammal Video
(Discovery Channel 3:45)

The bumblebee bat (Kitti’s Click here to learn

Hognosed Bat) is the smallest more about
mammal. mammals.
 Reptiles

What makes a reptile a reptile? Reptiles include snakes,

crocodiles, alligators,
Reptiles have these characteristics in common:
turtles, and lizards. They
1. Reptiles are cold blooded. are found on every
2. Reptiles have scales. continent except
3. They hatch from eggs.
Antarctica.
4. Many people think that reptiles are slimy,
but this is not the case. They have dry
skin.

Reptiles can be as small as one inch long, like

the dwarf gecko.

There are more than

8,000 species of reptiles.

Reptiles can weigh as much as a ton, like the

saltwater crocodile.

Click here to
learn more about reptiles.

Click here to view a video on reptiles.

(Discovery Channel 3:45)
 Amphibians
What makes an amphibian an amphibian?

Amphibians have these characteristics in common:Amphibians

Amphibians are cold blooded
animals. They hatch from eggs. They are often thought of as having two lives. This
is because they are born in water, and end up living on land. They start out breathing
through gills, and then develop lungs. They also start out with fins and tails, and then
grow legs. They can breathe through their skin, which is moist and bumpy. The adults
are mainly carnivores, while the larvae are mainly herbivores. They are vertebrates.
There are over 7,000 amphibian species.

Types of Amphibians: Frogs (toads are a type of frog), Salamanders, Caecillians

Click here to view/hear an amphibian song (1:10)

Click here for information on amphibians and animals from all animal groups

There are also many videos on individual amphibians on National Geographic for Kids.
Birds

What makes a bird a bird?

Birds have these characteristics in common:

They are the only animal group with feathers. They also have
wings and hollow bones. Can you guess what these characteristics
help birds do? Yes! They help them fly. Penguins, Kiwi, and
Ostriches (the biggest birds) are exceptions and do not fly.

Birds lay eggs and are warm blooded. They are also vertebrates.
They have two legs. They also have beaks. There are about 7,000
bird species.

Many birds migrate, which means they move from one place to
another based on the seasons. Some carry messages, and some
even help people hunt.

Click here to learn more about birds.

about birds.
 A seahorse
is a fish.

sh!

Fish
What makes a fish a fish?

Fish
Fish have these characteristics in common:

Fish are cold blooded vertebrates that spend their whole

ggggg
life in the water.

Fish breathe through gills.

There are around 3,000 species of fish.

Click here to learn more about fish.

Click here for National Geographic Fish videos.

Insects have more species than any other type of animal.
There are over one million (and some experts believe there may be
as many as 30 million).

Insects have these characteristics in common: They are

invertebrates, so they have a hard external covering instead of a
skeleton.

They also have three body parts, a head, a thorax, and an abdomen.

They have antennae on their heads. They have 6 legs. Some have
wings.

Butterflies, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, centipedes, moths, bees,

wasps, ants, and termites are all insects.

Insect Video (with captions) 3:54 – general -traits of insects

Insect Video – 3:35 – specific information on insects

 Differences in Animals That Help Them Survive

Animals may have advantages in survival based on the color of their covering. If
an animal has coloring that blends in with its environment, it has a better chance
of surviving than a similar animal with a coat that doesn’t blend in. An example
would be a fawn – if its coat blends into the brush around it, it has a good chance
of being safe. If that same fawn is albino (its fur is white), it can be more easily
seen by an animal looking for lunch.

In this picture, you can see how the fawn blends into the trees and grass better
than the doe (mother deer).

Animals may have advantages for survival based on their physical characteristics.
If an animal is able to run or swim faster than other animals of the same kind, it
has a better chance of surviving than one that runs more slowly.

There are many characteristics that baby animals inherit from their parents.
These could include their scales, shell, wings, color of their fur or skin, and/or
how many legs they have.

There are also characteristics that baby animals acquire as they grow. These
could include their weight.
Try one or more of these activities again. What did you learn about animals?
Please record your thoughts in your science notebook.

Animal Sort –

Sort a stack of animal cards or pictures into groups. Label your groups.

Animal Classification Online option: This interactive site has two parts –
the first gives facts about each animal group and what makes them unique. The
second is a sorting activity which gives facts about the animal groups

With your partner, brainstorm the names of as many animals as you can in a
minute. How many ways you can group the animals?

Record them in your science notebook.

 ConclusionS

What do you know about…

 why there are more

invertebrates than vertebrates?

 how to sort animals into groups based on their traits?

 why animals have different adaptations?

 what traits of animals can help them survive?

What do you wonder…

 Additional Resources

Animal videos from Learn 360:

Amphibians: Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders
Birds
Diversity
First Films: Mammals
Fish
Insects
Reptiles
Science: Animals with Backbones
What’s an Animal?

Trade Books:

How Animal Babies Stay Safe – Mary Ann Frasier

I Didn’t Know that Whales Can Sing – Kate Petty

One Tiny Turtle – Nicola Davies

Snakes are Hunters – Patricia Lauber

Amphibians, Water-to-Land Animals – Laura Purdie Salas

Amphibians – Melissa Stewart

Growing Frogs – Vivian French

From Egg to Chicken – Dr. Gerald Legg

What’s It Like to Be a Fish? – Wendy Pfeffer

Survival of the Salmon (Adventures of Riley) – Amanda Lumry and Laura Hurwitz

Bugs are Insects – Anne Rockwell

Ant Cities – Arthur Dorros

From Caterpillar to Butterfly – Deborah Heiligman

Are You a Dragonfly?, Are You a Ladybug? Are You a Grasshopper-Judy Allen and Tudor
Humphries

The Magic School Bus – Explores the World of Bugs – Nancy White

Caterpillars and Butterflies – Stephanie Turnbull

MN Frameworks for Science: This site includes vignettes, common misconceptions, suggestions
for assessment and differentiation, along with the standards and benchmarks. It is very
helpful and has suggestions for adapting activities for all students. It also explains the
standards very well and offers connections to other subject matter.
 Science
Science notebook
notebook Page