Animals Classification Teacher Notes Activites and Worksheets
Animals Classification Teacher Notes Activites and Worksheets
Animals Classification Teacher Notes Activites and Worksheets
Classification Page 1 of 13
- They have a beak, two wings and two legs
Learning Intentions
Reptiles
- Respect self, others and the environment
- They are cold-blooded
- Communicate effectively
- They have hard leathery scales
- Solve problems efficiently
- Most have 4 limbs and a tail (exception here is the snake has no limbs)
- Most lay eggs with leathery shells
Teacher Notes - They have lungs
Dividing things into groups on the basis of similarities and differences is Amphibians
something that is done every day. Imagine going into a library to find a - They are cold blooded
book if there was no grouping: you would have to look through - Young have gills and adults have lungs
thousands of books to find the one that you wanted. - Moist scale less skin
- Webbed feet
Scientist use a similar process to group. There are a couple of
- Young live in water, adults live on land
groupings before we can look at the animals at the zoo.
1. Living or Non-living Fish
2. Plant or animal - They are cold blooded
- They live in water
Animals can then be broken down into two groups. Vertebrates (those
- They have gills
with a spine) and invertebrates (those without a spine). Although we
- They have scales and fins
use invertebrates here at the zoo to feed some of our animals we will
- They lay soft eggs
be looking at vertebrates.
Vertebrates can be split into 5 main groups. Mammals, Amphibians, Warm blooded animals: are able to generate heat internally and
Reptiles, Birds and Fish. (please remember for each group there can always be exceptions) maintain a constant body temperature that can differ from the
surrounding air temperature.
Mammals
- They are warm blooded Cold blooded animals: are not able to maintain a constant internal
- They have fur, hair or wool body temperature. The temperature of cold blooded animals is
- They give birth to live young (exception here is that platypus and echidna lay determined by the temperature of the surrounding environment. An
eggs) example of this is the reptile that needs to sit in the sun to warm up
- The mother feeds milk to their young and sit in holes in the ground to cool down.
- They all have lungs
Birds Vocabulary
- They are warm blooded Vertebrate, invertebrate, cold-blooded, warm-blooded, vertebra,
- They have feathers species, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, regulation,
- They lay eggs with hard shells endotherms, ectotherms, adaptation, aquatic, carnivore, herbivore
Classification Page 2 of 13
Pre-visit Learning Activity What group do I belong to?
- Think about the different ways things around us can be grouped. Ask the
class to choose everyday items like buttons or pencils and group them in What group do I come from??
as many different ways they can think of. This game/activity can be used as a group or individual activity at
- Find out the names of students pets. Can they classify the pets just from school.
their names? Get them to draw their pets; is it easier to classify them
now?
- Get students to cut out animal pictures from magazines. Can they put Cut out cards (see below) and get students to try and place these in
them into piles of similar ones? Discuss the problems that arise. Get the correct groups. This activity could be used as a before view and
them to think about body coverings, breeding strategy and mode of after view. It is also a way of introducing some of the vocabulary
breathing. used when classifying animals.
- Make students aware of the difference between vertebrates and
invertebrates.
- Activity What group do I come from? (see activity details)
References and Resources
Learning at the Zoo
Animal Classification Game -
- Zoo educator can reinforce classifying of animals. Look at the 5 different http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/lsps07_int_animalclass/
This webpage has facts about each animal group but also an interactive online
groups of vertebrates. Look at examples they may find here at the zoo grouping game.
and talk about their special features.
A-Z Animals - http://a-z-animals.com/reference/animal-classification/
- Worksheet Observing animals This webpage is full of animal information including classification/ taxonomy.
- Worksheet - Where can I hide?
- Worksheet Observing Animals Who Am I? by Gervase Phinn, 2012 (picture book)
- Worksheet - Bird, reptile, mammal, amphibian or fish?
- Worksheet Who am I? - Scavenger Hunt Mammals - www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YSCLSFm2eA#t=53
Discover Channel Clip
- Choose animals to sketch the patterns on their fur, skin etc.
Classification of Species - www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/greatest-
discoveries/videos/100-greatest-discoveries-classification-of-species.htm
Post-visit Learning Science Channel Clip
- Worksheet Fur, feathers, skin or scales? 1. Mammals: Investigating a Group of Animals - scienceonline.tki.org.nz ...
- Worksheet Classifying vertebrates Titles and concept overviews
- Worksheet Classification Key
- Design a classification flow chart with the understanding that you have
of each animal.
Classification Page 3 of 13
Classifying Vertebrates
Vertebrates all have similarities and differences. This makes grouping clearer. Get students to answer the question first
then list animals at the zoo that belong to each group.
What is my body What do I use to How do I have Am I warm-blooded
Animals of this group
covering? breathe? babies? or cold-blooded?
Fish
Amphibian
Reptile
Bird
Mammal
Classification Page 4 of 13
Where can I hide? Camouflage
Can you put animals you see at the zoo into the right habitat?
Look at the animal signs for your answers or their colourings/markings of their fur or skin may give you a clue
Bush Wetlands
*answers can also be found on our website under each individual animal
Classification Page 5 of 13
Fur, feathers, skin or scales?
Draw lines to connect animal coverings with animal groups and animals.
1.
fish reptile amphibian mammal bird
Classification Page 6 of 13
What group do I come from?
(Activity cards page 1 of 3 Cut out cards to use for Activity)
Most animals
I am warm I have ear I am warm
I have lungs in this group
blooded flaps to touch
live on land
Classification Page 7 of 13
What group do I come from?
(Activity cards page 2 of 3 Cut out cards to use for Activity)
My eggs are
I have a I am cool to
Reptiles backbone touch
I lay eggs leathery to
touch
My eggs are
I have a Young have
Amphibians I lay eggs soft jelly
backbone gills
covered
Classification Page 8 of 13
What group do I come from?
(Activity cards page 3 of 3 Cut out cards to use for activity)
I have a
Fish backbone
Live in water I lay eggs I have gills
I have cartilage
I am covered I am cold My eggs are
I have fins skeleton instead
in scales blooded soft of bone
I have
I have no I can have 6 I can have
Invertebrates hemolymph
backbone or more legs many eyes instead of blood
Classification Page 10 of 13
Classification Key
With a bit of research can you find an animal that fits each description to complete the key?
Vertebrates
Hair/Fur No Hair/Fur
Non Webbed
Horns No Horns Claws No Claws Webbed Feet Scales No Scales
Feet
4 or more
Stripes No Stripes Long Nose Short Nose Tail No Tail Flippers No Flippers 3 or less toes Legs No Legs
toes
Classification Page 11 of 13
Bird, reptile, mammal, amphibian or fish?
Can you find the following animals? Look at their body coverings and complete the sentences.
Classification Page 12 of 13
Who am I?
Look at these close up pictures of animal coverings.
While walking around the zoo look closely at the animals and guess who belong to each one.
A B C D E
Classification Page 13 of 13