1. Classification of Animals SC.3.L.15.1
Mary Tweedy
Curriculum Support Specialist
Dr. Millard Lightburn
Elementary Science Supervisor
Open Discovery Education on your employee portal so that your can play the Discovery Education hyperlinks as they appear in the slides. The hyperlinks are underlined: example - Classifying Animals

2. Benchmarks
SC.3.L Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates and invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors. (Cognitive Complexity: Moderate) SC.5.N.2.1 Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations that are testable; explaining must always be linked with evidence. (Cognitive Complexity: Moderate)

3. Classification
Do you collect baseball or Pokemon cards? How about rocks or CD’s? If so, you probably organize the items to make them easy to find. Scientists have a system for keeping track of millions of different organisms that live on Earth. They classify, or organize, the organisms into groups based on similar characteristics.
Engage

4. How do Scientists Classify Animals?
Write down a list of as many animals as you can name in one minute.
Look over the list. What information about these animals might scientists use to classify them?
What body covering do they have?
Do they have a backbone?
How do they breathe?
Explore

5. Look at the animals in these pictures.
Shark
Wolf
butterfly
crab
Separate them into two groups based on something they have in common.
How did you group the animals?
Did you sort them by size?
Maybe you sorted them by color or where they live.
Explore/Explain
You can copy these 4 animal pictures and print them out. Then cut them apart and have students classify the actual animal pictures into two groups. Then share they reasons for the sorting.

6. What are the two main groups that scientists classify all animals into?
Vertebrates
Backbone
Skeletons inside their bodies, help them stand and move around (endoskeleton)
Examples:
giraffe, people,
Dog, shark, bird, fish
Invertebrates
No backbone
Some have:
Skeletons outside their body (exoskeleton)
Grow shells
No hard parts in or outside of their body
Examples:
beetle, snail, worm
Explore/Explain

7. What are the 5 Groups of Vertebrates?
Fish
Amphibians
Reptiles
Mammals
Birds
Explain/Evaluate: First click on link to review the 5 Groups of Vertebrates. Then have students name them in their notebook and draw and name several examples.

8. Fish Lives in water Have wet scales Breathe with gills
Some lay eggs in water
Explore/Explain: Ask students what they know about fish. Then tell students we will watch a video on fish to see what else we can learn about fish Have students share characteristics that all fish have in common.

9. Amphibians Lives on land and water Have moist skin
Lay jelly coated eggs in water
Explore/Explain: Ask students what they know about amphibians . Then tell students we will watch a video on amphibians to see what else we can learn about amphibians. Have students share characteristics that all have in common.

10. Reptiles Have dry scales Lay leathery shelled eggs Cold blooded
Explore/Explain: Ask students what they know about reptiles. Then tell students we will watch a video on reptiles to see what else we can learn about reptiles. Have students share characteristics that all have in common.

11. Mammals Have hair and produce milk
Give birth to live offspring (no eggs)
Warm blooded
Explore/Explain: Ask students what they know about mammals . Then tell students we will watch a video on mammals to see what else we can learn about mammals. Have students share characteristics that all have in common.

12. The World of Birds Bird Characteristics Have feathers Are warm blooded
Have hollow bones
Lay hard shelled eggs
Quiz
Explore/Explain: Ask students what they know about birds. Then tell students we will watch a video on birds.( click on the link, The World of Birds), The World of birds to see what else we can learn about birds. Then watch the Bird Facts video for additional facts. Have students share characteristics that all birds have in common.
Extend: Visit Website: fpr resources developed by educators at the Cornell Lab developed BirdSleuth with support from the National Science Foundation to help educators bring the power and engagement of citizen science and inquiry to students. .
Visit

13. What are you wondering now?
1. Why is a whale classified as a vertebrate?
Compare and contrast a frog and a toad .
Visit and play a Classification Game at
Explain/Evaluate

14. Summary of Vertebrates
Explain

15. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIVE TYPES OF VERTEBRATES
How It Breathes
Body Covering
Born Alive or Lays Eggs
Warm or Cold Blooded
Another Distinctive
Feature
Amphibians
Birds
Fish
Mammals
Reptiles
Explain/Evaluate

16. Explain
Venn Diagram

17. Choose Two Animal Groups to Compare and Contrast
Explain/Evaluate
Students create a VENN diagram and then Choose Two Animal Groups to Compare and Contrast.

18. Is it True? Have a backbone 2. Have scales 3. Have smooth skin
Amphibians
Reptiles
Fish
Birds
Mammals
Have a backbone
2. Have scales
3. Have smooth skin
4. Breathe with gills
5. Breathe with lungs
6. Have fur or hair
7. Have feathers
Lay eggs with hard shells
9. Feed milk to babies
Explain/Evaluate
This chart can be printed or Students copy chart and complete.

19. Why are animals grouped into different categories?
Answer: They are grouped into different categories because they use different types of physical features to carry out the activities they need to live. For example, birds are grouped together because they have wings, feathers, and beaks, while fish are grouped together because they have fins, scales, and mouths. Bonus: Why are arthropods grouped together?
Explain/Evaluate