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DISCUSS:

How could you convince your friends that your animal was real?

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DISCUSS (1 of 2):

What kind of animal do you think it is?

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DISCUSS (2 of 2):

Here’s one person’s drawing of the animal. (It doesn’t look quite like the real animal, but it might give you some ideas.) Does this give you any new ideas about what the animal was?

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DISCUSS:

Look at these 6 animals. How many different ways can you group them? Why would you put certain animals together?

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DISCUSS (1 of 2):

What are some characteristics of this animal, other than its colors or patterns?

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DISCUSS (2 of 2):

What are some characteristics of this animal, other than its colors or patterns?

Fish

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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Other

Arabian camel by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: konradrza

DSLR camera by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Marcio Jose Bastos Silva

Zoo entrance by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Trong Nguyen

airplane by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: phive

book with blank cover by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: urfin

giraffe on tv screen by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: gmstockstudio

girl presenting in front of class by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Monkey Business Images

laptop screen by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: guteksk7

notebook in hands by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Leklek

pair of giraffes by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Vaclav Volrab

red kangaroo by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Bradley Blackburn

single giraffe by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: jaroslava v

walking leopard by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Iakov Filimonov

woman looking at map by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: topten22photo

woman looking with Binoculars in the forest by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: topten22photo

woman with laptop by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Andrey_Popov

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“The collaborative learning and discussion within the groups was truly wonderful to observe as our students were focused and engaged! The challenge cards were brilliant and students were authentically applying what they learned through the sorting of the cards with characteristics to sort the challenge cards! Thank you for this resource! It was a meaningful learning experience for all involved!”

“This lesson took two class periods; mostly because the kids had so much they wanted to discuss during the discussion slides! I've never heard of a Pangolin! I love to learn along with the students with these lessons. Materials were easy; I cut the cards myself to save time and it took seconds to do. ”

“The best part was seeing their faces light up as they explored along with Doug in the videos as well as having something hands-on like sorting and then with the challenge cards...they actually got to decide for themselves with a follow-up video. Great lesson!”

“I loved that there was a hands on component where they could move around the animals to see the different ways of categorizing them. It walked them through step by step how scientists would have been exploring the same questions. Students were excited and engaged!”

“The discussion my students had while categorizing the animals into groups showed me that they were thinking and learning. I love the step by step videos for the students throughout the activities.”

“Sorting the cards in different ways was enriching. The mystery cards were also amazing!!! I like that the kids were stumped because it forced them to think critically. I felt like I actually got to teach them something they didn't already know!!!”

“Students working together as a team to put animals into groups. They enjoyed learning about the topic. I used this for the students to have background knowledge, so when I teach about vertebrates and invertebrates, they have an understanding of how animals are grouped. This was really fun!”

“Super engaging. All kids were on task except my one who only wants my attention. Students were discussing and debating. Absolutely internalized the concepts of categorizing and characteristics, and we were able to add to our vocabulary list. We loved the extension videos. The kids couldn't let it go, so we watched the YouTube channel for 15 more minutes until lunch gave us the chance to break. --This is my first mystery science activity. It was SO easy to do! I feel like a fun teacher. :-) I'm definitely going to have to subscribe for now and future school years! Thank you so much for this awesome resource!”

How many different kinds of animals are there?

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How many different kinds of animals are there?

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