How many different kinds of animals are there?

How many different kinds of animals are there?

Lesson narration:
Scroll for prep
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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?

Camelopard Drawing
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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?

Six Animals
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DISCUSS (1 of 2):

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

Flamingo

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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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Activity: Kinds-of-Animals Bulletin Board

Set up the bulletin board by dividing it into 5 blocks, labeling one for each group of animals:

  • Mammals (bones, hair/fur, live birth)
  • Birds (bones, feathers, lays eggs)
  • Reptiles (bones, scales, lays eggs)
  • Boneless Animals (no bones, no fur/feathers, lays eggs)
  • ?? Where do these belong??

If you like, have students color these full-page animal cards . Go to the next slide for how to use the bulletin board as a class activity.

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Activity: Kinds-of-Animals Bulletin Board

Use the bulletin board to review and expand students' knowledge of animal groups.

1) Put animal cards into the appropriate blocks. (You can use cards from the activity or full-page animal cards .

2) Challenge students to suggest other animals, then write (or draw) them on 3 x 5 cards. Discuss where each animal belongs, then put the card in that group.

3) If students can't agree, put that animal in the “??” block. Ask students how they could figure out where it belongs. (Scientists sometimes disagree on how to classify animals, too.)

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Bulletin Board Activity Extension: More Challenge Cards

Here's a great addition to your bulletin board.

  • Print out more challenge cards for each student. (Each printout includes two sets of three cards.)
  • Use these step-by-step instructions to figure out where each of these animals belongs. Be warned: these animals are really challenging. Expect a lot of discussion!
  • Put each card in the appropriate group on your bulletin board.
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animal


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a living thing that needs to eat other living things
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characteristic


2 of 11

something you can observe about an object, place, or living thing
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birth


3 of 11

when animals have babies
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mammal


4 of 11

a type of animal that has hair or fur and usually does not lay eggs
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bird


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a type of animal that has feathers and lays eggs
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reptile


6 of 11

a type of animal that has scales and lays eggs
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hatch


7 of 11

to come out of an egg
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bones


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the hard parts inside many animals that help give their bodies shape
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vertebrate


9 of 11

a type of animal that has bones
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invertebrate


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a type of animal that does not have bones
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pattern


11 of 11

something that happens again and again and again in a way that can be predicted
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Lesson narration:

Activity Prep

Print Prep

In this lesson, students examine how scientists organize animals into groups based on their characteristics. In the activity, Animals Sorting Game, students study animal traits and use these traits to sort animal cards into mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. Students are then challenged to make decisions about animals that don’t fall neatly into any of those categories.

Preview activity

Exploration

21 mins

Wrap-Up

4 mins

Extend this lesson

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