| Belize Animal Classification
Lesson
Grade Level: 2
Author: Tammy D. Lee, Greenville,
NC
Background:
Scientists classify
animals into different groups according to different characteristics
or attributes, such as appearance, lifestyle, and origin.
Students need to understand how to determine various attributes
of animals and be able to group the animals before investigating
various life cycles. This activity should be done after
a lesson on vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Explain
to students that they will be working only with vertebrate
animals.
Materials:
Internet access
to download and print color pictures of vertebrate animals
from Belize and North Carolina. Each group will need two
sets of pictures to complete the activity and the evaluation;
poster paper and glue.
Objectives:
Students will
examine various pictures of vertebrate animals from Belize
and North Carolina. Based on their observations, students
will group animals into various categories according to
the animals’ attributes. Students will assign names
to their groups and explain their rules for making the various
groups.
Procedure:
Download and print
pictures from Web site of vertebrate animals from North
Carolina and Belize. Each group needs to have its own copies
of the animal pictures.
Have students
form groups to begin sorting animals according to their
attributes.
Students need
to develop rules for their various groups, and indicate
them on the poster paper alongside pictures of animals that
they have glued to the poster.
Allow students
to present their findings to the class.
Discuss similarities
and differences among each groups’ rules for classifying.
Discuss
which animals come from North Carolina or Belize. Are
there any animals that come from both countries? How
are these animals alike or different?
Assessment:
Give each group the
rules that scientists use to classify vertebrate groups. Read
the list with the students and complete one example for each
group as a class. Then have students place the rest of the pictures
into the indicated groups according to the rules.
Mammals: Has
hair or fur, female has live babies, can live on land or
in water
Reptiles: Scaly
skin, female usually lays eggs, can live on land or in water
Amphibian: Smooth
skin that needs moisture, female lays eggs, adult sometimes
does not look like its parents, spends half its life on
land and half in the water
Birds: Has
feathers, female lays eggs, most can fly
Fish: Has
scales, female lays eggs, lives in water
Extension:
Have students
individually draw their own vertebrate animal. Students
must indicate the various attributes of their animal and
indicate the group to which it belongs.
|
