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Curated OER
Animals Galore
A well-designed lesson which covers the characteristics of the animals found in the six animal groups is here for your young biologists. In it, learners divide up into six groups; the amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, fish, and...
Curated OER
Classification of Animals
Sixth graders examine two-way classification systems using four mutually exclusive groups and two dimensions simultaneously. They then are given a set of plastic animals, asked to create a two-way classification system, then asked to...
Curated OER
Classification of the Nearby Trees
Third graders practice using classification techniques to identify local trees. For this plant life instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss how trees differ from other plants and what characteristics are unique to trees alone....
Curated OER
Animal Adaptations
Young scientists explore the animal kingdom from the safety of the classroom with this short research project. After first choosing an animal, children use the Internet to discover where it lives, what it eats, and how it...
Curated OER
Animals, Animals, Everywhere
Fourth graders participate in a variety of activities dealing with animal characteristics and classifications in this multi-task lesson. They use graphic organizers, make booklets, and make models.
Curated OER
Animal Classification
Students recognize the six groups of animals (Mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and arthropods) and their characteristics. In this animal characteristics lesson plan, students sort animals by their traits. Students...
Curated OER
Animal Classification
Students list characteristics and features of animals found in their community. They then group the animals according to how they are similar and different and create names for each group. They then create a chart of their...
Curated OER
Around-The-World-Zoo
Junior biologists design and maintain a website about a zoo by researching, classifying, and providing the correct habitats for the animals they choose to have in their zoo. This technology-based project can last over an entire semester...
EnLiST
Trap Your Own Insects: What’s in Your Backyard?
Young entomologists construct three types of insect traps—pitfall, pollinator, and panel—before setting their traps out and observing what they caught. They then observe what types of insects the different traps attract.
Curated OER
Clearly Classified
Young scholars review the classification system for living organisms and apply it the classification of insects and flowers in the still life by Ambrosius Bosschaert. They create a chart classifying the animals and plants in the painting...
Curated OER
Species Diversity in Ecosystems with Different Techniques of Land Management
Students visit numerous places to help in their understanding of Ecology. In this biology lesson plan, students will learn about characteristics and how to identify numerous plants and animals. This lesson allows for many field trip...
Curated OER
Classification of Living Things
Students classify organisms according to the rules of taxonomy. In this biology lesson, students name organisms using binomial nomenclature. They create a new organism and explain which specific group it belongs to and why.
Curated OER
Animal Classification
Students classify animals. In this animal classification lesson, students identify characteristics from each of the 5 categories of vertebrates. Students group animals by categories.
Curated OER
Animals: Here and Now
Discuss and identify natural habitats of animals commonly found in zoos. The class constructs and displays small "zoo like" models to show a chosen animal habitat. They write a short story or diary about an animal or pet of their choice....
Captain Planet Foundation
Which Plant Is Which?
Learn about dichotomous keys, plant identification, and how to care for the planet with a lesson that includes several hands-on and innovative activities. Kids go on a plant scavenger hunt and classify the plants that they find...
Curated OER
Classifying Vertebrates
Second graders study animal characteristics and classification. In this animal characteristics and classifications lesson, 2nd graders determine how to classify vertebrates which include mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fish....
Captain Planet Foundation
Energy Flow in the Garden
How can you tell what an owl has eaten? Study the food chain and flow of energy in an ecosystem by dissecting an owl pellet and noting the bones found inside. Additionally, the instructional activity includes a game about consumers and...
Curated OER
Characteristics of Reptiles Lesson Plan
First graders draw pictures of reptiles and share them with the class describing the characteristics of the reptile. For this reptiles lesson plan, 1st graders determine if animals in pictures are reptiles or not.
Curated OER
Animal Classification Unit
Third graders study how to group animals by their physical characteristics. They examine how animals have adapted to have their needs met by the environment.
Curated OER
Animals of Africa
Students identify animals indigenous to Africa, then create an imaginary animal using various materials they have at home. They write about their animal and include its name, characteristics, and describe how it defends itself.
Curated OER
The Great Jellybean Hunt
Students explore natural selection and its influence on the populations to fine tune traits and characteristics. The acquisition of traits developed out of need is examined through a game played in class.
Curated OER
Tackling Taxonomy
Students study physical characteristics of separate phyla and place them into similar groups. This lesson plan is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life. students develop a classification system by grouping animals into...
Curated OER
Creative Classification
Students create an animal by using physical characteristics to classify that animal in the Linnaean Classification System. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life.
Curated OER
2nd Grade - Act. 25: Creature Creation
Create a creature using some of the characteristics of a real animal. Second graders will read a book from the "Froggy," series by Johnathan London to learn about the characteristics of frogs. After discussing and recording various...