Animal Classification A Writing Across Curriculum Activity

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Animal ClassificationA Writing Across Curriculum
Activity
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Grade 4

• The learner will be able to classify animals by
  type according to their characteristics.
• Students will categorize the 5 groups of animals.
  (Mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians).

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At the end of this activity you will

• Write a report on one classification of animal
  and include facts from this presentation.

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What is an animal?

• Animals are living organisms. This means they
  breathe, they eat, they grow and they reproduce
  (make more like themselves). Plants are living
  organisms, too.
• So, what is the difference between a plant and an
  animal?
• Plants do not move, whereas most animals do.
• The true difference, though, is that plants
  produce their own food, whereas animals feed off
  other things.

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Classification?

• Animals are separated into groups or categories
  so that they are more easily studied and
  discussed by scientists and others.

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Divide these animals into groups.
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Animal Classification

• Did you group the animals based on
• Color
• Size
• Shape
• Eating habits
• Living habits

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We are going to learn how animals are grouped or
classified by learning about these groups

• Mammals
• Fish
• Birds
• Reptiles
• Amphibians

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Mammals

• Characteristics
• Have teeth
• Have hair
• Are warm blooded
• Have a single jaw bone
• Have inner ear bones
• Produce milk for their young

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Mammals

• Mammals have larger brains and seem to be the
  most capable learners.
• All mammalian mothers nourish their babies with
  milk.

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Examples of Mammals
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Fish

• Characteristics
• Are cold-blooded vertebrate (backbone)
• Live in water
• Usually have paired fins, gills, and scales

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Fish

• Most fish lay large numbers of eggs, but some
  have live birth.
• Most fish breathe by drawing water over four or
  five pairs of gills.

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Examples of Fish
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Amphibians

• Characteristics
• Are cold-blooded vertebrate (backbone)
• Lay their eggs in water
• Lack any skin coverings such as fur, scales or
  feathers

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Amphibians

• Young amphibians tend to resemble small fish.
• Amphibian means "two lives," a reference to the
  change that frogs go through as they move from
  egg to tadpole to frog.
• Even as adults, most frogs and other amphibians
  must stay close to water.

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Examples of Amphibians
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Birds

• Characteristics
• Have feathers
• Lay eggs
• Have bodies specially adapted for flight
• Have a beak rather than teeth

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Birds

• Their nearly hollow bones provide lightweight
  strength.
• Birds now live almost everywhere on Earth.

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Examples of Birds
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Reptiles

• Characteristics
• Have scales
• Lay leathery eggs on land
• Are often called cold-blooded because they can't
  regulate their own body temperature

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Reptiles

• Reptiles do not use energy to fuel internal
  "furnaces"
• Although reptiles breathe through lungs, some
  reptiles can also absorb oxygen in water through
  their mouth.

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Examples of Reptiles
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Writing Activity

• Write a report on one animal classification
  (mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles) and
  include 4 facts from this presentation.

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Resources

• Quia Classification Quiz
• Charts Animal classification, Fish, Bird,
  Amphibian, Animals,
• The Animal Kingdom