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Title
Teacher(s)
E-mail
School
Lesson Title
Grade Level
Lesson
Essential
Questions/Con
cepts
Targeted:
Georgia
Performance
Standards
The Learning Plan: Students will be able to classify animals into vertebrates and
invertebrates according to their physical characteristics.
1. Students will be able to classify animals into mammals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians, and fish according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.
2. Students will be able to conduct short research projects that build knowledge
about a topic and share their results.
Students will be able to use text features to locate information relevant to a given
topic efficiently.
Title of the Lesson:
Engage:
3.
1.
2.
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5.
6.
Introduce the lesson by telling the students that you will be practicing
the classification of animals.
Ask, "What does it mean to classify?"
Tell students that classification means to sort things into groups to
show how they are alike.
Explain that scientists classify animals into different categories.
Split the class into small groups of 3 to 4 students.
Provide each group a copy of the Animal Classification Sort ( I added
many more cards) and have each set cut out (and laminated) prior to
12. Share that arthropods are invertebrates that have jointed legs, a body divided into
sections, and a hard outside skeleton.
13. Guide students in generating a list of arthropods (examples are crabs, shrimp,
insects, and spiders).
14. Now that the students are familiar with six categories of animals (mammals, fish,
birds, amphibians, reptiles, and arthropods), instruct them to sort the cards one last
time into the categories.
Explain:
1. After groups have sorted their cards into the six categories (mammals, fish, birds,
amphibians, reptiles, and arthropods), come back together as a whole group to share
the correct answers with everyone.
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
2. Next, you will assign students to research in depth one category of animals. One way
to assign groups is to pass out an animal card from the sort to each student, and they
will be in charge of researching the classification of animal on their card (if a student
gets the shark card, their category will be fish).
3. Display a blank copy of the Animal Classification Research poster and explain the
expectations from the Rubric for Animal Classification Research.
Elaborate:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Evaluate:
Next, students will research one topic using trade books from Learning
Commons and online resources. Some examples are from the Science of Living
Things collection by Bobbie Kalman (see Additional Resources for a list). Make
sure you have an adequate variety of trade books or text books for students to
collect their information from.
Walk students through gaining information using text features such as: diagrams
(important for showing the parts of an animal), photographs (for real life
examples of animals), and captions (explaining details such as habits and physical
characteristics).
Provide students with adequate time to develop their poster which will define
characteristics and behaviors of their animal classification along with several
examples and where they might live.
After they have finished, allow children to share their learning with the class.
Formative Assessment
In the Engage stage of the lesson plan, students will sort animal classification cards into
their own categories.
Some examples of how students may possibly sort is by color, number of legs, habitat,
size, etc.
Students are to justify their reasons for sorting animals in their way.
If students do not understand the concept of classification, remediate by explaining that to
classify means to sort objects into groups that have something in common and show them
an example with classroom supplies (i.e. markers, pencils, and pens are all used for
writing; post-its, notebook paper, and construction paper are all used to write on).
Feedback to Students
After showing the Brain Pop Jr. video in the explore stage, students will take the Brain
Pop Jr. hard quiz orally.
If students disagree on the answers or have a hard time answering them, discuss why they
chose the incorrect answer and help them understand why the correct answer is correct.
Summative Assessment
Students will express their learning by creating a Animal Classification Research poster
on one of the main classifications of animals.
Use the Rubric for Animal Classification Research to score.
Accommodations:
Provide students with special needs a copy of the card sort forms with the name of the
animal on the back.
Provide students with special needs a written copy of the brain pop quiz.
Provide students with special needs an outline to follow to research their classification of
animal.
Extend:
Allow students to interact with this online game "Classify This" to classify bugs. Also,
Classify-It app on the iPads
Let children create their own classification cards using photographs from magazines or
the internet.
Documentation of Resources
Based on Unit from
http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/46369