Science
SCI.III.2.2
Strand:
Using Scientific Knowledge in Life Science
- Organization of Living Things
Standard:
Benchmark:
Grade: 1
All students will use classification systems to describe groups of living things.
Compare and contrast (K-2) familiar organisms on the basis of observable
physical characteristics. (This Unit will cover animals only. Another Unit in the
1st grade science curriculum will cover plants.)
Constructing & Reflecting:
SCI.I.1.1 - Generate reasonable questions about the world based on observation.
SCI.I.1.2 - Develop solutions to problems through reasoning, observation, and investigation.
SCI.I.1.3 - Manipulate simple devices that aid observation and data collection.
SCI.I.1.5 - Develop strategies and skills for information gathering and problem solving.
SCI.I.1.6 - Construct charts and graphs and prepare summaries of observations.
SCI.II.1.4 - Develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the natural world.
Vocabulary / Key Concept
Context
Words describing animal parts:
Animals that look similar:
• snakes
• worms
• millipedes
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backbone
skin
shell
limbs
feathers
scales
Animal Kingdom Characteristics, ie
• mammals: fur
• birds: feathers
• fish: scales
Resources
Knowledge and Skills
Benchmark Clarification:
Coloma Resources:
Animals may have similar and/or different features.
Animals may be put into groups based on
similarities and differences.
Newbridge Early Science Program “big books”
and teaching guides:
-Squirrels All Year Long (vertebrates)
-Busy As a Bee (invertebrates)
-A Butterfly is Born (invertebrates)
-The World of Ants (invertebrates)
K-2 groups will:
•
Compare and contrast body coverings
(feathers on a robin, scales on a trout)
Newbridge Discovery Links “little” readers with
reproducible Home/School Connections blackline
masters:
-Ants (invertebrates)
-Fly, Butterfly (invertebrates)
-How Do Frogs Grow? (invertebrates)
-Animals Hide (vertebrates)
Various animal cards from Science Poster Series
Animal Kingdom Posters and teacher’s guide
Community Resources:
Sarett Nature Center
Curious Kids Museum
Other Resources:
•
Webliography. http://mtn.merit.edu/mcf/SCI.III.2.E.2.html
Instruction
Benchmark Question: How are groups of living
things classified?
Focus Question: How can observable
characteristics help us classify animals?
Animals can be sorted by their observable body
parts. Students will categorize an animal according
to its characteristics and how the characteristics
work.
Assessment
Optional Assessment
Informal:
Post the six animal characteristics (backbone,
skin, shell, limbs, feathers, and scales) (See Key
Concepts). Have students brainstorm a list of
animals for each of the six categories.
Examples:
• Insulation: fur, feathers, blubber
• Support: exoskeleton (outer), endoskeleton
(inner)
• Food-Getting: claws, beaks, teeth
• Protection: quills, horns, claws, eyes
• Movement: legs, wings, fins, webbed feet
Students will:
• Categorize an animal according to its
characteristics and how those characteristics
work
• Categorize vertebrates — animals with a
backbone
• Categorize invertebrates — animals without
a backbone
Teachers Comments
Use classification systems to describe groups of living things.
With the help of the big yellow bird or the purple dinosaur, children at an early age sort "which one
doesn't belong." There is a tremendous diversity of life forms. With over 1,500,000 identified organisms,
biologists need some way of organizing these life forms so they can be studied.
Students informally observe a wide variety of living things in and out of school. Just like scientists, they
note similarities and differences in their observations. At the elementary level, students focus on
observable characteristics. These informal categories will be challenged with the acquisition of additional
knowledge of anatomical differences, in particular those characteristics that are not observable.