Animal Classification
A Writing Across Curriculum
Activity
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).

At the end of this activity you will:

Write a report on one classification of
animal and include facts from this
presentation.
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.
Classification?
 Animals
are separated into
groups or categories so that
they are more easily studied
and discussed by scientists
and others.
Divide these animals into groups.
Animal Classification
Did you group the animals based on
 Color
 Size
 Shape
 Eating habits
 Living habits
We are going to learn how animals
are grouped or classified by
learning about these groups:
 Mammals
 Fish
 Birds
 Reptiles
 Amphibians
Mammals
Characteristics:
 Have teeth
 Have hair
 Are warm blooded
 Have a single jaw bone
 Have inner ear bones
 Produce milk for their young
Mammals
 Mammals
have larger brains and
seem to be the most capable
learners.
 All mammalian mothers nourish
their babies with milk.
Examples of Mammals
Fish
Characteristics:
 Are
cold-blooded vertebrate
(backbone)
 Live in water
 Usually have paired fins, gills, and
scales
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.
Examples of Fish
Amphibians
Characteristics:
 Are
cold-blooded vertebrate
(backbone)
 Lay their eggs in water
 Lack any skin coverings such as
fur, scales or feathers
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.
Examples of Amphibians
Birds
Characteristics:
 Have
feathers
 Lay eggs
 Have bodies specially adapted for
flight
 Have a beak rather than teeth
Birds
 Their
nearly hollow bones
provide lightweight strength.
 Birds now live almost
everywhere on Earth.
Examples of Birds
Reptiles
Characteristics:
 Have scales
 Lay leathery eggs on land
 Are often called cold-blooded
because they can't regulate their
own body temperature
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.
Examples of Reptiles
Writing Activity
 Write
a report on one animal
classification (mammals, birds,
fish, amphibians, reptiles) and
include 4 facts from this
presentation.
Resources
 Quia
Classification Quiz
 Charts: Animal
classification, Fish, Bird,
Amphibian, Animals,
 The Animal Kingdom