JSSS
Student
Investigation 2
Living things – a simple guide to “Who’s Who”
Class discussion
Fact
The two main groups of living things are plants and animals.
Think
What are the differences between a plant and an animal?
Share your answer with your group. Together, come to a decision on an explanation for the
following terms. Write down the agreed answers.
What is a plant? ___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What is an animal? ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Sorting Exercise
Sort the following list into groups of plants and animals. Give a reason for your decision in each
case. Compare your group’s answer with the others in the class.
Snake, oak tree, spider, hedgehog, worm, fish, grass, snail, robin, frog, bee, prawn, daisy,
human, whale.
Living Thing
Plant or Animal
Snake
-1-
Reason
JSSS
Student
Fact
Animals can be classified into two groups – vertebrates and invertebrates.
A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone. The word comes from the name given to each
individual bone in the backbone, the vertebra. Vertebrates are usually bigger and more complex
animals than invertebrates. Examples of vertebrates include fish, frogs, snakes, birds, horses and
humans.
An invertebrate is an animal that does not have a backbone. Examples of invertebrates include
earthworms, slugs, beetles, woodlice.
Sort the animal group in the table on the previous page into vertebrates and invertebrates.
Animal
Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Did you find it easy to sort animals into vertebrates and invertebrates? ____________________
Give a reason for your answer. _________________________________________________
-2-
JSSS
Student
Sorting vertebrates
Use this vertebrate key to place each animal pictured below into their correct group.
1
If the animal has hair or feathers -------------------- Go to 2
If the animal has no hair or feathers ---------------- Go to 3
2
If there is hair on the face or body ------------------ Mammal
If feathers cover the body ---------------------------- Bird
3
If the body is covered in scales ---------------------- Go to 4
If the body has soft skin and no scales ------------- Amphibian
4
If the animal has scaly skin and no gills ------------ Reptile
If the animal has scaly skin, gills, fins ------------- Fish
-3-
JSSS
Student
Group discussion
Mammals include cats. Write down three other examples.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Birds include robins. Write down three other examples.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Amphibians include frogs. Write down one other example.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Reptiles include snakes. Write down two other examples.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Fish include goldfish. Write down three other examples.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Class discussion
Share your ideas with other members of the class. What vertebrates did others have that you did
not have in the examples above?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
-4-