Teachers’ notes – Identifying animals
Synopsis
The aim of this activity is for learners to consider in more depth the features and
characteristics of different animals. Learners are invited to compare animals and to group
them using their own criteria. They should be encouraged to consider the similarities and
differences between animals and identify specific features, explaining how these special
features are useful to the animal and how they relate to its way of life. The activity progresses
to a consideration of the sounds made by different animals and the different methods that
animals use to make sounds. Learners can be encouraged to suggest reasons why they make
these sounds in terms of their function in the animal’s daily life and behaviour.
Curriculum links
Interdependence of organisms:
4. through fieldwork, the plants and animals found in two contrasting local environments, e.g.
identification, nutrition, life cycles, place in environment
Skills
Communication: 1 & 2
Enquiry – Planning: 2 & 3
Enquiry – Developing: 5, 6 & 7
Enquiry – Reflecting: 5 & 6
Activities
Tab 1
The learner is shown 16 images of different animals and asked to
choose any two animals to compare. When the learner clicks on
any two images a new screen opens showing larger versions of
the two animals that have been selected. The learners are
invited to name and then compare and contrast the two animals
and to record the differences and similarities between them.
Rollover questions are used as a stimulus to encourage learners
to share and discuss their ideas.
Tab 2
The activity associated with this tab requires learners to group
animals according to their own criteria. When the
button is
clicked, an image of an animal is generated – there are 12 animal
images in total. Learners are able to drag and drop the images
of the animals into groups before being encouraged to give each
group of animals a title (in effect, a set name) and to explain and
justify their categorisations.
Unit 1.3.3 teachers’ notes – Identifying animals
1
Tab 3
This activity encourages learners to think about the similarities
and differences in the characteristics of different animals.
Several descriptive statements are given and the learners are
required to drag images of animals that fit each description into a
box. They are encouraged to research the animals if they are
uncertain about any statement and to discuss the statements and
explain their ideas.
The animals will need to be replaced back outside the box after
each grouping exercise before the next statement is viewed.
The statements appear in the following order:
Have two legs (osprey)
Live in the sea (crab, dolphin)
Eat other animals (osprey, spider, grass snake, crab, frog,
dolphin, goldfish, beetle)
Shed their skin (grass snake, spider)
Have teeth (grass snake, frog, deer, dolphin)
Lay eggs (osprey, grass snake, goldfish, beetle, fly, spider, frog,
crab)
Have a backbone (deer, dolphin, grass snake, frog, osprey,
goldfish)
Suckle their young (deer, dolphin)
Migrate (osprey, dolphin)
Reptile (grass snake)
Amphibian (frog)
Mammal (deer, dolphin)
Bird (osprey)
Fish (goldfish)
Insect (beetle, fly)
Tab 4
The learner is shown images of a range of different animals and
is asked to identify some of the unique or particular features of
each animal. They are encouraged to describe how these
features are useful to the animal. They might go on to consider
whether any features give an animal specific advantages over
other animals that might be in competition with it – for example,
for food or living space, to avoid being eaten or to help it catch
prey - and how these features make it different from other
animals in its abilities.
The seven animals that are generated by a randomiser are:
Owl, tiger, grey seal, newt, red squirrel, slug, giraffe.
Tab 5
The activity encouraged by this tab provides learners with images
of ten different animals (fly, crab, shrimp, osprey, otter, frog,
spider, snail, grass snake and earthworm). Learners are invited
to group the animals according to how they move. Learners
should be encouraged to explain their reasons for grouping the
animals in particular ways in order that their assumptions about
the mode of movement are made explicit for reflection and
discussion.
Unit 1.3.3 teachers’ notes – Identifying animals
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Tab 6
This tab requires learners to identify animals by listening to
sound recordings of the sounds these animals make.
After identifying the animal by the sound it makes, learners
consider how and why the animals make those sounds – that is,
the function the sound has in the life of the animal concerned.
1. Rattlesnake
2. Cricket
3. Owl
4. Cat
5. Gorilla
Tab 7
Learners are asked to consider the different methods that
animals use to make sounds and to suggest reasons why they
make these sounds. This sound production could stretch beyond
vocal sounds and learners could be encouraged to consider, e.g.
the chest beating of a gorilla, the leg rubbing of a
grasshopper/cricket, the rattle of a rattlesnake, the ‘song’ of a
whale, etc.
Unit 1.3.3 teachers’ notes – Identifying animals
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