Biology Junction
Birds
Birds adapted to almost every climate on the planet, from the Arctic to the rain forests. A presentation focused on birds covers their similarities and differences. It starts with their evolution from reptiles, their many physical...
Smarter Balanced
Classifying Vertebrates
What features do scientists use to classify animals into groups? Class groups examine a series of paired images of vertebrates (a bass and a trout, a toad and a newt, a crocodile and a tortoise, an owl and a robin, a tiger and a bear)...
Curated OER
What is a bird?
Students sort birds by their physical characteristics. In this bird characteristics lesson, students review bird characteristics and create beaks. Students discuss birds as pets.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Sorting Finch Species
Don't just tell your class about Darwin's finches ... show them! Sort some of science's most famous birds using an interactive lesson. Learners try their hand at classifying finches using song, sonogram, and beak appearance, as well as...
Curated OER
Feathered Feeders
Students investigate variation in bird beaks and the interrelationships of form and function by classifying birds with similar beak shapes, inferring about the possible bird foods based on beak shapes, and locating and identifying...
Curated OER
Amazing Bird Adaptions--Why Am I A Bird?
Fourth graders identify and classify birds found in Illinois. Using the internet, they discover how birds have adapted over time and how the adaptations have increased their life span. They compare and contrast the various adaptations...
Field Museum
The Case of Darwin's Finches
One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...
Curated OER
Classification of Organisms
In this classification worksheet, learners solve 3 classification riddles, complete 6 true and false questions, complete 4 sequences, and solve a riddle about the classification of an animal.
Curated OER
Radical Raptors
Students are introduced to raptors and their role in the environment. They identify three characteristics of raptors and list several types of raptors found in nature. They discuss their positive and negative experiences with raptors and...
Curated OER
The Key To Classifying Animals
Explorers of the environment construct a dichotomous key for a variety of organisms and design a key to classify Galapagos animals based on descriptions and images. The lesson includes a link to an animal gallery and the worksheet for...
Curated OER
Taxonomy
Students analyze the complexity of organism classifications based on certain criteria. In this classifying organisms lesson students study taxonomy and gather information and leaves to do their own experiment on classification.
Curated OER
Science - How are Animals Grouped?
In these categorizing animals worksheets, students complete 20 true or false statements about animal groups. Students then classify the animals in the box into the correct column. Students write the letter of the correct answer for the...