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Classify That!
Students get acquainted with diverse forms of life by using modern biological classification systems to group animals that are related. They explore basic scientific groupings like genus, species, mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, and...
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Living and Non-Living
Fourth graders are divided into small groups and collect 4 objects from the playground. They take 5 to 10 minutes to classify their groups and discuss their findings including the terms "living" and "non-living". As a class they discuss...
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Animal: Unique Creatures With Great Features
Students present models, oral reports, and presentations on animal's characteristics. They research various animals and the characteristics that link them to specific animal groups. They answer specific questions relating to animals in...
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Animal Coverings and Homes
First graders research what kind of coverings living organisms have, and where those organisms live before they can understand how to group them. The following activities will precede the "animal groups" centers, and therefore allow them...
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Invertebrates
Young scholars identify the characteristics common to all animals. In groups, they compare the characteristics between the animals and how they are divided. To end the lesson, they compare the eight phyla of invertebrates and review...
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Creepy Critters
Students develop a classification scheme based on the structural features of organisms. In this organism lesson students divide into teams and complete a fun activity.
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Animal Diversity
Students examine plants and animals for their similarties and differences. They are read stories and note how the animals in the stories do not have the qualities that real animals have. They complete a worksheet to end the lesson.
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Animal Diversity
Pupils use the Animal Diversity E-Sheet to access the Where Can Animals Live? online book.
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Farm Babies
Students use flash cards to match the mother names to the baby names for farm animals. In a designated "barn" in the room, students simulate being mothers, fathers, and babies. The baby must find his mother and father. Students visit...
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Creating My Personal Animal ABC Book
Students conduct Internet research on various animals. They write and create an Animal ABC book, including pictures of each animal, and each animal's phyla and class, to present to a young child.
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Home Sweet Home
Students examine the change in the diversity of animals living in an area before and after development. In order to do this, students need to have access to an area near their school which is undeveloped. A good, "real life" lesson.
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Dissect with Respect
Students, through exercises and discussions, examine ethics involved in the process of choosing and using laboratory animals, respect for the animal they dissect and how to behave in an ethical manner as they dissect various lab specimens.
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A Natural Connection to the Azores
Students use primary sources to examine whaling voyages, biology, and geography. In this geography lesson, students analyze ship logs and plot locations of animals and determine routes using latitude and longitude.
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Big Cats Sounds
Students explore the sounds of big cats. In this animal science instructional activity, students listen to the sounds of the big cats, such as lions and tiger, on a suggested website. Students research how the big cats use their sounds...
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"I have a Bone to Pick With You"
Second graders explore dinosaur classifications and how animals of long ago became extinct. They conduct research, classify dinosaurs, and in small groups, develop a name of a new dinosaur, create a poster, and present the information to...
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Hollow Hilton
Students identify animals that depend on their environment for survival. They describe the relationship between living things. They draw or write an explanation of their findings.
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Biodiversity in Illinois-Pond Habitats
Second graders construct a pond habitat in the classroom using a small swimming pool partially filled with water, real cattails, a tree log adjoining, and plastic animal life appropriate to a pond setting. They examine the frog in detail...
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Animal Hide and Seek
Students read about animal camouflage. In this animal adaptation lesson, students read short texts about ways in which animals hide or transform to escape their prey. Students explore animal classifications and determine ways to hide in...
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The Three Worm Phyla
Ninth graders examine the three worm phyla. In this classification lesson, 9th graders observe, compare and contrast the planarian, tapeworm, and fluke.
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Create Your Own Animal
Students design and create their own hypothetical animal. In this biology lesson, students identify the factors organisms need to survive. They classify their animals according to its correct phylum.
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Veterinarians (Community Helpers)
Students color animal pictures and make a class web chart about veterinarians to explore what a veterinarian does on a daily basis.
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Dichotomous Keys
Third graders practice using dichotomous keys. They discover why scientists use them and why it is important to classify animals. They use candy to practice classifying objects and move on to classifying animals.
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Sunflowers, The Circle of Life
Learners investigate and observe plants and animals in nature. They find out how life cycles are present in much of nature. Students use appropriate graphic organizers for information gathering. Learners use sequence life cycles of...
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Finding Caterpillars
Young scholars examine how animals protect themselves from predators and camouflage themselves. They participate in a simulation in which they locate red and green yarn "caterpillars," organize their data, and generate a bar graph using...