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Classifying Living Organisms into Kingdoms
Students create a flip book that describes the basic characteristics of the five main animal kingdoms. They research the animal kingdoms, include examples of organisms for each kingdom and illustrate the finished text.
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An Automobile Phylogenetic Tree
Students construct a phylogenetic tree for various automobiles and trucks after considering important characteristics of these "organisms". They work in small groups to construct the trees and complete a set of questions then they...
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Become an Expert
Students are assigned a separate species of plant or bird to research. Using a worksheet, they are responsible for finding a variety of information on their assigned plant or bird. They also complete a mini-poster and give an oral...
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Salinity Of Soil
Fourth graders investigate the contents of various types of soil to determine the differences in salinity levels. They conduct an experiment of observing the plants in the different soils. Students then determine survival rates by...
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Chicago: The City in Art, 1995-2000
Learners examine a mural of animals and talk about animal classification. They act as scientists and keep a record, called a Jungle Journal, of plants and animals they observe while studying the rainforest.
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Camouflage
First graders learn how plants and animals adapt to their environments. In this camouflage lesson, 1st graders watch a movie that explains animal camouflage, design a butterfly that blends into a classroom habitat, create a mini...
National First Ladies' Library
How Do Flowers Get Their Names?
Students study Carolus Linnaeus and his classification system of plants. They examine the origin of both both common and scientific names of flowers. They speculate how their favorite flowers came to be named and brainstorm about the...
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Is It Slimy? Does It Have Fur? Is It Really a Bird?
Sixth graders identify the different types of vertebrate animals based upon their major characteristics, as they create collages in groups. Collages show pictures of vertebrate animals labeled with the appropriate structural...
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Classifying Objects
Fourth graders classify living things according to similarities and differences through guided and independent activities. They place objects into groups according to their characteristics and then make a collage of living things...
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Kids for Conservation: Animal Unit
Students discuss animal needs and characteristics. In this animal mini-unit, students complete three activities studying different animals, their needs, how they have evolved, and how to protect them.
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Who's There
Fifth graders, in groups, make a list of at least three animals that would survive well in a particular environment. After an allotted time, they pass their list to another group, where they will add to it. They discuss adaptations each...
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Classifying Organisms within Kingdoms
Students examine animal kingdom classifications. They discuss how animals are placed into kingdom classifications and compare similarities and differences of animals within a kingdom.
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This Place is Going to the Dogs
Students study different breeds of dogs. They watch a video, "Extraordinary Dogs", about special dogs and how they are categorized according to their adaptations. Then they create a digital video that demonstrates the qualities of dogs...
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Animal Kingdom: Phylum Chordata
Students use a dichotomous key to classify various vertebrate jar speciments into classes. They examine the speciments for general characteristics of each class and fill in a corresponding chart and then complete a few final assessment...
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Classifying Rocks
Students classify rocks into groups after they observe the rocks and identify properties that can be used to divide them into groups. They then identify other properties that could be used to classify other objects into groups.
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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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Where are the Dinosaurs?
Students understand what it means when an animal is extinct. In this dinosaur lesson, students create dinosaur dioramas showing their habitat and what in their environment might make them become extinct. students pay particular attention...
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Grouping and Changing Materials
Students feel and observe different types of materials. Using the internet, they sort objects based on the materials they are made from and justify their reasons for putting it in a certain category. They identify objects that could...
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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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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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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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Classifying Living and Non-Living Objects
Students investigate living organisms and define the properties of a living species. In this life characteristic lesson, students examine plants in their class and discuss whether or not they are alive. Students create a...
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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...