Animal Diversity - Webs



Animal Diversity

Purpose

To motivate and guide student observation of animal and plant

similarities, diversity, and appropriateness to live in different

environments; to show that stories sometimes give plants and animals

attributes that they don't really have.

Context

This lesson exposes children to a wide range of animals and guides

them through observation of animal similarities, differences, and

environmental adaptations. This lesson can be used as part of a

study of plants and animals. Before doing the lesson, students

should know the meanings of the terms plant, animal, and living.

As Benchmarks for Science Literacy points out, "Observing is not

enough. The students should have reasons for their observations—

reasons that prompt them to do something with the information they

collect." Students should be encouraged to ask questions, to find

answers by careful observation, and to compare their findings with

those of other students. They can use their findings to create

exhibits with photos, drawings, and even live specimens from the

area where they live. (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, p. 102.)

Research shows that lower elementary students tend to consider only

vertebrates as animals, or to group animals by similarities in

external appearance, behavior, or habitat. Young students also

define plant in a narrow way, failing to classify grass, trees, and

vegetables as plants. In addition, these students "typically use

criteria such as `movement,' `breath,' `reproduction,' and `death'

to decide whether things are alive. Thus, some believe fire, clouds,

and the sun are alive, but others think plants and certain animals

are nonliving." (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, pp. 340–341.) In

their study of plants and animals, students should be guided to an

understanding that internal structures and processes can be more

significant than external features in classification.

Because this lesson includes only online observations, students also

will need ongoing opportunities for hands-on observation (using hand

lenses, if appropriate) with many kinds of living plants and animals

in as many environments as possible. Also, because the main lesson

concentrates only on animals, students will need similar lessons

that deal with plants.

Ideas in this lesson are also related to concepts found in the

following benchmark:

5A The Living Environment: Diversity of Life (K-2) #3

Planning Ahead

Materials:

Animal Diversity student E-Sheet

Note: This student E-Sheet helps students access the Where Can

Animals Live? online book, which is used in the Development section.

Where Can Animals Live? teacher sheet

The Adventures of Marco and Polo, by Dieter Wiesmuller

Motivation

To introduce the lesson, present a living animal or plant as a hands-

on classroom example. Ask students to talk about or draw things that

they observe and share their observations with the class.

Ask students:

What do you see, hear, smell, or feel as you observe this plant/or

animal?

How can plants/or animals be like each other?

How can they be different from each other?

Explain to students that they're about to see an online book with

pictures of many animals. Their job is to observe things about these

animals and to figure out how they are alike and different from each

other. Another thing they will study is where these animals live and

why they can live there successfully.

Development

Using the Animal Diversity student E-Sheet, present the Where Can

Animals Live? online book to the class. Pause as each graphic is

displayed and ask students the questions shown with the pictures one

at a time. Encourage independent questions and discussion.

Stimulate students' thinking about the animals they're observing and

why they live in certain places by asking questions such as:

Where does this [animal] live?

Do you think it could live in [somewhere different]? Why or why not?

Do you think [something else] also could live in this [animal's]

environment? Why or why not?

As the class goes through the online book, students' answers will

vary. Encourage them to focus on true similarities of the animals in

relation to their environments. See the Where Can Animals Live?

teacher sheet for sample student responses.

Assessment

Ask a series of questions to tie together student observations

during the lesson.

Ask students:

What are some ways in which all of these animals are alike?

How are they different?

What are some features that help animals live in cold environments?

In hot environments? In forests or in the water?

To illustrate the main concepts of the lesson, read the book titled

The Adventures of Marco and Polo by Dieter Wiesmuller. This story

explores the life of a monkey (Marco) and penguin (Polo) that become

friends. They visit each other's homes and decide that they'd like

to live together. However, when they try to do that, they realize

that they each have their own needs and need to live in their own

environments.

Use this story (or another one like it) to illustrate ideas in the

related benchmark for this lesson: "Stories sometimes give plants

and animals attributes they really do not have."

Extensions

Younger students can study animal features more closely through the

Friends of the National Zoo Coloring Pages. These pages offer

outlined images of eight animals (lion, flamingo, giant panda,

giraffe, komodo dragon, orangutan, sea lion, toucan) that can be

printed out for coloring. 

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