Animals 1 - Florida Museum

Animals 1

Fur, Fins, Feathers, and More

Teacher's Guide

This Teacher's Guide was developed by the Center for Informal Science Education at the Florida Museum of Natural History/University of Florida under Innovation and Improvement Project Grant #90YD0206 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start. Copyright ? 2009 Florida Museum of Natural History

This document is in the public domain and may be freely reproduced.

Animals 1

Table of Contents

Page

Teacher Background Information

1

Materials List

8

Experiences

1 Animals, Animals

12

2 Fur and Hair

14

3 Animal Babies

16

4 Animal Communication

18

5 Birds Have Feathers

20

6 Birds Hatch from Eggs

22

7 Birds Have Beaks

24

8 Bird Songs

26

9 What Is a Reptile?

28

10 Snakes

30

11 Life Cycle of the Frog

32

12 Frog Songs

34

13 What Is a Fish?

36

14 How Do Animals Move?

38

15 Animal Defenses

40

16 Animal Homes and Habitats

42

Take-Home Kit Information/Experience Card

44

Recommended Books

46

Head Start Domains and Indicators

69

Animals 1

What is the focus of this guide?

Teacher Background Information

The focus of this guide is on the animals that are most familiar to us: mammals,

birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

What science concepts are covered in this guide? Animals are living things that need food, water, air, and shelter to survive. There are many different kinds of animals. Animals have distinctive features that help us identify them. Animals have adaptations that help them survive. During their life cycles, animals grow and change in predictable ways.

How did you pick the particular animals in this guide? Scientists classify animals as either vertebrates or invertebrates. Vertebrates have an internal backbone, while invertebrates do not. All the animals in this Kit are vertebrates. Scientists categorize vertebrates into different classes or groups based on physical and genetic characteristics. These groups include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Mammals Dogs, cats, and the other animals that young children tend to be most familiar with are mammals. Most mammals give birth to live young and nurse their young with milk produced by the mother. At birth, mammal young resemble their parents. Young mammals usually need care for a long time after they are born. One or both parents provide this care. Some mammals such as lions and elephants live in groups and are cared for by other adults in the group in addition to the parents.

Mammals also generate heat internally and maintain a near constant body temperature regardless of environmental conditions. All mammals have hair or fur which protects them from the elements. It also helps regulate body temperature. Mammals that live in cold climates tend to have thicker fur than those that live in warm climates. The fur of mammals also functions as camouflage and allows mammals to hide from predators.

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