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.