GYSTC First Grade Lesson

Unit: Animals Lesson 2

Title of the Lesson: Animal Needs
(adapted from Virginia DOE: Science Enhanced Scope and Sequence – Grade 1 Virginia Department of Education © 2012)
Estimated Time: Four 30-minute class sessions

Standards:
S1L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the basic needs of plants and
animals.
B. Ask questions to compare and contrast the basic needs of plants (air, water, light, and
nutrients) and animals (air, water, food, and shelter).
C. Design a solution to ensure that a plant or animal has all of its needs met.

Supporting Standards:
MGSE1.G.3 Partition circles and rectangles into two and four equal shares, describe the shares using the
words halves, fourths, and quarters, and use the phrases half of, fourth of, and quarter of. Describe the
whole as two of, or four of the shares. Understand for these examples that decomposing into more
equal shares creates smaller shares.

Science and Engineering Practices: Crosscutting Concepts:

Asking Questions and Defining Problems:
Ask questions based on observations to find
more information about the natural world
(needs of plants and animals).
Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate
Information:
Read grade-appropriate texts and/or use media
to obtain scientific and/or technical information
to determine patterns about the natural world
(similarities and differences between the needs
of plants and animals).
Structure and Function:
The shape and stability of structures of natural
and designed objects are related to their
function(s). (Animals and plants are structured
the way they are to get their needs met).
Patterns:
Patterns in the natural and human designed
world can be observed, used to describe
phenomena, and used as evidence

Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings: Vocabulary:

All animals have the same 4 needs: air, water, Need
food, and shelter Want
Animals and plants are similar and different Air
Food
Essential Questions: Water
What are an animal’s basic needs? Shelter
How can I compare and contrast needs of plants
and animals?

Materials: Safety Considerations:

Animal Needs Song (video online) N/A
Animal or Plant? Picture Sort
A brown paper bag with a variety of the Technology Integration:
following inside:
 Small toy animals
 Small stuffed animals
 Pictures of animals
 A small doll or a picture of a human
Chart Paper/Whiteboard
White paper plates (one per student)
Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
Animals Basic Needs Activity

Phenomenon:
Humpback whale bubble feeding:
https://www.ngssphenomena.com/#/humpbacks-bubble-feeding/

Lesson Description:

Engage:
Set the scenario for the phenomenon of the humpback whale and how they get their food.
Humpback whales eat very small prey compared to their body size. They need to consume
about a half a ton per day to meet their needs. They have some interesting adaptations that
help them. After watching a video of the humpback whale feeding, allow students to ask
questions and explore the topic. Further research may be required by the students. Some
questions students should ask: Why is it important for the whale to do this? Why do they need
the food? What else do animals need to survive? How do they get air?

Explore:
The teacher should review animal needs with the Animal Needs Song. Students can listen to
this once, then sing along the second time it is played. This will help students remember the
four basic needs of animals.

After playing and singing the song, the teacher will prompt the class with questions such as:
● What are some of the thing you, as a human, need to stay healthy? (food, water, air,
shelter)
 ● What is the difference between a need and a want? (a need is something a living thing
has to have in order to survive, while a want is something living things do not
necessarily need in order to survive)
● Are humans animals? (yes)
The teacher will lead students to the correct answers.

Display the brown paper bag (with items inside) in the front of the classroom for students to
see. The teacher should explain to the students that even though they probably know a lot
about animals, there are animals inside of the paper bag that they can learn more from. The
teacher should tell the class that as she/he pulls each animal from the bag, that they should
raise their hand to share something that they already know about that particular animal. As
students share what they know about those animals, be sure to ask them about the needs of
that animal as well. As you continue to discuss each animal’s needs, be sure that students are
understanding that each and every animal you are discussing needs air, water, food, and
shelter. After the teacher goes through all the animals in the paper bag, he/she should lead the
class to make a list (on chart paper or a whiteboard) of what they determined each animal
needs to survive.

Explain:
After discussing the needs of animals, humans, and plants ( from previous unit), students can
work to complete the plant/ animal Venn diagram to determine patterns and relationships in
the needs of plants and animals. When students are finished, the teacher can pull the class
back into a whole group to help discuss and determine what needs belong under each section.

Once completed, the teacher can give each student a paper plate. Students will need to draw a
large X on their paper plate to divide it into four equal sections. They will need to label each
section of their paper plate. Example: Section 1 will be labeled FOOD, section 2 will be labeled
WATER, section 3...SHELTER, and section 4...AIR.

The teacher will split students into small groups and pass out the Animal or Plant? Picture Sort
cards to each group. Students will need to work together to sort the cards into two groups (let
the students decide on their own how they want to sort the cards or which two groups they
want to use). When all groups are finished, have them share how they sorted their cards and
why. Here is where the teacher will know who is understanding the concept and who needs
remediation at this point. Most groups will sort the cards into the two groups of animals and
plants. After assessing, the teacher should sort the same cards for the class to see in order to
show them that they should have sorted into two groups: animals (including humans) and
plants. Students should construct an explanation for why they sorted the way they did.

Expand:
Have each student choose an animal (they can choose an animal that they saw from the bag, or
another animal) and write the name of that animal on the back of their paper plate. Students
will draw pictures using crayons, colored pencils, markers, etc. of the specific needs of their
animal in the four sections of their paper plate. (e.g. If they select a bird, they might draw a nest
in a tree for the animal’s shelter, a worm for its food, a pond for its water, etc.)

When all students are finished with their paper plate, allow them time to share (communicate)
their drawings with a small group or with the entire class.

After the class is done sharing their animals, remind them that there is a difference between a
want and a need. Needs are things such as water, air, food, shelter, and space like discussed in
this lesson. Wants are things that we would like to have, like a new toy, but they are not
essential for our survival.

Differentiation:
Create a matching game with pictures of animals and their homes. Some students may need to
have basic needs on small paper so they can arrange on Venn diagram rather than write them.

Evaluate/Closing:
Have a growing thriving plant and a live, healthy animal for children to look at and observe.
(pictures will also work in the absence of real ones)
1. Have students list the needs of each.
2. Have students compare and contrast the needs of the plant and animal.