Deanna LaBrech

Brittany O’Toole
Celine Porter

January 27, 2019

Classification of Animals
Grade 6 Science
Unit: Diversity of Life

Overview:
This mini-lesson would be used as an introduction to the various groups of animals and how to
classify them based on their characteristics. Students would already be familiar with the tree of
life and the concept of classifying organisms based on shared characteristics.

Curriculum outcomes:
 300-17: Compare the characteristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish
 300-18: Compare the characteristics of common arthropods
 301-15: Compare the adaptations of closely related animals living in different parts of the
world and discuss reasons for any differences.

“I can” statements:
 I can identify shared characteristics to distinguish mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians
and fish
 I can compare shared characteristics of arthropods
 I can identify shared characteristics of animals belonging to the same class that have
adapted to live in vastly different environments.

Materials and resources:

Teacher:
 The teacher must have the class ready before students arrive, with bristol board on each
table for students to use. Each sheet of bristol board will have the name of a different
animal group.
 The teacher will have cards (one per student) with a different animal on it belonging to
one of the groups - mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and arthropods - and one
shared trait written on the back.
 The teacher will have markers at each of the stations for the students to use.
 The teacher will have a power point with the introduction to the activity and instructions
for the students to follow.

Assessment/Evidence of Learning/Next Step:

This will be conducted as a formative assessment. The teacher will be walking around
throughout the activity ensuring all of the children are participating. Each of the groups will have
a completed poster and each of the children will have to work together to draw their animal and
list the characteristics.

(Won’t be done in the example class) Students will take turns presenting their animal to the
class in their groups, and each student is expected to list one of the characteristics of the animal
that they had, but not the one they were first given. Students would also be asked to write one
characteristic for each of the other animal groups.

Activities:

Teacher does Students do Time

Teacher briefly goes Students listen as the teacher explains the 5 minutes
over the activity the kids activity.
will participate in and
what they are expected
to do using a power
point.
The teacher will outline
an example of what they
expect from the
students.

Teacher divides up Students have to find other students who 2 minutes

students into groups have similar animals to theirs.
using cards that have
different animals on
them.

Teacher walks around Students first list out the characteristics 15 minutes
and ensures students they were given for each of their animals.
are equally contributing Students draw an example of the animal At the 10 minute mark
to the activity and on the bristol board. Each student should teachers tell students to
assisting any students draw their characteristic onto the animal wrap up drawing, and
that may be confused or (ex. If the common trait is they have six make sure to list the
struggling. legs, the student draws the six legs onto characteristics on the
the animal). All students should participate poster.
in drawing the animal.

Teacher makes the Students take turns presenting their 10-15 minutes
class settle down, and animal. depending on the
facilitates the number of groups.
presentation of the facts.

The teacher mentions 2 minutes

that the next class they
will have a gallery
scavenger hunt for
animal traits using their
posters.