Animal Classification

The animal classification unit walks students through steps about how scientists classify animals. By looking at the different characteristics of a living thing, scientists can categorize or sort them into groups. We begin our unit by looking at the two major kingdoms: plants and animals. We then look further into the phylums of vertebrates and invertebrates. Our study focuses on the five groups of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Throughout this unit students will be introduced to a variety of new vocabulary words, as listed below.

At the unit progresses, students take notes using graphic organizers and in their notebook to classify each of these five groups. Students will conclude by writing a paragraph about one of the five groups, highlighting the major characteristics of that group.