Student: Gabrielle Batista

Professor: Dr. Kraemer

Course: EDU 329

Date: March 2, 2016

Grade: 1

Topic: Classifying Animals

Content Area: Science

Instructional Objective(s)/ Learning Objective(s)

After a discussion on the major groups of animals, students will identify common characteristics
of these groups and classify animals with similar traits by cutting and pasting pictures onto a
piece of labelled construction paper with 17 out of 20 pictures being categorized correctly.
CCLS/ +NYS STANDARDS AND INDICATORS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.5.A
Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories
represent.
Indicator:

This will be evident when students are sorting animals into mammals, amphibians,
reptiles, birds, or fish, to gain an understanding of what characteristics encompass these
categories.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.5.B
Define words by category and by one or more key attributes.
Indicator:

This will be evident when students are defining animals by which category they belong to
and by shared characteristics.

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE STANDARD #4: THE PHYSICAL SETTING

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the
physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in
science.
3.1f Objects and/or materials can be sorted or classified according to their properties.
Indicator:

This will be evident when students are sorting and classifying animals based on their
shared characteristics.
MATERIALS

Construction paper
Markers
Scissors
Worksheet with pictures of animals
Worksheet with categories of animals
Glue sticks
Pencils
Smartboard

STRATEGIES

Group Discussion: This will be evident when the teacher and students determine the major
groups of animals together (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fish), and later review the
characteristics the class came up with for each category.
Teacher Demonstration: This will be evident when the teacher demonstrates how to label the
students construction paper with the types of animals discussed and how to cut and paste the
animals into their proper category.
Cooperative Learning: This will be evident when the students work together to come up with
common characteristics of the groups of animals.
Individual Learning: This will be evident when the students use the characteristics they came
up with as a group to cut and paste the animals from the worksheet and sort them into the proper
categories.
MOTIVATION
The teacher will ask the students to stand up if their name gets called, and then call the names of
students wearing blue. After all the students in blue have been called, the teacher will ask the
class what the students standing up have in common. (The color of their clothes). The teacher
will then discuss how people, animals, and objects can all be classified based on common
characteristics.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES

Students will be divided into five groups and assigned a group of animals (mammals,
reptiles, birds, or fish). In their groups, students will list observable characteristics of

their group of animals. (How many legs do they have? Do they have feathers?)
Students will participate in group discussion, relating to the teacher the characteristics

they came up with, while the teacher writes the characteristics down on the SmartBoard.
Students will copy all of the characteristics from the SmartBoard in the proper section on
their worksheets, and as a class further discuss more characteristics not physically

observable. (Is the animal warm or cold blooded? Do they lay eggs?)
Students will label their construction paper with the five groups of animals by following

the teachers demonstration.

Students will work individually to cut out the 20 animals from their worksheet and sort
them based on the characteristics they learned. (What category does each animal fit

into?)
Students will produce a chart of animals by gluing the pictures under the proper label on
their construction paper. (Compare and contrast the animals. Find similarities and

differences within the same group.)

Students will review their work with the teacher. (Which animals were correctly
categorized and which ones were not?)

ADAPTATIONS (Exceptionality)

The student with fine motor coordination issues will be given assistance while cutting
and pasting the pictures of animals.

The ELL student will be paired with another student when categorizing the animals and
constructing the chart of animals.
DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

Struggling Students: Students will correctly categorize 13-14 animals on their chart.
Average Students: Students will correctly categorize 16-17 animals on their chart.
Advanced Students: Students will correctly categorize 19-20 animals on their chart.
ASSESSMENT (artifacts and assessment [formal and informal]) (Evaluation)
Students will identify common characteristics of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fish,
and classify animals with similar traits by cutting and pasting pictures onto a piece of labelled
construction paper with 17 out of 20 being categorized correctly.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
Following the lesson on sorting animals, students will go to the following website and complete
the activity. They will print out their results from the website.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/animalclassgame.htm

FOLLOW-UP: DIRECT TEACHER INTERVENTION AND ACADEMIC

ENRICHMENT
Direct Teacher Intervention: The student, under direct intervention with the teacher, will
complete a crossword puzzle detailing characteristics of different animals.

Academic Enrichment: The student will research and report on one of the five groups of animals.

Teacher References
Chapgar, J. (n.d). Animal characteristics game. Retrieved February 29, 2016, from
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/
animalclassgame.htm

Davis, K. (2016). Animals galore. Retrieved February 29, 2016, from

http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/lessons/lesson.asp?ID=936
Imans Home School. (2013). Animal classification activity worksheets. Retrieved February 29,
2016, from https://imanshomeschool.wordpress.com/2013/10/22/animal-classificationactivity-wordsheets/

Name___________________________________________________
List characteristics for each animal group.
Mammals

Reptiles

Amphibians

Fish

Birds

elephant
dog

toad

human

goldfish
tiger

parrot

Snake

shark

penguin

lizard

alligator

monkey

salamander

turtle

frog

hawk

eel

clownfish

owl

Answer Key:

Mammals:

Birds:

elephant

parrot

human

penguin

dog

hawk

tiger

owl

monkey

Reptiles:

Fish:

snake

goldfish

turtle

shark

lizard

clownfish

alligator

eel

Amphibians:
toad
salamander
frog

Name_________________________________________________

Independent Practice- (screenshot of the website)