Animals are so frequently a huge part of our primary grade science curriculum. Isn't it a happy coincidence that kids love learning about them and we also love to teach this? I really can say that everytime I've taught an animal unit, I've learned something new! Awesome Author Alert: If you don't know Steve Jenkins' books, you're missing out on something great! Check out his great website here. Two of my faves are Actual Size and Biggest, Strongest, Fastest - your little guys will be wide-eyed with wonder!
I have a freebie for you today that will help your little ones understand and remember animal classification more easily by looking at photographs of animals.
This Animal Classes Reference Chart has a color-coded background that is keyed to the animal classifications. Teach your students to use the key at the top of the chart... and put another check mark by your standards for Informational Text!
You can print, trim, and glue this into a file folder for use at desks or in centers, or print and attach to a 12X18 paper for an instant wall poster.
The chart is a part of Animal Classes: A Literacy and Science Cross-Curricular Unit, also available at my TPT store. There are 14 activities, which include comparing and contrasting, fact and opinion, graphic organizers (webs and tree charts), 2 board games, 3 sets of animal cards (pictures, words, pictures/words), story cards for reading, a set of sight word phrase cards, pictures for labeling, and more! Here's a little peek!
Click on this picture to go directly to the unit at TPT.
Happy Teaching!
In my 2nd grade class we are currently reading a story about Jane Goodall and her work with the chimpanzees. Naturally, the students are familiar with monkeys. But they generally tend to call all primates "monkeys." So I've been attempting to explain that animals belong to groups. Having just learned about bees, I related it to the fact that bees are insects and that chimpanzees and monkeys are primates which are mammals.
ReplyDeleteWell, with my limited knowledge of the hierarchy of classification (species, genus, family, order, class, etc.) I can emphatically tell you this poster is going to come in handy! Thank you so much!
P.S. I forgot to mention I'm saving/pinning your Animal Classes unit. I will definitely use this next year to lay some foundation knowledge.
DeleteThanks for pinning, Mrs. Yazzie! You make such a good point about "groups", re. monkeys. It's the same with snakes. I guess, as in everything else we teach, as our students progress, we/they are able to go deeper and become increasingly precise.
DeleteThanks so much for commenting!
Linda
It's amazing how I just happen upon things that I really need in class! We are just doing this and this fits it perfectly. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteVery glad to help! Have fun teaching about animals!
DeleteLinda
Thank you for the freebie!
ReplyDeleteLindsey
Lovin’ Kindergarten
You're welcome, Lindsey - enjoy! :)
Delete