Classifying Animals

1. T: Good morning class! I would love it if everyone could clear off their desk completely and place your eyes on me so that I know that you are ready.
2. Students will clear off desk completely and place their eyes on me so that I know they are ready to begin.
3. T: Today we are going to be learning about the classification of animals. Can anyone tell me what they think the word classification means?
4. Allow students to raise hands and give ideas.
5. T: Those are great answers! I am going to give each table an envelope. Each envelope will have a variety of pictures in them of different animals. As a table, you will pull out the photos and look carefully at each one of them. I want you all to think like biologists, and as a table, group animals that are alike in some way. After you have grouped the animals, write the characteristics that show how the animals are alike on one of the index cards. There should be one index card for each of your groups. I would like for you to think of at least two or three ways the animals grouped are alike and write it down on the index cards. When I hand your table an envelope you may begin. I will be walking around the room while you work if you have any questions while working just raise your hand and I will come to your table.
6. Pass out envelopes to tables. Allow them to work for about ten minutes.
7. T: Could you focus your attention on me please, so that we can share our findings! As I was walking around the room I noticed that you all were being very observant! I would like each table to tell what animals they decided to group and share why they chose to group those animals together.
8. Allow each table to share their groupings.
9. T:  You all showed great ideas on how to group these animals. I would like for everyone to move to the carpet now.
10. Students will move to the carpet.
11. Just now, you classified the animals into different categories based on characteristics that you observed. Lots of things around us in our everyday life are classified. (I will give a few examples). Scientist classify animals by characteristics they have in common. I would like for you to pay close attention as we go through a PowerPoint on how animals are classified.
12. Go through PowerPoint.
13. T: When I say “go,” I would like for you to go back to your tables. We are going to practice classifying more animals based on the new knowledge you just learned from the PowerPoint. When you get to your table I would like for you to pull out a sheet of paper and a pencil and then look at me to let me know you are ready!
14. I will instruct them back to their seats. Wait for them to focus their attention on me for further instructions.
15. T: I am going to show you an image of an animal on the smart board you are going to talk with the people at your table and come to an agreement as to which category that animal falls under (mammals, reptiles, insects, birds, amphibians, fish). After each slide, we will discuss your answers and determine why it falls under that category.
16. Do this for a few animal slides.
17. T: You all did a fantastic job on classifying these animals. Now, I am going to pass out a worksheet. There will be a section for each group (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and insects). I would like for you to draw at least three different animals for each group, and then write a sentence as to why those animals are alike and fall under the same category.
18. Show them my example.
19. T: After seeing my example, does anyone have any questions before we begin?
20. Allow time for them to ask questions and for me to answer.  
21. Pass out worksheets.
22. Allow fifteen to twenty minutes for them to finish.
23. Once they finish, they will glue their work to the different posters that have the categories in the center (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and insects). I will then hold up each poster and share the animals that the students chose to draw for each animal category.
24. T: I love how so many of you learned a lot about classifying animals! You all did a great job and participated very nicely! It is now time to get ready for lunch. If you have a lunch box grab it. Wait for me to call your table to line up.
 

 I would use the group work as a participation/classwork grade since we will be going over responses they write down as a class. I would use the worksheet that will be posted on the posters as a formative assessment because this provides me the opportunity to see who understands how to classify animals together based on their physical characteristics, and can draw examples of these animals. If they can not do this or are struggling with coming up with examples to draw for certain animal categories, then I know that they need more practice.