Science.1.13.A

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The student is expected to

identify the external structures of different animals and compare how those structures help different animals live, move, and meet basic needs for survival;

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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and undergo processes that help them interact and survive within their environments.

Provide each student with a different animal picture. Have students mix-pair-share. Each time students pair with someone, the teacher should choose a different structure for students to discuss. Students should identify the specified structure and explain how it helps the animal meet its needs. For example, students might discuss the ears on the organisms that they are comparing. If one student has an elephant and another student has a polar bear, they can compare the size and covering of the ears. Elephants have big ears because it helps them cool down. Polar bears have small ears covered in fur so that they don't lose as much heat. Two students could compare the wings of a bird to the arms of a chimpanzee. The bird uses its wings to fly through the air while a chimpanzee uses its arms to hold food and to swing from branch to branch.
 

a classification of organisms whose cells are eukaryotic (have a nucleus and organelles), do not have cell walls, and which rely on consuming other organisms for food

requirements for life, such as air, water, food, protection, and space

the circumstances, objects, or conditions that surround an organism including abiotic (climate and soil) and biotic (living organisms) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival

an individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, protist, or fungus; a body made up of organs, organelles, or other parts that work together to carry on the various processes of life  

a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result; a continuing natural or biological activity or function

something arranged in a definite pattern of organization; the arrangement of particles or parts in a substance or body; the aggregate of elements of an entity in their relationships to each other

Research

Sinoradzki, Kristen, and T. J. McKenna. “What’s so Phenomenal About Animals? Using Structure and Function to Explore Animal Diversity.” Science and Children 58, no. 6 (2021): 86–90. www.nsta.org/science-and-children/science-and-children-julyaugust-2021-0/whats-so-phenomenal-about-animals.

Summary: This article explains that allowing students to explore animal diversity and the different structures that allow them to survive can help increase student engagement. Discussions about this topic can help promote a broader vocabulary.