Animals can be cute and cuddly, but there is much more to them than that. If you are looking for an interactive way to bring biology, and by extension, animal classification to your classroom, check out the kit called Classifying Animals.
This kit contains 8 sets of animal cards, 8 sets of classifications, 32 student worksheets/guides, 32 student data sheets, and 1 teacher’s guide to help you navigate the kit. The goal of this kit is for students to work together in groups of four to come up with examples of similarities and differences between the life-forms shown on the 18 animal cards. In the event of differing opinions, students are encouraged to explain their reasoning. The student worksheet helps guide the students through the expectations of the activity, and the worksheet is divided into 2 parts, followed by reflective questions for the students to answer individually. Students are also provided with individual worksheets to record the actual classification of the animals investigated throughout the activity. This kit is an excellent tool to encourage student co-operation while learning about the various members of the animal kingdom through animal classification.
This activity kit is recommended for students in grade 5 and up, as the activity, and the terminology used in the kit are relatively complex.
If you would like to try out Classifying Animals, it is currently on display in the third floor Display and Play area of the OISE Library. For more science-based kits like Classifying Animals, please look through the OISE Library K-12 Manipulative Database or browse the 3rd floor of the Library.
