Classification, Life Cycles, Adaptations and Survival
  • Classification
  • Animals like many other things are organized or classified into groups.
  • Animals are first classified by their body structure. 
  • The two main groups are animals with backbones (vertebrates) and animals with no backbones (invertebrates).
1. Make a list of animals with backbones and animals without, include at least 5 animals on each list.

The Animal Kingdom
Animals with backbones or vertebrates are grouped into 5 basic types.
2. Print out a animal classification chart.  Use the following sites to help you complete the chart.

The Animal Kingdom
Animal Facts
Classifying Critters
Life Cycles
  • Animals grow and change as they become older. 
  • Some animals look like a small version of their parents when they are born. 
  • Other animals, like a frog or butterfly go through many changes as they grow older.
3. Study the life cycle of a frog or butterfly.  Make a power point presentation of the one you choose.  Be sure to include pictures of each stage and an explanation of what changes are occuring.

Butterfly - Enchanted Learning

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle

Frog Life Cycle

Frogs - Enchanted Learning

Frog Life Cycle 2

Fruit Fly

Fruit Fly Life Metamorphis

A Day and the Life Cycle of the Fruit Fly

Fruit Fly Life Cycle Picture
Adaptations
     Adaptations are changes an animals makes over time in order to survive.  For example an elephant's trunk allows it to drink water, grasp food, and grab other items.  A elk's large antlers serve as both protection and camaflouge.  Study the different adaptations an animal has in order to survive by completing the activities at the following sites
Animal Adaptations Lincoln Park Zoo
Find the Animal Adaptation Cyber Zoo
Animal Defenses Animals A-Z
Animal Adaptation Quiz Shedd Aquarium - Build a Fish
Bird Beaks
Survival

All animals need 4 basic things to survive - Food, Water, Shelter and Space.  Read about the story of Mousekin and how his habbit is threatened.  Then answer the following questions: Mousekin Questions
Extinction


  • Some animals despite all there adaptation still have not survived. 
  • When an animal no longer exists on the earth it is said to be EXTINCT. 
  • Dinosaurs are the most common animals that have become extinct.
  •   Some animals have been extinct for millions or thousands of years others have just gone extinct in the last 100 years. 
  • Read about a few of these animals.
Passenger Pigeon
Dodo Bird
Tasmanian Tiger
 
Now use the Little Explorer Site on Extinct Animals to answer the following questions on a sheet of paper.
1.  What animal that starts with a "G" was a car- sized armadillo that lived during the last Ice Age? 

2.  What are two elephant like animals with long tusks, and shaggy hair?

3. What was the large meating-eating cat that had long fang-like teeth at the front of the mouth?

4. What animal looks like a rhinoceros?

5. What was the name of the animal that was the ancestor of a zebra?

6. This animal looks like a giant frog and lived over 200 million years ago?

7. This anima that starts with a "H" is a tiny horse.

8. What animal was an ancient camal?

9. This is an ancient sea animal, It looks like a giant bug. whose fossils can be found all over Missouri. It starts with "T".

10. Ancient reptiles that lived 230 to 25 million years ago, starts with "D".