Lesson 1

How are living things the same or different?

Home > Science England > Year 2 Science England > Unit 3 – Animals, Including Humans England > Lesson 1 – How are animals the same or different?

Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan

Preparation

Before this lesson, it is advisable for pupils to be very familiar with the basic body parts and features of well-known animals and, if possible, to have read short informational texts about a variety of living things and seen pictures of them.

Pupils will need templates (such as counters or cardboard shapes) to trace to make scales for the fish and feathers for the bird on the investigation worksheet.

Curriculum links

Animals, including humans

Describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including pets).

Suggested teaching strategies

After reading the text, complete a Frayer model for the topic ‘Living Things’ as a class.
Explicitly teach pupils how to read the tables in the worksheet.

Introduction

Display the digital lesson on your smartboard to discuss the similarities and differences of living things.

After showing pupils the lesson, ask them to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to specific questions about living things; for example: ‘Does a fish have legs?’, ‘Does an elephant have ears?’, ‘Does an ant have legs?’ Alternatively, ask pupils to give examples of animals with noses, ears, eyes, etc. or those which do not have them.

The summary and worksheet should be used together.

Development

Provide pupils with the summary and worksheet to complete. Pupils should be able to use their general knowledge to complete the worksheet.

Differentiation

Provide images or figures of the animals in the table to help pupils identify the features of each.
As an extension to this lesson, pupils can draw a picture or use a digital image of a living thing and label its features (e.g. wings, beak, feathers).

Conclusion

Have pupils cut out their decorated fish and birds. Display all the fish on one area of the classroom wall and all the birds on another. You could put the fish on a blue backdrop and the birds on a tree backdrop.

As a class, briefly discuss why the features of each animal are better for their preferred environment (scales are waterproof, feathers are light and warm, etc.)

Assessment

Worksheet answers
1. boy: has eyes, has ears, has a mouth, has a nose, has legs
dog: has eyes, has ears, has a mouth, has a nose, has legs
cat: has eyes, has ears, has a mouth, has a nose, has legs
horse: has eyes, has ears, has a mouth, has a nose, has legs
elephant: has eyes, has ears, has a mouth, has a nose, has legs
2. guinea pig, hen, cow, flower, duck
3. lizard, ant, frog, bird, fish
4. girl: has skin, has hair; bear: has fur; fish: has scales; bird: has feathers
5. Answers will vary. Pupils may suggest: plants grow into tall trees, chicks grow into hens or roosters, seeds grow into flowers, tadpoles change into frogs.

Investigation worksheet answers
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