Zoology, part 3: Classification of Animals
The younger students can learn these two divisions and then learn the divisions among the Vertebrates:
- Fish
- Birds
- Mammals
- Reptiles
- Amphibians
The older students can learn the more sophisticated divisions of Phylums and Classes such as:
- Phylum Annelida
- Phylum Cnidaria
- Phylum Porifera
- Phylum Platyhelminthes
- Phylum Nematoda
- Phylum Echinodermata
- Phylum Mollusca
- Phylum Arthropoda
- Class Crustacea
- Class Arachnida
- Class Insects
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Agnatha
- Class Chondrichthyes
- Class Osteichthyes
- Class Amphibia
- Class Reptilia
- Class Aves
- Class Mammalia
High school students can go into even more depth, including dissections.
We will continue with this lesson throughout the year (years, actually!) to come, but I will ask questions after each heading and make sure they understand where that heading fits under the network they have learned already. I will give them credit after each heading. We will be working on adding to this frame work for awhile before going on to the next Zoology topic. After you finish each lesson, you can check understanding by asking a few questions, gearing the wording to the question depending on the student's age.
Now, have your students pick another animal to study. As before, have them organize the information they learn to make a sign for the animal's cage. They then need to research the habitat needed for this animal. What other animals live in this type of habitat? This might lead to the next animal study.
related posts:
sources:
- Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
- Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
- Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright
