Animal groups | Science | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Vertebrates and invertebrates are different types of animals. What do vertebrates have that invertebrates do not have?

Arms and legs

A backbone (spine) ✓

A tail

Fur

A brain
Some animals give birth to live young and some animals lay ______.

'eggs' ✓
Match the words to the correct descriptions.

warm-blooded animals

⇔

able to keep their body temperature stable themselves ✓

cold-blooded animals

⇔

need heat from their surroundings to keep their body warm ✓
Match the animal to their body covering.

cat

⇔

fur ✓

blackbird

⇔

feathers ✓

clownfish

⇔

scales ✓

crocodile

⇔

dry, scaly skin ✓

frog

⇔

moist skin ✓
What do fish use gills for?

Digesting food

Breathing under water ✓

Hunting for food
What does 'having things in common' mean?

Having features or characteristics which are the same. ✓

Having the most popular of something.

Having features or characteristics that are different.

How do scientists decide which group an animal belongs in?

They look at the habitat the animal lives in.

They observe it to see if it can fly or swim.

They see which group it has the most characteristics in common with. ✓
The different vertebrate groups are called birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and ______.

'reptiles' ✓
This word means to place things, such as animals, into broad groups.

'classify' ✓
Match the animal type to its characteristics.

mammal

⇔

warm-blooded, gives birth to live young, has hair or fur ✓

fish

⇔

cold-blooded, most lay eggs, has scales ✓

reptile

⇔

cold-blooded, dry, scaly skin, lays eggs ✓

amphibian

⇔

cold-blooded, moist skin, lays eggs ✓

bird

⇔

warm-blooded, has feathers, lays eggs, has wings and a beak ✓
Which of these animals is not a mammal?

bat

dolphin

frog ✓

fox

giraffe
Which of these characteristics is not common for all birds?

They are warm-blooded.

They can fly. ✓

They lay eggs.

They have wings, feathers and a beak.

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Different animals have different characteristics and these can be used to group them into broad categories
Some common animal groups are fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals
Animals can be identified and grouped using classification skills

Pupils may think that all sea-dwelling animals are fish or that only birds can fly.

Explain, with examples from the lesson, that animals are classified based on their physical features, not where they live or how they move.

Mammal - A mammal is a warm-blooded animal that gives birth to live young and has hair or fur.
Fish - A fish is a cold-blooded animal that has fins and a tail and uses gills to breathe underwater.
Bird - A bird is a warm-blooded animal that lays eggs and has feathers, wings and a beak.
Reptile - A reptile is a cold-blooded animal that lays eggs and has dry, scaly skin.
Amphibian - An amphibian is a cold-blooded animal that has moist skin, lays eggs and can live on land and in water.