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NATURAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR’S GUIDE
Grade 5
A member of the FUTURELEARN group
Natural Sciences and Technology Facilitator’s guide
1805-E-NST-FG01
Í2%È-E-NST-FG01)Î
Grade 5
CAPS aligned
Facilitator’s Guide G05 ~ Natural Sciences and Technology
CONTENTS LESSON ELEMENTS.......................................................................................................... 6 TIMETABLE AND TIME MANAGEMENT ........................................................................... 7 YEAR PLAN ........................................................................................................................ 8 ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................... 13 STUDY TIPS AND METHODS .......................................................................................... 13 UNIT 1: LIFE AND LIVING ................................................................................................ 14 Lesson 1: Plants and animals on Earth ................................................... 14 1.1 Many different plants and animals ................................................................... 15 ACTIVITY 1a: Identifying marine animals and plants 15 ACTIVITY 1b: Studying an aquatic habitat 16 ACTIVITY 1c: Counting plants and animals 17 1.2 Interdependence in an ecosystem .................................................................. 17 ACTIVITY 1d: The honey badger and the honeyguide 18 ACTIVITY 1e: The water cycle 19 ACTIVITY 1f: Describing interdependence 20 1.3 Animal types.................................................................................................... 21 ACTIVITY 1g: Classifying animals 22 ACTIVITY 1h: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... once I caught a bug alive! 24 ACTIVITY 1i: Identifying common characteristics 24 ACTIVITY 1j: Comparing endoskeletons and exoskeletons 25 STUDY/ 26 REVISION 26 Lesson 2: Animal skeletons ........................................................................ 28 2.1 Skeletons of vertebrates ................................................................................. 28 ACTIVITY 2a: Identifying bones in your body 28 ACTIVITY 2b: The bones in the human skeleton 31 2.2 Movement in vertebrates ................................................................................. 33 ACTIVITY 2c: Describing movement in vertebrates 34 STUDY/ REVISION 35 Lesson 3: Skeletons as structures............................................................ 37 3.1 Frame and shell structures .............................................................................. 37 ACTIVITY 3: Designing and making a skeleton 38 STUDY/ REVISION 41 Lesson 4: Food chains................................................................................... 42 4.1 Food and feeding in plants and animals .......................................................... 42 ACTIVITY 4a: Identifying herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, scavengers and decomposers 43 4.2 Food chains..................................................................................................... 44 ACTIVITY 4b: Making food chains 45
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Facilitator’s Guide G05 ~ Natural Sciences and Technology
ACTIVITY 4c: Arranging plants and animals in food chains 46 ACTIVITY 4d: Where do you fit in the food chain? 46 ACTIVITY 4e: Write a food chain poem 46 STUDY/ REVISION 47 Lesson 5: Life cycles ..................................................................................... 48 5.1 Growth and development ................................................................................ 48 5.2 Plant life cycle ................................................................................................. 49 ACTIVITY 5a: The life cycle of a tomato plant 50 5.3 Animal life cycle .............................................................................................. 52 ACTIVITY 5b: Life cycle of a frog 52 ACTIVITY 5c: How do fruit flies reproduce? 52 ACTIVITY 5d: The frog’s life cycle 53 STUDY/ REVISION 54 UNIT 2: Matter, materials and processing ..................................................................... 57 Lesson 6: Metals and mon-metals ............................................................. 57 ACTIVITY 6a: Choosing material to build a house 58 6.1 Properties of metals ........................................................................................ 59 INVESTIGATION 1: The properties of metals 60 ACTIVITY 6b: The properties of metals make them useful to make things 60 ACTIVITY 6c: How can dirty copper coins be made shiny again? 61 6.2 Properties of non-metals ................................................................................. 63 INVESTIGATION 2: The properties of non-metals 63 STUDY/ 64 REVISION 64 Lesson 7: Uses of metals ............................................................................. 65 7.1 Special properties of metals ............................................................................ 65 ACTIVITY 7a: Learning about magnetism 65 ACTIVITY 7b: Using magnetism to solve a problem 66 ACTIVITY 7c: Learning about heat flow (thermal conductivity) 67 INVESTIGATION 3: Learning about corrosion (rust) 69 ACTIVITY 7d: How can dirty copper coins be cleaned? 70 7.2 Uses of metals ................................................................................................ 71 ACTIVITY 7e: The uses of metals in your home 71 STUDY/ REVISION 72 Lesson 8: Processing materials ................................................................. 75 8.1 Combining materials ....................................................................................... 75 ACTIVITY 8a: A research project about stainless steel 75 ACTIVITY 8b: Make your own glue 76 ACTIVITY 8c: Make jelly 77 ACTIVITY 8d: Make bricks 78 ACTIVITY 8e: Reinforcing concrete 80 ACTIVITY 8f: Let’s have fun making flapjacks! 81
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ACTIVITY 8g: How does the amount of material we start with affect the amount of new material we can make? 82 STUDY/ REVISION 84 Lesson 9: Processed materials .................................................................. 85 9.1 Properties and uses ........................................................................................ 85 ACTIVITY 9a: Raw or processed material? 85 ACTIVITY 9b: Processed materials around us 87 9.2 Traditional processing ..................................................................................... 87 ACTIVITY 9c: Traditional materials and processing 88 ACTIVITY 9d: Making a mud house stronger 89 ACTIVITY 9e: Hetsie’s house 91 ACTIVITY 9f: Identifying objects made from plant fibre 92 STUDY/ REVISION 94 UNIT 3: Energy and change ............................................................................................ 96 Lesson 10: Stored energy in fuels ............................................................. 96 10.1 What are fuels? ............................................................................................. 96 ACTIVITY 10a: Energy from food 97 INVESTIGATION 1: How much energy can we get from different fuels? 97 10.2 Burning fuels ................................................................................................. 99 INVESTIGATION 2: What happens when a flame is deprived of oxygen? 99 10.3 Fire safety ................................................................................................... 100 ACTIVITY 10b: Dangerous situations involving fire 100 ACTIVITY 10c: Talking about fire in our communities 102 ACTIVITY 10d: Play: what to do in case of a fire 102 ACTIVITY 10e: Creating a fire poster 102 STUDY/ REVISION 103 Lesson 11: Energy and electricity ........................................................... 105 11.1 Cells and batteries ...................................................................................... 105 ACTIVITY 11a: How does a torch work? 105 ACTIVITY 11b: Making a simple circuit 106 11.2 Mains electricity ........................................................................................... 107 11.3 Electricity safety .......................................................................................... 107 ACTIVITY 11c: Safety tips for electricity 107 STUDY/ REVISION 110 Lesson 12: Energy and movement .......................................................... 112 12.1 Elastics and springs .................................................................................... 112 ACTIVITY 12a: Making your own catapult 112 ACTIVITY 12b: Build an elastic band powered boat 113 STUDY/ REVISION 114 Lesson 13: Systems for moving things .................................................. 115 13.1 Wheels and axles ........................................................................................ 115 ACTIVITY 13a: Identifying vehicles with wheels 116
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ACTIVITY 13b: A simple wheel and axle machine 116 ACTIVITY 13c: Making a trailer with wheels and axles 117 ACTIVITY 13d: Making and evaluating different wheels and axles 118 STUDY/ REVISION 119 UNIT 4: Earth and beyond ............................................................................................. 120 Lesson 14: Planet Earth.............................................................................. 120 14.1 The earth moves .................................................................................. 120 ACTIVITY 14a: Where is it daytime? 121 ACTIVITY 14b: Your head can be a model of the earth 122 STUDY/ REVISION 123 Lesson 15: Surface of the earth ............................................................... 124 15.1 Rocks .......................................................................................................... 124 ACTIVITY 15a: What will you find if you dig a hole as deep as it can go? 124 ACTIVITY 15b: The layers of the earth 126 ACTIVITY 15c: So what is below our feet? 127 15.2 Soil comes from rocks ................................................................................. 128 ACTIVITY 15d: Can rock and stone wear away? 128 ACTIVITY 15e: Make a model of acid water breaking up rocks 129 ACTIVITY 15f: Look at different types of soil 130 ACTIVITY 15g: Make your own soil 131 15.3 Soil types..................................................................................................... 132 INVESTIGATION 1: Different amounts of sand, silt and clay 132 ACTIVITY 15h: Soil retains water 134 INVESTIGATION 2: Which soil holds more water? 134 INVESTIGATION 3: Compare how well plants grow in different types of soil 136 STUDY/ REVISION 138 Lesson 16: Sedimentary rocks ................................................................. 139 16.1 Formation of sedimentary rock .................................................................... 139 ACTIVITY 16a: Depositing sediments 139 ACTIVITY 16b: Which sediment is the oldest? 140 ACTIVITY 16c: Rebuild the mountain 141 STUDY/ REVISION 142 Lesson 17: Fossils ........................................................................................ 143 17.1 Fossils in rock ............................................................................................. 143 ACTIVITY 17a: Make a model of a body fossil 143 17.2 Body and trace fossils ................................................................................. 145 17.3 Importance of South African fossils ............................................................. 145 ACTIVITY 17b: The Cradle of Humankind 147 ACTIVITY 17c: Important fossil sites in South Africa 148 STUDY/ REVISION 149
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Topic
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There are many different kinds of animals, some do not have bones, and some have hard outer “skins” or shells (invertebrates) some have bones (vertebrates).
Plants and animals depend on each other they also depend on the resources (such as air, water, soil, food and places to hide) in their own habitats.
Vertebrate animals can move because there are muscles attached to the skeleton joints between the bones. A vertebrate skeleton is a frame structure (also refer to Grade 4 Matter and materials). Some invertebrate skeletons are shell structures, such as that of a crab.
Term 1 test
Bones are hard and form a strong frame structure.
Practical task 1: Activity 3: Designing and making a skeleton
*Many different plants and animals *Animal types *Interdependence *Skeletons of vertebrates *Movement in vertebrates *Frame and shell structures
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There are many different plants and animals living in different habitats on Earth (South Africa has a wide variety of indigenous plants and animals and their habitats).
A vertebrate skeleton consists of bones and joints, and is inside the body.
*Food and feeding in plants and animals
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Animal skeletons
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Skeletons as structures
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Food chains
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Plants and animals on Earth
Unit 1 (Term 1)
Plants make their own food and build their branches and stems using water and carbon dioxide from the air, and energy from sunlight. Plants use carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen into the air.
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Life cycles
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*Growth and development *Plant life cycle *Animal life cycle
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*Food chains
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Animals need food to carry out their life processes (to move, feed, grow, sense the environment, excrete, breathe and reproduce). All animals depend on plants as their primary source of food (herbivores, carnivores and omnivores). Plants and animals grow and develop throughout their lives. A life cycle describes the stages and processes that take place as a plant or animal grows and develops. A life cycle describes how one generation of a plant or animal gives rise to the next generation through reproduction. Death can occur at any stage of the life cycle. Term 1 test
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Materials can be processed to make new materials/products.
Materials such as plaster of Paris, concrete, fabrics, ceramics and glass, plastics and paints, have their own special properties.
June examination (work of Term 1 and 2)
*Properties of metals
Metals are used to make things such as coins, wire, jewellery, furniture, buildings and bridges, motor cars, kitchen utensils and roofs.
Practical task 2: Investigation 3: Learning about corrosion (rust)
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*Special properties of metals *Uses of metals
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*Combining materials
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*Properties and uses *Traditional processing
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Non-metals are used to make things because they have certain properties.
Uses of metals
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Metals are used to make things because they have certain properties.
Processing materials
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Processed materials
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Metals and non-metals
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*Properties of non-metals
Unit 2 (Term 2)
In Africa people have processed materials for hundreds of years to make clay pots and bricks. June examination
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We can make things move using stretched or twisted elastic and compressed springs.
Vehicles are systems that use wheels and axles.
When we stretch or twist elastic or compress a spring, we store energy in it.
Term 3 test
*What are fuels? *Burning fuels *Fire safety
Safety precautions should be taken when using electricity.
*Elastics and springs
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Electricity from the power station is transferred in a circuit to our homes and back to the power station.
*Wheels and axles
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A circuit is a system that transfers electrical energy to where it is needed.
Energy and movement
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Energy can be stored in cells and batteries.
Systems for moving things
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Fires can be a threat in our communities.
Practical task 3: Investigation 2: What happens when a flame is deprived of oxygen?
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Energy and electricity
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*Cell and batteries
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Fuels need heat to set them alight, and air (oxygen) to keep on burning.
*Mains electricity
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Energy is stored in fuels (including food). We use fuels as sources of useful energy.
*Electricity safety
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Stored energy in fuels
Unit 3 (Term 3)
Wheels and axles help vehicles to move more easily.
32 Term 3 test 33
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The earth travels in an orbit (pathway) around the sun. The earth takes about 365 days to travel once around the sun; this is called a year. The surface of the earth is called the crust, and consists of rocks (even under the oceans), and soil. Soil, air, water and sunlight support life on Earth. Soil is usually a mixture of different types of soil grains in different proportions.
Sedimentary rocks are formed over a very long time.
Fossils are the remains of ancient plants and animals preserved in rock fossils are found in some layers of sedimentary rock fossils are evidence/a record of the history of life on Earth.
Practical task 4: Investigation 2: Which soil holds more water? November examination (work of Term 3 and 4)
*The earth moves *Rocks *Soil comes from rocks *Soil types *Formation of sedimentary rocks *Uses of sedimentary rocks *Fossils in rock *Body and trace fossils *Importance of South African fossils
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Surface of the earth
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Sedimentary rocks
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Fossils
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Planet Earth
Unit 4 (Term 4)
There are two main types of fossils: body fossils and trace fossils.
Revision November examination
Topics that are in bold are of most importance. Ensure that the concepts are completely understood by the learner. All topics must be covered before the examination starts.
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UNIT 1: Life and living Lesson 1: Plants and animals on Earth
LEARNING AIMS
What's the coldest place where animals live? How deep is the sea and are there animals and plants down there? Where is the highest mountain on Earth? Do plants and animals live there? Are there living things in a desert? What are vertebrates and invertebrates?
We recommend that facilitators visit this website http://www.iteachbio.com/MarineBiology/marine.html – there are many videos and PowerPoint presentations, graphics and hand-outs for facilitators and learners to use. Consider labelling four different posters the classroom for each of the different types of habitats (aquatic, desert, grassland and forest). As you work through the section on each habitat, you can put key words and phrases up under these headings. Become an expert: Write the four different habitats on pieces of paper and put it in a hat for learners to pick. The learners will then become an expert on the habitat which was pulled from the hat. The learners of the same habitat could work together in a group, or individually (as best fits the needs of the class). After you have discussed the different types of habitats in the study guide, they will be required to make a poster of the animals and plants within their specific habitat. They will put up their posters (where you put up the habitat headings) and will have to use the words that you displayed in their work. If you want to/can combine this with English Home Language, they can present their habitat as a speech to the class (only for fun). After the oral presentation, facilitators are encouraged to hold a quiz, with the facilitator asking questions about each habitat. The facilitator calls on learners to answer a question for 3 points.
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QUESTIONS Why is it important to study the biodiversity of our planet? Write down some of the main points from your class discussion or the discussion with your facilitator below. Facilitators are encouraged to use this opportunity to introduce and/or raise environmental concerns and to emphasise that the more we know about the biodiversity of our planet, the more we will know how to protect it. It is also suggested that facilitators discuss the importance of people who value the diversity of plants and animals on Earth. If we value diversity, we are able to see that each plant and animal that gets driven to extinction is a tremendous loss for the whole planet. Perhaps point out that a plant or animal that has gone extinct might have held the key to curing terrible diseases or teaching us how to combat problems such as soil erosion. 1.1 Many different plants and animals Aquatic habitats Facilitators can use the following activity to gauge the learner’s geographical understanding of places in our country. Learners who have not been exposed to maps may not know where they live. Use this opportunity as a teaching activity to give learners a brief overview of South Africa’s map. Also emphasise where north is (which will be important in other subjects, such as Social Sciences). ACTIVITY 1a: Identifying marine animals and plants QUESTIONS 1. Can you imagine how difficult it must be to live on rocks being pounded by waves all day and all night long? Which animals in the above picture live on or near rocks? Crabs, crayfish, seaweed, mussels 2. Describe at least three different ways in which these animals protect themselves against the pounding waves. Some have a hard shell such as mussels and clams. Other animals hide under rocks during high tide and only come out in low tide when the sea is calmer. Some organisms, such as snails and seaweed, have very strong suckers with which they stick to rocks and withstand the pounding of the sea.
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3. Carefully study all the animals in the pictures and find things that some animals have in common. Classify the animals into groups based on these similarities. This revises Grade 4 work where learners had to classify and compare animals based on visual differences. Encourage learners to be as creative in their thinking and classifying as possible. Also encourage them to use visual clues. 4. Many ecotourists like to visit our country to see the natural sights and attractions. Some tourists like to go on tours where they are in a cage which is lowered into the water. The tour operators often chuck small pieces of meat into the water to attract sharks which then swim around the cage. This is called shark cage diving. Do you think shark cage diving is appropriate? Explain why you think so. Give learners scope (and permission) to differ from popular belief. Let the learners give ideas before they answer this question to discuss differing points of view on this topic. Ideas may be in favour of shark cage diving as it gives opportunities for research and study and makes people appreciate the sharks more. Other ideas may be that tourists might scare sharks out of their natural habitat and teach them not to fear humans and then they are easier to catch. ACTIVITY 1b: Studying an aquatic habitat Learner-dependent answer. Grassland habitat
QUESTIONS List some of the animals which you think live in grasslands. Kudu, nyala, impala, zebra, buffalo, lions, leopards, other small mammals, etc.
Forest habitat
Identify an area where you can take the learner to study animals and plants before starting with the lesson. Ideally this can be within a nature reserve, park or school garden, where different types of habitats can be studied. If you are going to walk to a location, ensure there are no dangers and make the learner aware if there are any dangers. Study the area before the day of this activity. Make sure that you avoid areas with lots of litter and dangerous sharp or rusty items that might injure learners. 16
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Carefully take note of the main plants and animals in that area. If possible, take samples of these plants. Display the plant with its name next to it in your class. Show these plants to the learners, one by one, before you go on the walk. Encourage the learners to invite one or two people/parents who have knowledge about local plants and animals to come along on this nature walk to walk between pairs and help them with identifying different plants and animals. Prepare learners for this activity in advance. Explain that they are going to count the plants and animals inside their marked area. Tell learners that they may only count the plants and animals that are actually INSIDE the marked area or flying directly above it. They may not coax or carry animals into their marked area or take others that they don’t like out of it. Learners must be careful as to not disturb the animals. They must distinguish between plants based on the size and shape of their leaves, flowers or fruit. If you were able to arrange for other adults to escort you, the learners may ask them for help to identify which plants are in their area. ACTIVITY 1c: Counting plants and animals After learners have identified the plants and animals in their areas, ask them to collect some flowers and seeds if there are any. Learners can then make presses of the flowers by placing them between two sheets of paper and then stacking a pile of books on top of the paper. They have to leave them to press for several days. Once they are pressed, learners can stick the flowers onto pieces of paper along with the seeds they collected and provide the names of the flowers.
1.2 Interdependence in an ecosystem Introducing this topic:
The following BBC website is an excellent resource to read before starting this lesson: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Pollinator#intro This website provides two PowerPoint slide shows – although they are far too advanced for learners at this level, they provide an excellent introduction to ecosystems and interdependence: http://www.magistralearning.com/samples/
QUESTIONS Do you think you are connected to plants and rivers? Discuss this with your facilitator. Facilitators can use this question to assess the pre-knowledge and understanding of learners regarding ecological interdependence. We say that animals, plants and their habitats are interdependent. That means they depend on each other to survive. If one part is left out, for example water during a drought, then the rest of the habitat, including plants and animals, might be destroyed.
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Interdependence between living organisms QUESTIONS Bees are not the only animals that can pollinate flowering plants. What animals do you think can pollinate a tree's flowers? Look at the pictures below. Birds, beetles, wasps, ants, honey eaters, etc. Facilitators are encouraged to let learners discuss the type of animal that can pollinate a tree’s flowers based on their physical characteristics. Perhaps ask if they think a tortoise or a bat is more likely to pollinate a tree’s flowers. Then discuss why they say so. Also include a question that makes them think about the tree’s adaptations to let, for example, the fruit bats pollinate it – the flowers need to be open during the night, for example to attract bats and therefore they won’t need to have bright petals, but the petals will need to be bigger to allow the bat to find it using eco-location. Watch the video about pollinators with the learners – it is done very well and explains everything at a Grade 4/5 level with illustrations. The quality of the video isn’t great so it wouldn’t work to stream it on a large screen, or on a computer with the learners. ACTIVITY 1d: The honey badger and the honeyguide QUESTIONS 1.
Why can't the honeyguide just eat some of the larvae without waiting for the honey badger? The bird cannot break open the hive by itself. It will also be stung to death by the bees.
2.
How does the honey badger break open the hive? It uses its legs, claws and teeth.
3.
Why does the honey badger not get stung by the bees? It has a very thick skin which the bee stings cannot get through.
4.
Explain in your own words how this is an example of interdependence between three animals.
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Assess learners’ ability to rephrase and explain this scenario in terms of interdependence. Both animals benefit as they are unable to get the honey without one another. Without the bird, the badger would not find the honey and without the badger the bird would not be able to get to the larvae. Without the bees, the honey badger would not have larvae to eat and the honeyguide would not have honey to eat. Interdependence between living and non-living organisms QUESTIONS Have you ever wondered how water ends up in the clouds if it runs in rivers and streams? Do you remember the water cycle you learned of in Grade 4? Facilitators can use this as an opportunity to discuss learners’ preconceptions of the water cycle and to ascertain what they know or misunderstand in order to address this in the following section.
ACTIVITY 1e: The water cycle Learner-dependent answer. QUESTIONS You can change the water vapour you exhale into water drops again! Find a window or mirror and breathe on it. What do you see on the window? See condensation on the window. Facilitators can reinforce the concept that as soon as the mirror or glass warms up slightly, the water drops on it will evaporate again.
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ACTIVITY 1f: Describing interdependence Introducing this activity: After studying the interdependence of living and non-living things in their environment, this activity requires learners to identify interdependence between living organisms and their environment. If possible, collect books and information about the sets of animals in the photos in this activity. Picture
Answer
Description of interdependence
D
A: Clownfish and anemones. Clownfish are not hurt by the poison from the anemone. The clownfish feed on small creatures living in the anemone. These creatures can harm the anemone. Not only does the clownfish remove these creatures, but the anemone uses its waste for nourishment. The anemone’s poisonous stings protects the clown fish from predators.
A
B: Earthworms in soil. Earthworms are dependent on the soil for a place to live. If the earthworm is exposed to air for too long, its skin will dry out. That is why they need rich, moist soil to live in. As earthworms dig through the soil, they also excrete droppings back into the soil which makes it more fertile for other plants and animals. Their digging helps to aerate the soil by creating tunnels.
E
C: Weaver bird building its nest. Many birds need trees and plants to build their nests in so they can raise their young. The weaver uses young, green reeds to build its nest. These reeds are flexible and bend easily. When they dry out, they become harder and make a stable, stronger nest.
B
D: Rhino and oxpecker. The oxpecker eats the ticks that are on the rhino’s skin. The oxpecker feeds on these ticks and the rhino is freed from the pests. Oxpeckers have the same relationship with zebra, giraffe, buffalo, etc.
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E: Anatolian Shepherds and the herd of sheep they are protecting from predators. Anatolian puppies are placed with a flock of sheep at an early age and they become attached to the flock. When a predator (like a cheetah) comes near the flock, the Anatolian Shepherd will chase the predator away. When a flock is protected by an Anatolian Shepherd, the predators (for example, cheetahs) are also indirectly protected, because the farmers will not need to kill them in order to protect their sheep.
QUESTIONS 1. In the pictures above, which interdependent relationship is between an animal and a plant? The weaver and the reeds it makes its nest from. 2. In the pictures above, which interdependent relationship described is between an animal and the non-living things in its environment? The earthworm and the soil. 3. Which example in the pictures involves the interdependence between three animals, and what are they? The Anatolian Shepherds, the sheep and the cheetahs. 1.3 Animal types Introducing this topic: This topic explores the different kinds of animals grouped into two main groups: vertebrates and invertebrates. CAPS refers to animals with bones and those without bones. The vertebrate groups are: mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs (amphibians) and fish. The invertebrate group are those without bones such as worms, millipedes, insects, spiders, scorpions and crabs. Presentation hints: 1. 2.
3.
Start the lesson with a class discussion comparing the different animals from the previous activity. Ask learners to group the animals listed in only TWO groups. Let them come up with ways to classify the animals. Some might group according to size (small or large) or on physical features such as limbs and body covering. Explain the concepts vertebrate and invertebrate using the words bones and without bones. Make a table showing animals that have bones inside their body and animals 21
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4. 5. 6.
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that don’t have bones inside their bodies. Then ask learners to write the names of the animals in the correct column. Discuss how accurately they were able to classify the animals. If possible, make a poster for the wall displaying the animals that have bones inside their bodies and those that do not. Ask the learners to feel their own bones, specifically their backbone (the line of bones down the middle of the back, made up of vertebrae). Ask them in which group they would be classified.
Grouping animals ACTIVITY 1g: Classifying animals INSTRUCTIONS 1. Animals that are vertebrates: Dolphin, dog, seagull 2. Look at the X-rays of the crab and the grasshopper. Can you see a backbone in their bodies? Why do you think this is? They do not have bones inside their bodies. Instead, they have a hard, bony outer skeleton. 3. What do we call animals such as the grasshopper and the crab? Invertebrates 4. Study the animals from Activity 1f. Decide if they are vertebrates with bones inside their bodies, or invertebrates without bones inside their bodies. Learner-dependent answer. 5. Write the name of each animal in the correct column below. Vertebrates with bones
Vertebrates without bones Earthworm Sea anemone
Rhino Ox pecker Weaver Anatolian sheepdog Sheep
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QUESTIONS 1. Have a look at the illustration of all these different groups. Why do you think the animals were put into a left group and a right group? This question is meant to reinforce the learner’s understanding and recognition of vertebrates and invertebrates. 2. Vertebrates are divided into five groups. What are these groups? Mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians and fish. 3. One of the birds in the illustration is our national bird. Which one is it? The Blue Crane 4. Give two examples of an arthropod. Spider, butterfly or crab. Invertebrates QUESTIONS Look at the illustration of all the classes of animals again. Can you find other examples of animals with no bones inside their bodies (endoskeleton) and with no hard outer skeleton (exoskeleton)? Sea sponge, sea anemone, jellyfish, flatworms, octopuses and earthworms.
QUESTIONS Can you think of any invertebrates that have exoskeletons? Have a look at the previous illustration again if you need some ideas. Starfish, butterfly, millipede, crab, spider
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ACTIVITY 1h: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... once I caught a bug alive! Learner-dependent answer. EXTENSION Build a terrarium in your free time for invertebrates. A terrarium is an enclosure, container, or structure adapted or prepared for keeping smaller land animals, especially reptiles, amphibians, or terrestrial invertebrates under semi-natural conditions for observation, for study or as pets. Terrariums are typically glassfronted cases. 1. Find an old glass container that is no longer being used. This container MUST have a lid. 2. Put 10 – 15 cm of soil in the bottom. 3. Plant some ferns and other easy-to-grow plants in there. 4. Collect insects and other invertebrates and keep them in your terrarium. The plants growing inside the terrarium will produce oxygen for your little critters. Water the plants once a week or so. 5. Each learner can choose one specific invertebrate and keep a diary of that animal’s “life” over the next three to four weeks. 6. The learners can then present their findings to the class. SAFETY WARNING: Some children may be allergic to some of the animals you find. Avoid bringing any potentially harmful animals such as stinging insects. Vertebrates ACTIVITY 1i: Identifying common characteristics Introducing this activity: The following section covers the animal skeletons in more detail. This activity practises learners’ abilities to identify common features or characteristics, but more so helps them appreciate that learning can happen within an interdependent community of learners and facilitators working together. Facilitators are encouraged not to “teach” this activity but to facilitate discussion by asking probing questions and walking between groups to make sure everyone remains on task. QUESTIONS 1. Complete the sentence below by writing down all the characteristics which are common to animals with endoskeletons. Animals with endoskeletons all ... have a skeleton inside their body. A part of the skeleton is the backbone, with a hollow nerve tunnel on the inside. They are also larger than invertebrates because their bones growth with them to support their muscles better. 24
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