Introduction to Invertebrates

Introduction to Invertebrates SCIENCE YEAR 1 LESSON Desired Result The children will be able to describe the basic difference between vertebrates and invertebrates and will name some of the different categories or phylums of invertebrates. They will also recognize that all of God s creations have a purpose. Academic Concept 1: Animals are first classified as vertebrates or invertebrates. Academic Concept 2: Invertebrates can be classified into several phylums and subphylums based on common characteristics. Gospel Principle: All of God s creations have a purpose. Preparation & Materials Online: Lesson 1-3a PowerPoint: Invertebrates 1-3b Handout: Answers to Questions from Invertebrates PowerPoint Print one. 1-3c Story: Ant Girl 1-3d Principles: Fill in the Blanks Print one for each younger child. 1-3e Handout: Invertebrates for Younger Children Print one for each younger child. 1-3f Handout: Invertebrates for Older Children Print one for each older child. Online: Enrichment 1-3g Video: Invertebrate Animals 1-3h Link: Ant Jar 3

Home A natural sea sponge This can be purchased at many places online and perhaps at a local drugstore. Real samples of any invertebrates you d like to share with the children i.e. an insect; optional Private Eye Loupe or magnifying lens for each child Create word cards for each of the vocabulary words, or be prepared to write them on the board. Be familiar with the pronunciation of the invertebrate groups in order to teach them easily. Science Flashcards 1.1-1.5 2 clear glass jars, one slightly smaller than the other (Enrichment) Loose or sandy soil (Enrichment) Sugar (Enrichment) Vocabulary o vertebrate o invertebrate o phylum o porifera Pronounced: por-if-ur-uh o cnidarian Pronounced: nie-dare-ee-un Note: the initial c is silent. o echinoderm Pronounced: ee-kine-uh-derm o mollusca Pronounced: mul-us-kuh o worm o arthropod Pronounced: ar-throw-pod Introduction Flashcard Review Review Flashcards 1.1-1.3. Attention Activity We re going to see how many animals we can think of in two minutes. You tell me the names of animals, and I will write them on the board. 18 SCIENCE YEAR 1 LESSON 3

Draw a line down the middle of the board. As the children tell you the names of animals, write the names of vertebrate animals (with a backbone) on one side of the line and the names of invertebrates (without a backbone) on the other side. If you are unsure, write those names in a medium-sized circle off to the side. Also include two or three obvious ones in the circle for the children to sort at the end. When the two minutes are up, continue the discussion as outlined in the lesson below. Lesson Academic Concept 1: Animals are first classified as vertebrates or invertebrates. Research I ve been sorting the animals as you ve given me their names. Has anyone discovered my rule for sorting? Point as you talk. Label the top of each column with the appropriate title: vertebrate or invertebrate. The animals on this side are called vertebrates. The animals on this other side are called invertebrates. The animals whose names are written in the circle we will talk about later. There is one main difference between vertebrates and invertebrates. Do you know what it is? If none of the children know from prior knowledge, help them discover the difference through the following discussion. If one child does know and can explain it, you may wish to skip the section below. I wonder what vertebrate means. How could I find out? (Look in a dictionary.) Let s look in the Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary to find out. The word to look for is vertebrated : Having a backbone, or vertebral column, containing the spinal marrow, as an animal. So, what does it mean to be a vertebrate? (To have a backbone.) What do you think invertebrate means? Encourage children to make predictions. Let s see what Webster says again. The word to look for is invertebrated. Destitute of a back bone or vertebral chain. Destitute means missing. Then what does it mean to be an invertebrate? (To have no backbone.) SCIENCE YEAR 1 LESSON 3 19

Have one of the children stand in front of the rest with his/her back facing the group. Have the child bend over and let each of the other children feel the bumps of the bent child s backbone. Which category should we put humans in? (Vertebrates) Why? (We have a backbone.) Let s write humans on the correct list. Add it to the vertebrate list. The animals whose names are in the circle I m not sure about. What do you think? Have the children help you decide to which group each name in the circle belongs. Look on the internet or in an encyclopedia, if needed, to determine the classification. Which column has the most names? (Most likely it will be the vertebrates.) Do you think there are more vertebrates or invertebrates in the world? Let the children make a guess. They will most likely guess invertebrates. Over 90% of the world s animals are actually invertebrates! If there are more invertebrates in the world, why do you think we wrote down mostly vertebrates? (They are larger animals; they are more familiar; most pets, farm animals, zoo animals, etc. are vertebrates.) We now know the two main classifications for animals. Animals are first classified as vertebrates or invertebrates. Write this academic concept on the board. Introduce Flashcards 1.4 and 1.5. Academic Concept 2: Invertebrates can be classified into several phylums and subphylums based on common characteristics. Research Scientists group all animals into two main groups vertebrates and invertebrates. They also break them into smaller groups within those two classifications. Today, we are going to talk about some of the main groups or phylums of invertebrates. Show the names of six phylums of invertebrates by displaying the word cards or writing them on the board, and teach pronunciation for each word. We are going to look at a PowerPoint presentation to learn about these main phylums of invertebrates. As we go through the PowerPoint, we will see some underlined words. When we come across one, one of you will write the word on the board. Using 1-3a PowerPoint: Invertebrates, you will research, reason, and relate with your children. 1-3b Handout: Answers to Questions from Invertebrates PowerPoint contains the answers to the questions asked in the PowerPoint: Which invertebrate animals do you find the most interesting? Encourage each child to respond. 20 SCIENCE YEAR 1 LESSON 3

How are all invertebrates the same? (They do not have a backbone.) As we look at how they are different, we will find that Invertebrates can be classified into several phylums and subphylums based on common characteristics. Write this academic concept on the board. Reason Gospel Principle: All of God s creations have a purpose. Why did Heavenly Father and Jesus create the earth? (To give us a place to live and learn.) Why did Heavenly Father and Jesus create the sun? (To give us warmth and light, to make plants grow, etc.) Why do you think Heavenly Father and Jesus created plants? (To give us food, shelter, clothing, beauty to enjoy, air to breathe, etc.) Why do you think Heavenly Father and Jesus created animals? (To provide companionship, food, clothing, help with our work, etc.) Do you think there is a purpose for everything that Heavenly Father and Jesus created? (Yes!) Read 1-3c Story: Ant Girl. How did the ants help Lala? (They lead her father to find her.) Every creation, even the tiniest invertebrate, has a purpose to fulfill, and many of these creations bless our lives. All of God s creations have a purpose. Relate How has our family been blessed by any of the invertebrate animals we have talked about? (They provide food for us, they are interesting to look at and to study, insects pollinate flowers, worms aerate the soil, etc.) All of God s creations have a purpose. Write this gospel principle on the board. We will learn more about the purposes of some of these invertebrates in the next few science lessons. SCIENCE YEAR 1 LESSON 3 21

Review & Testimony Let s review the Academic Concept(s) and Gospel Principle we have learned today. As directed by the Spirit, share your testimony of the gospel principle you have taught. Recess Literature What did we read in our science literature last time? Allow for a recap. Read aloud for 15 minutes. Underline science connections with a green pencil and gospel principles with a red pencil. Record Choose from the following activities according to time available and appropriateness for each child. Have each child place recordings within the Science section of the notebook, behind the Invertebrates divider. All Children 1. Record the academic concept(s) and the gospel principle you have learned today in your notebook. Young children may want to use 1-3d Principles: Fill in the Blanks. 2. You will now work together as a group to come up with a movement or action and a sound to help you remember each of the six main phylums of invertebrates we learned about today. For example: porifera- one child pretends to pour water into the mouth of another child representing a hole while both are saying, filter water, filter water. Younger Children 1. Give each child a copy of 1-3e Handout: Invertebrates for Younger Children. a. On this sheet of paper, we will write a definition for invertebrates together. What is an invertebrate? (An animal without a backbone.) Let s write that. As I write it, you copy it. Write the definition as a complete sentence, pointing out the capital letter at the beginning and the period at the end. As you write the definition on the board for the children to copy, sound out each word, helping the younger children to learn to hear and spell. 22 SCIENCE YEAR 1 LESSON 3

b. Now draw a picture of one member of each invertebrate phylum we talked about today in each of the boxes. As you say the name in each box, review what kinds of animals are in that classification. You may need to model some of the drawing, but encourage the children to try on their own. Older Children 1. Point out the list of words written on the board from the PowerPoint presentation. Several words were underlined in the PowerPoint presentation. Look these words up in the dictionary to find out what they mean. You may want to have the children write the words and their definitions on a sheet of notebook paper, or just talk about the definitions to gain greater understanding. 2. Give each child a copy of 1-3f Handout: Invertebrates for Older Children. On the lines at the top of the page write the definition for invertebrates. Read together the directions below the lines given for the definition. Use the Internet or go back through the PowerPoint to get the information you need to complete this page. Enrichment The following ideas are for individual or family enrichment and can be used to supplement or prepare for this lesson. 1. Family Follow-up: Select a time when children s recordings can be shared with family members, such as mealtime, Family Home Evening, or before family prayer. 2. Video: Enjoy learning more about other invertebrates by watching video clips from National Geographic at 1-3g Video: Invertebrate Animals. 3. Activity: Go outside and try to find at least five different invertebrates from at least two different groups. 4. Activity: Create your own ant farm to observe by following the simple directions at 1-3h Link: Ant Jar. SCIENCE YEAR 1 LESSON 3 23