Vertebrates and Invertebrates

Introduction

 

https://openclipart.org/image/2400px/svg_to_png/220150/Tiere-coloured.p…

 

Is your favorite animal a vertebrate or invertebrate?  Are you a vertebrate or an invertebrate?  Join me as we become scientists and research key characteristics of vertebrates and invertebrates to share our findings at the science fair! C’mon it will be fun!

 

Task

Each student will work in pairs as new scientists and research a selected animal.  Students will create a poster by providing facts and pictures about their animal.  The classroom will be set up as a science fair, having students present their animal poster to the class.  The teacher will help hang student posters in the hallway for other students and teachers to see.

Process

Process

Step 1 – As a whole class, students will watch two short videos about vertebrates and invertebrates followed by a discussion with the teacher.

Step 2 – The teacher will split the students into pairs.  The teacher will walk around with a hat/container with slips of paper in it.  One student from each pair will pick a piece of paper from the hat/container that will be their topic.

  • The papers will have a vertebrate (fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, or mammals) or invertebrate (sponges, jellyfish and coral, worms, mollusks, echinoderms, or arthropods) written on it. 
  • There will be 11 slips of paper total; 1 for each type of vertebrate and invertebrate.
    • If there are more than 22 students in the class, the teacher can adapt group size or animal topic.

Step 3 – Students will utilize the computer lab and find online resources and pictures to make their research posters for the science fair.  Information that must be included is:

  • Classification (vertebrate or invertebrate)
  • Examples/type of their selected vertebrate or invertebrate
  • Key characteristics (habitat, parts of the body, what they eat, etc.)
  • Is the animal warm-blooded (endotherm) or cold-blooded (ectotherm)?
  • References

Step 4 – Once materials are gathered and printed, students will create/design their poster however they would like with the required information included.

  • The teacher will provide poster board, writing utensils, safety scissors, glue, tape, and other arts and crafts materials for the project.

Step 5 – Students will present and share their project with their classmates at the science fair!

Evaluation

Student Name(s):_____________________________________________________________________

Vertebrate and Invertebrate Poster and Presentation Rubric

 

 

 

Teacher Page

Essential Question:

What are the differences in characteristics of vertebrates and invertebrates? 

 

Learners:

This Webquest will be for students in a 4th grade science classroom.  Accommodations, modifications, and technology will be used to ensure all students are successful in the classroom.

  • The two videos also have a Spanish version.
  • Online resources can be translated into a different language or modified version with the help of the ELL and Special Education teachers.

Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_3750594223&feature=iv&index=10&list=PL_Y3qbepMRoYexJSdFAGfEJGU4JflKKUL&src_vid=qRKoGO7hNXg&v=uQo9wZS2BC0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOpzysr0PJQ&index=11&list=PL_Y3qbepMRoYexJSdFAGfEJGU4JflKKUL

 

Goals:

Standard – 3.1.4.A1

Classify plants and animals according to the physical characteristics that they share.

Standard – 3.1.4.A2

Describe the different resources that plants and animals need to live.

 

Standard – 3.1.4.A3

Identify differences in the life cycles of plants and animals.

 

Standard – 3.1.4.A5

Describe common functions living things share to help them function in a specific environment.

 

Standard – 3.1.4.A8

Construct and interpret models and diagrams of various animal and plant life cycles.

 

Standard – 3.1.4.A9

  • Distinguish between scientific fact and opinion.
  • Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events.
  • Understand that all scientific investigations involve asking and answering questions and comparing the answer with what is already known.
  • Plan and conduct a simple investigation and understand that different questions require different kinds of investigations.
  • Use simple equipment (tools and other technologies) to gather data and understand that this allows scientists to collect more information than relying only on their senses to gather information.
  • Use data/evidence to construct explanations and understand that scientists develop explanations based on their evidence and compare them with their current scientific knowledge.
  • Communicate procedures and explanations giving priority to evidence and understanding that scientists make their results public, describe their investigations so they can be reproduced, and review and ask questions about the work of other scientists.

Objectives:

  • By watching two videos, students will be able to identify vertebrates and invertebrates.
  • With the given websites, students will be able to identify at least three characteristics of vertebrates and invertebrates.
  • With the given websites and videos, students will be able to identify different types of vertebrates and invertebrates.

Time and Organization:

  • To complete the webquest, it should take about a week (Monday through Friday) during the 35-40 minute science class time.
  • Day 1 – Welcome Students, Roll Call, Introduce Topic, Watch 2 videos, Discussion, Project information/discussion, Partner and Topic Selection
  • Day 2 – Research in the computer lab for the entire class period
  • Day 3 – Additional research time if needed, Start making and finalizing poster
  • Day 4 – Finish/finalize poster in the beginning of class if needed, Start Presentations
  • Day 5 – Finish Presentations, Have group discussion, Wrap-Up Lesson
  • Students will work in pairs as scientists, researching a specific topic, creating a poster with required information and pictures, and presenting it to the class at the science fair.