You will learn
- Say that animals are living things.
- Name things animals do.
- Tell animals from non-living things.
- Name groups of animals such as birds, fish and insects.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Animals are living things.
- Animals eat, drink, breathe and move.
- Animals grow and have young.
- A stone is not an animal because it is not alive.
Words to know
a living thing that eats, moves and grows
alive, able to grow and breathe
not alive
baby animals
1. Discover: The garden visitor
Musa sees a small lizard on the garden wall. It moves. It looks at him. Then it runs into a crack. Musa also sees a stone. The stone does not move or eat. “The lizard is an animal,” he says. “The stone is not.”
Think: What can the lizard do that the stone cannot?
2. Understand: What animals are
Idea 1: Animals are living
Animals are living things. They eat food, drink water, breathe air, move and grow. They also have young, which are baby animals.
Idea 2: Living and non-living
A dog, a bird and an ant are living. A stone, a chair and a toy car are non-living. They do not eat, grow or have young.
Idea 3: Groups of animals
There are many kinds of animals. Birds have feathers. Fish live in water and have fins. Insects have six legs. Some animals have fur, some have scales and some have a hard shell.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Is it an animal?
A goat, a stone and a car.
- The goat eats and moves. Animal.
- The stone does not eat. Not an animal.
- The car does not grow. Not an animal.
Answer: Only the goat is an animal.
Example 2 (We do it together): What do animals do?
A puppy.
- It eats.
- It runs and plays.
- It grows bigger.
Answer: A puppy eats, moves and grows.
Example 3 (You try): Which group?
A fish, a bird, an ant.
Show the steps and answer
- Fish live in water with fins.
- Birds have feathers.
- Ants are insects with six legs.
Answer: Fish, birds and insects are groups of animals.
Did you know?
There are more kinds of insects than any other animal group. Scientists have named about a million kinds.
Why this matters
Knowing what animals are helps us respect them and look after them.
4. Explore: Animal or not?
Look at pictures or safe objects and sort them into animal and not animal.
- Collect ten pictures.
- Sort into animal and not animal.
- Say why each one goes there.
- Name one thing each animal does.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Animals move, eat and grow.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Animals are ___ things.
- Animals eat and ___.
- A stone is ___ living.
- Baby animals are called ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Is a dog living?
Yes.
Question 2. Is a stone an animal?
No.
Question 3. Name two things animals do.
Eat and move, or grow.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Is a dog living?
- Is a stone an animal?
- Name two things animals do.
- What are baby animals called?
- Name an animal that has feathers.
Level 2: Grow
- Why is a goat an animal?
- Name two groups of animals.
- Why is a toy car not an animal?
Level 3: Stretch
- Explain how to tell an animal from a non-living thing.
- Sort: ant, rock, dog, bottle.
- Draw an animal and label two parts.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Which animals do you see near your home?
Show a sample answer
Dogs, birds, goats, chickens and insects.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Small insects are animals too.
Fix: A toy is not alive.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say that animals are living things.
- I can name things animals do.
- I can tell animals from non-living things.
- I can name groups of animals such as birds, fish and insects.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Animals are living things.
- Animals eat, drink, breathe and move.
- Animals grow and have young.
- A stone is not an animal because it is not alive.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Common animals. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What are animals? [1 mark]
- Give two things animals do. [2 marks]
- Name two groups of animals. [2 marks]
- Why is a stone not an animal? [2 marks]
- Sort: cat, rock, ant, spoon. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Living things [1]
- Any two: eat, drink, breathe, move, grow [1 each]
- Any two: birds, fish, insects [1 each]
- It is not alive [1]; it does not eat or grow [1]
- Cat [1]; ant [1]; rock and spoon not animals [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Is a dog living?
- Is a stone an animal?
- Name two things animals do.
- What are baby animals called?
- Name an animal that has feathers.
- Why is a goat an animal?
- Name two groups of animals.
- Why is a toy car not an animal?
- Explain how to tell an animal from a non-living thing.
- Sort: ant, rock, dog, bottle.
Homework
Look for three animals at home or outside. Draw them and write what each one is doing.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Is a dog living? | Yes. | 1 |
| 2. Is a stone an animal? | No. | 1 |
| 3. Name two things animals do. | Eat and move, or grow. | 1 |
| 4. What are baby animals called? | Young. | 1 |
| 5. Name an animal that has feathers. | A bird. | 1 |
| 6. Why is a goat an animal? | It eats, moves and grows. | 1 |
| 7. Name two groups of animals. | Birds, fish or insects. | 1 |
| 8. Why is a toy car not an animal? | It is not alive. | 1 |
| 9. Explain how to tell an animal from a non-living thing. | Animals eat, move, grow and breathe. | 1 |
| 10. Sort: ant, rock, dog, bottle. | Ant and dog are animals. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Yes.; 2 No.; 3 Eat and move, or grow.; 4 Young.; 5 A bird.. Level 2: 1 It eats, moves and grows.; 2 Birds, fish or insects.; 3 It is not alive.. Level 3: 1 Animals eat, move, grow and breathe.; 2 Ant and dog are animals.; 3 A labelled animal..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say that animals are living things | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Name things animals do | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Tell animals from non-living things | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Name groups of animals such as birds, fish and insects | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Only big animals are animals.” Small insects are animals too.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use five pictures. Sort into animal and not animal.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns that animals are living things that eat, breathe, move, grow and have young. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask, “Is it an animal? How do you know?”
- Look for animals on a walk.
- Remind your child to keep a safe distance.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say that animals are living things; name things animals do; tell animals from non-living things; name groups of animals such as birds, fish and insects.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Pictures of animals and non-living things, chart paper, pencils and crayons. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare picture cards of animals and objects. Draw two circles on the board: animal and not animal.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “Is a stone an animal? Why not?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach what animals do and the groups.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners sort cards and give reasons.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners draw an animal and tell what it does.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Is it alive? Does it eat and move?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Only big animals are animals.” Small insects are animals too.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use five pictures. Sort into animal and not animal. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 4, topic 1; Next Generation Science Standards, from molecules to organisms (animal structures and needs); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, animals; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.