Science lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 30 minutes
Animal body parts and the jobs they do
Animals and habitats
CCSS NGSS.1-LS1-1England: KS1 Y1 Animals, including humans
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Animal body parts and the jobs they do.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Animal groups: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians
Leads to: Inventions inspired by animals and plants; Internal and external structures of animals
Materials: Animal picture cards, Habitat maps, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Animal groups: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which animal group does a toad belong to? (fish / bird / reptile / amphibian) → amphibianPrompt: What covers its body: fur, feathers, scales or moist skin?
- Which of these animals is a reptile? (mouse / owl / newt / tortoise) → tortoisePrompt: Think about what covers each animal's body.
- A penguin cannot fly. Why is it still a bird? (It is black and white. / It has feathers and a beak and lays eggs. / It lives where it is cold. / It swims in the sea.) → It has feathers and a beak and lays eggs.Prompt: What do all birds have?
Hook · 3 min
- Show a picture of an unusual animal and ask where it might live and how it survives there.
- Share the objective: Animal body parts and the jobs they do. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: What job does this body part do: a butterfly's long tongue (proboscis)?
- Step 1: It uncurls like a straw to reach deep into flowers.
- Step 2: So the answer is: to sip nectar from flowers
- Answer: to sip nectar from flowers
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- What job does this body part do: a bird's beak? (to paddle through water / to breathe underwater / to grab food and suck up water / to pick up and eat food) → to pick up and eat foodPrompt: Think about where the animal lives and what it eats.
- Which body part helps an animal protect its soft body? (an eagle's sharp claws (talons) / a fish's gills / a cat's whiskers / a tortoise's shell) → a tortoise's shellPrompt: Picture the animal doing the job.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- What job does this body part do: an elephant's trunk? (to protect its soft body / to sip nectar from flowers / to grab food and suck up water / to feel its way in the dark) → to grab food and suck up waterPrompt: Think about where the animal lives and what it eats.
- Which body part helps an animal keep enemies away? (a porcupine's quills / a tortoise's shell / an elephant's trunk / a duck's webbed feet) → a porcupine's quillsPrompt: Picture the animal doing the job.
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Animal groups: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians.
- Use concrete materials: animal picture cards.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Inventions inspired by animals and plants; Internal and external structures of animals.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-1.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder