Science lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 60 minutes
Internal and external structures of animals
Animals and habitats
CCSS NGSS.4-LS1-1England: KS2 Y4 Animals, including humansEngland: KS2 Y3 Animals, including humans
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Internal and external structures of animals.
- 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 body parts and the jobs they do
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Animal picture cards, Habitat maps, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Animal body parts and the jobs they do). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- What job does this body part do: a cat's whiskers? (to keep enemies away / to feel its way in the dark / to breathe underwater / to paddle through water) → to feel its way in the darkPrompt: Think about where the animal lives and what it eats.
- Which body part helps an animal pick up and eat food? (a cat's whiskers / a bird's beak / a tortoise's shell / a porcupine's quills) → a bird's beakPrompt: Picture the animal doing the job.
- A hummingbird has a long, thin beak. What does this suggest about its food? (It reaches deep into flowers for nectar. / It cracks hard nuts. / It tears meat. / It eats leaves from tall trees.) → It reaches deep into flowers for nectar.Prompt: What shape of tool would you use to reach inside a narrow tube?
Hook · 6 min
- Show a picture of an unusual animal and ask where it might live and how it survives there.
- Share the objective: Internal and external structures of animals. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 12 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Is this an internal or an external structure: a turtle's shell?
- Step 1: External structures are on the outside, where we can see them.
- Step 2: So the answer is: external (outside the body)
- Answer: external (outside the body)
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 12 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Is this an internal or an external structure: the stomach? (external (outside the body) / internal (inside the body)) → internal (inside the body)Prompt: Could you see it without looking inside the animal?
- What does this internal structure do: lungs? (breaks down food / take in oxygen from the air / take in oxygen from water / supports and protects the body) → take in oxygen from the airPrompt: Think about what keeps an animal alive: blood, air, food, control, support.
You do: independent practice · 17 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Is this an internal or an external structure: the lungs? (external (outside the body) / internal (inside the body)) → internal (inside the body)Prompt: Could you see it without looking inside the animal?
- A crab sheds its shell as it grows. Why? (Its shell is made of skin. / It is too hot inside. / The hard external shell cannot stretch, so it must be replaced by a bigger one. / To change colour.) → The hard external shell cannot stretch, so it must be replaced by a bigger one.Prompt: Could a hard box grow with you?
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 body parts and the jobs they do.
- 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
- 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-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder