How Animals Move

Overview

This highly engaging and interactive 30-minute lesson, designed for Year 1 students (approximately 6-year-olds), will introduce the fascinating ways animals move. The lesson aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for Grade 1, specifically covering 1-LS1-1: "Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs."

This lesson supports students' understanding of the diversity of movements in the animal kingdom while nurturing their curiosity and observation skills.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe how different animals move in their environments (e.g., flying, swimming, crawling, hopping, etc.).
2. Categorize animals based on their types of movement.
3. Demonstrate animal movements through an engaging physical activity.
4. Build their first connection between how animal movements relate to survival.

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Materials Needed

• Printed animal cards: Each card displays an image of an animal and a brief description of its movements (e.g., kangaroo, bird, fish, snake, etc.).
• A whiteboard and markers.
• Open floor space for movement activities.
• A small container or bucket with labeled activity tokens ("Crawl," "Fly," "Swim," "Hop," etc.).
• Plastic toy animals (optional, for tactile learners).

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Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

Hook:
The teacher dramatically pretends to be different animals, using sound effects and actions: hopping like a frog, flapping arms like a bird, slithering like a snake, etc. Ask students, "Can you guess what animals I am being?"

Discuss:

• “How do animals move, and why do they move this way?”
• Give examples: Birds fly to catch food or escape danger, snakes slither because they don't have legs, frogs hop to get around quickly.
• Briefly introduce the idea of movement helping animals survive in their environment (no elaborate detail; keep it age-appropriate).

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2. Sorting Activity: How Does It Move? (10 minutes)

1. Place students in a circle. Give each student an animal card showing a picture and description of how that animal moves (e.g., "Fish – swims," "Rabbit – hops").
2. Sorting on the Whiteboard: Create three labeled columns: Fly, Swim, and Walk/Crawl/Hop on the board.
3. Student Input: Students take turns coming to the board, sharing their animal card with the class, and placing it in the correct column.
   • Encourage discussions such as: “Why do you think a bird flies and not crawls?”

Extension Option: For advanced learners, expand the categories (Hop, Run, Climb) and include more complex animals like squirrels.

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3. Move Like an Animal Activity (10 minutes)

1. Explain:
   • Tell students, "Now we get to be animals! You'll grab a movement token from this bucket, and whatever movement is written, you’ll act it out while the rest of the class guesses what animal you’re pretending to be."
2. Demonstrations: The teacher demonstrates pulling a token and mimicking the activity (e.g., flying like a bird, crawling like a turtle).
3. Take Turns: Each student draws one token and performs the movement. The class guesses the animal, and the student confirms the correct answer.

Challenge: Once the class identifies the animal, ask, “Why do you think this animal has to move this way?” (e.g., “A fish swims with its fins because it lives in water!”).

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4. Closure and Reflection (5 minutes)

1. Quick Discussion: Ask students, “What surprised you about how animals move? Which animal movement was your favorite to do?”
2. Sticker Reward: Hand out stickers with animal designs to celebrate participation.
3. Preview: Share that next time, they’ll explore how these movements help animals find food and protect themselves from danger.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For tactile learners: Provide plastic toy animals, so they can hold and interact with something physical while discussing movements.
• For quieter students or those needing more time: Allow them to demonstrate their movement in smaller groups or pair them with a buddy.
• For advanced learners: Add a challenge by introducing predator/prey dynamics—e.g., "Would a rabbit hop to escape danger? Why does it jump so fast?"

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Assessment

• Informal Observation: Note which students can correctly identify and sort animals by their movement during the sorting activity.
• Participation: Ensure every student contributes during the "Move Like an Animal" game, observing their ability to connect movement to the correct animal.
• Reflection: Gauge understanding from students’ answers during the closing discussion.

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Teacher Notes

• Ensure clear, safe space for movement activities to prevent overcrowding or accidents.
• Foster a fun, low-pressure environment to encourage full class participation.
• Reinforce vocabulary words like fly, swim, crawl, hop, slither during each activity.

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End Result:
This dynamic lesson builds excitement for science while meeting NGSS standards. It provides young learners with the opportunity to explore animal movements in a way that builds foundational observation and classification skills—and lets them "get their wiggles out!"