1. The Essential Question
What makes a mammal a mammal?
In order to answer this question, you will:
1.Explore some mammals on the internet
at www.bigzoo.com
2.Study food, habitat, predators, social
structure and birth & offspring of
specific mammals.
• Mammals are warmblooded animals that have
hair for insulation and
nurse their infants with milk.
The 4,000 species are an
extremely diverse group.
The smallest bat weighs
0.05oz, while the Blue
whale weighs 100 million
times as much. The
number of offspring ranges
from 1 to 27, and the life
span ranges from less than
1 year to over 70 years.
Let’s see what we can find
out!
"A Sleeping Primate." Online image. PowerMediaPlus.com. 14 May
2009. <http://www.powermediaplus.com>
These materials are © 2009 Mrs. Iwankow, Willow Ridge Elementary, all rights reserved.
2. Information Sources
You will be visiting a website to read
about the bear, cat, dog, hyena,
mongoose, raccoon or weasel
family.
You will use a data sheet to take
notes about the traits of one of
the families.
Traits to research:
•Food
•Habitat
•Predators
•Social Structure
•Birth & Offspring
These materials are © 2009 Mrs. Iwankow, Willow Ridge Elementary, all rights reserved.
3. The Student Activity
1. Click here to access your data sheet.
Print it out and put your name on it.
2. Click here to go to the web site to get
your information.
3. Select a mammal to research and fill in the information on your data sheet.
4. Use Kidspiration to create an Animal Concept Map showing what you have learned about
the mammal you researched.
These materials are © 2009 Mrs. Iwankow, Willow Ridge Elementary, all rights reserved.
4. The Assessment Activity
Construct a web to show your understanding of the mammal you
researched. Do this by clicking on Kidspiration. When you connect
to the program, select the Science category, then select Animal
Concept Map. Fill in the information and use the writing view to add
your details.
Sample Final Project
Sample Kidspiration Work
These materials are © 2009 Mrs. Iwankow, Willow Ridge Elementary, all rights reserved.
5. Enrichment Activities
• Select 2 mammals to
compare and contrast.
• Conduct your research
using 2 websites listed on
the right.
• Take appropriate notes hand-written.
• Write a 2 paragraph
compare and contrast
essay.
The following are excellent sites:
•
•
•
•
Classification Quiz
Animal Facts
Mammal Habitats
From Agouiti to Zebra
These materials are © 2009 Mrs. Iwankow, Willow Ridge Elementary, all rights reserved.
6. Teacher Support Materials
Standard MST4: Science
Key Idea Introduction -- MST4.LE20
As students investigate the continuity of life,
emphasis should be placed on how plants
and animals reproduce their own kind.
Key Idea -- MST4.LE6 -- The Living
Environment
Plants and animals depend on each other
and their physical environment.
"Raccoon Cleaning Hands." Online image. PowerMediaPlus.com. 14
May 2009. <http://www.powermediaplus.com>
These materials are © 2009 Mrs. Iwankow, Willow Ridge Elementary, all rights reserved.