EARTH EXPEDITION- THE ANIMAL WORLD
I.C.Piero della Francesca
Primary school (Indicatore and Pescaiola)
Teachers: Monica Giamboni, Giustini Chiara
Profile of students: Italian Primary school (4th and 5th class)
Language Level: A1
Preknowledge
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Simple present (to be and to have)
Use of can
adjectives
Affermative and negative sentences
AIM
This module is an ideal way to introduce children to concepts such as classification,
the relationships between species and the key characteristics of common animals.
Children can build up learners’ language skills and knowledge of the animal Kingdom.
In each lesson, children can find out about different aspects of the animal world and
produce a piece of work.
Content
Students will be able to:
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Classify animals (mammals, reptiles, anphibians, fish, birds)
Identify and describe key features of animals in each group
Identify and describe key features of animal habitats
Understand ways in which animals are adapted to live in their habitat
Review of previous content
Communication:
❖ Listen to instructions
❖ Speak and interact orally in a communicative situation
❖ Talk about animals
❖ Establish dialogues with peers and teachers using vocabulary learned to
describe animals
Cognition:
❖ Recognize and name animals
❖ Identify animals and their characteristics
❖ Classify and compare animals
❖ Describe and explain animals features
❖ Identify and describe animals habitats
❖ Compare animals behaviors
❖ Identify cause and effect
❖ Create a fantasy animal combining different features
❖ Justify their choices
❖ Appreciate the English language as a mean of communication
Culture:
❖ Discover the value of have respect for animals
❖ Write an email to WWF asking to experts for help in order to have information
and materials about animal
❖ Doing an internet research for animal
❖ Present the research to other school classes
❖ Visit a local zoo or using the interactive board to virtually enter in world’s
national park
❖ Visit “Museo Fauna Selvatica” in Arezzo
Module structure
1. Animal classification
2.What do animals do in the winter?
3.Animal habitats
4. animal adaptation
Unit 1 :ANIMAL CLASSIFICATION
Children will learn to: classify animals and identify and describe key features of
animals in each group (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish).
Main outcome: Elaboration of a poster containing animals pictures and their
description ; creation of a minibook
Main language: Verb “to be” and “to have”, questions & answers.
We’ve put ... in one/the other group; Are they ...? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.;
Do they ...? Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.; Why ...?; The ... is a ... because ...; They
live / lay eggs / have got babies ...
Main vocabulary: parts of the body, animal names
Key words: insect, amphibian, reptile, mammal, bird, fish, carnivore, herbivore,
omnivore, vertebrate, invertebrate, oviparous and viviparous, parts of the body, gills,
scales, stripes.....
Resources:
(to collect animal pictures)
http://www.amphibiaweb.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://reptileknowledge.com/
http://www.birds.com/
http://www.insects.org/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/animalclassga
me.htm
http://www.onestopenglish.com/clil/what-is-clil/free-sample-material/
http://www.learningchocolate.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=animal+body+p
arts
Scaffolding
The teacher introduce to the students the vocabulary and some phrases they will need
in order to understand the lesson topic, complete the activities and produce the final
work. Scaffolding will be provided by language boxes and mind frames (as well as
teacher support)
Suggested lesson procedure
WARM UP
Explain to the children that they are going to do a project on the EARTH EXPEDITION .
As part of the project they are going to produce a group poster and a minibook.
Colourful images, poster, videos will be shown to children just to elicit the names of
the animals and wake up ideas about the subject.
• Divide the class into ‘project groups’ of 4-5 children. Explain that the children will
work with their project groups to produce material for their poster but they will also
work with other children during lessons to do activities.
Say: In this lesson we’re going to learn how to classify animals ,recognize
that animals live in different habitat of the Earth and to identify and describe
the features of different animal groups. Elicit or explain that ‘classify’ means to
put things into groups to show how they are alike, and that ‘features’ are
characteristics, such as fur or wings, for example. Say We’re also going to write
about and illustrate different animal groups for their posters and mini books.
ACTIVITY 1
Watch the videos to introduce the content and to elicit the name of the animals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMfziRVTPchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCm5CcQhU-c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9utjtWCxxGc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya-7JsIna2E
Show the poster with the animals classification.
Give a copy of ANIMAL PICTURES worksheet to each child and ask the children to cut
out the cards. Ask the children to arrange the animal cards on their desks into groups
using a feature that the animals have in common.
Give children time to rearrange their cards based on this criteria.
Ask children to work with their partner and rearrange the cards on their desks into as
many different groups as they can identify.
Check the work of the groups and ask to explain the criteria they have used, e.g. they
haven’t got legs, they live in water and on land…………
ACTIVITY 2
6 posters corresponding to six classes of animals( Mammals-Birds-Insects- AmphiansReptiles-Fish –Insects) will be stuck on the board.
Each group have to look for animals cards that belong to the class and then stick
them to the corresponding posters.
ACTIVITY 3
• Divide the class into their project groups. Explain that you want children to use the
information in the completed tables to write descriptions of animal groups for their
mini-books and either draw pictures, find photos, or colour and stick on relevant
animal picture cards from ANIMAL PICTURES Worksheet to illustrate their
descriptions.
• Ask children, either individually or in pairs within their project groups, to choose one
animal group and circle all the ‘yes’ answers in their completed
tables for this group.
• Ask children to use the circled ‘yes’ answers to write a short description of the
animal group they have chosen. Build up a description of one animal group orally, as
an example before they begin, e.g. Mammals are warm-blooded and have fur or body
hair. They have live babies and feed their babies with milk. They breathe with lungs.
ACTIVITY 4
• In groups children create a Minibook about animals in different countries of the
world, following written instruction
• Children to present their minibooks with the animals and the key characteristics to
the other groups.
SAMPLE MATERIALS
ANIMAL CHARASTERISTICS WORD BANK
ANIMAL BODY PARTS WORD BANK
Fins
Claws
Horns
Animal classification poster
Spots
Stripes
Fur
Scales
Hooves
Paws
Antlers
Tusks
Wings
Gills
Tentacles
Shell
Categories & characteristics
Vertebrates: They have bones
Invertebrates: They have no bones
Carnivores: They eat meat
Herbivores: They eat plants
Omnivores: They eat plants and meat
Mammals: They commonly have fur (not whales or dolphins), they are viviparous
Birds: They have wings, beak and feathers, they are oviparous.
Insects: They have 3 body parts(head, abdomen and thorax), 6 legs and antennae.
Amphibians: They are/live in the water or on land, they have thin skin and they have
3 different stages of
life. They are oviparous.
Fish: They have gulls and they commonly have scales, they are oviparous and they
live/are in the water.
Reptiles: They have cold blood, they have scales and they crawl.
Click here to watch the explanation : http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=qE9xNNQ
Animal Parts Odd One Out
Circle the animal that is different and explain why it is different:
(a) fish
(b) lizard
(c) bear
(d) snake
Bears don’t have scales..
(a) hermit crab
(b) scorpion
(c) lobster
(d) rattle snake
(a) polar bear
(b) fish
(c) cat
(d) beaver
(a) cow
(b) dog
(c) cat
(d) black bear
(a) goldfish
(b) snail
(c) turtle
(d) armadillo
(a) cow
(b) horse
(c) polar bear
(d) sheep
(a) boar
(b) elephant
(c) rhino
(d) walrus
(a) zebra
(b) leopard
(c) tiger
(d) coral snake
(a) zebra
(b) anemone
(c) jellyfish
(d) squid
(a) tadpole
(b) frog
(c) shark
(d) angelfish
Unit 2 : WHAT ANIMALS DO IN THE WINTER?
Children will learn to: recognize and describe how animals adapt to winter
conditions.
Main outcome: Elaboration of a mind map
Main language:
They are.....; they’ve got..../ it’s..../It’s got....
Are they ...? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.;
Do they ...? Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.;
Why do...? To...;
....live in .....
....need .....
Main vocabulary: animals names, parts of the body (gills, scales, fur.....), habitats,
animals behavior (hibernate, migrate, adapt...).
Key words: food, shelter, warm, cold, wet, frozen, season, temperature, ice, snow,
cave, underground burrows, fat, prey, predator, tunnel, energy, attack, hide, nuts,
seeds.
Resources:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/kidscorner_games.ht
m
http://www.onestopenglish.com/clil/what-is-clil/free-sample-material/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK058-HUK24
Scaffolding
The teacher introduce to the students the vocabulary and some phrases they will need
in order to understand the lesson topic, complete the activities and produce the final
work. Scaffolding will be provided by language boxes and mind frames (as well as
teacher support)
Suggested lesson procedure
Warmer
Revision activity: children play the online game “Animal classification game” on
Sheppardsoftware site.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/animalclassga
me.htm
Activity 1: introduction and setting objectives
The teacher explains to the children that they are going to do a project about what
animals do in the winter. As part of the project they are going to produce a mind map.
Activity 2
Students watch a video (10 min) about what animals do in the winter. “Winter
adaptations”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK058-HUK24
Before the video the teacher presents some key vocabulary and expressions, speaking
about how winter conditions are stressful for many animals. “In winter there’s a lot
of snow, everything is super cold and water is usually frozen. Food and
shelter is really hard to find”
During the video the teacher stops to check comprehension through worksheets and
questions. “Do geese migrate to warmer place during winter? Do they go
north or south”;”Do bats sleep through the winter?” “Do ground hogs
migrate or do they spend the winter sleeping in underground burrows?”
After the video students will match computer images of animals with their winter
behaviour (hibernation, migration, adaptation).
Activity 3
Students work in groups of six - seven. In each group they work in pairs (or trio) and
each pair reads a text about hibernation, migration or adaptation; they highlight the
“star” words and they answer the question; then they explain to the rest of the group
their work.
Activity 4
Students work in group of four and draw a table or a mind map showing different
animal behaviour in the winter, including pictures. Then each group presents its
outcome and discuss with the others, eventually adding information until the class
agrees on one class outcome.
SAMPLE MATERIALS
Unit 3 : ANIMAL HABITATS
Children will learn to: recognize that animals live in different habitats; identify and
describe key features of animal habitats
Main outcome: Elaboration of infographics about habitats
Main language:
It’s…/it’s not
There is…./there isn’t…/ there are…/there aren’t …
....live in .....
…can/can’t….
Main vocabulary: animals names, parts of the body (gills, scales, fur.....), actions
(swim, climb, run, jump) habitats
Key words: desert, rainforests, the Arctic, hot, cold, wet, water, rainy, season, cool,
temperature, ice, permafrost, dry, fat, sand, storm
Resources:
(to collect information about habitat)
http://www.skyenimals.com/browse_habitat.cgi
http://www.learningchocolate.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=animal+habitat
s
http://www.skyenimals.com/browse_habitat.cgi
Warmer
The teacher describes an animal and encourage the children to guess which one it is.
The description includes colour, size (big/small), parts of the body and what they can
do.
The teacher divides the class into pairs. Children play a game of ‘word tennis’. One
child mimes serving the ball and says “mammal”, “bird” or “reptile”. Their partner
mimes returning the ball and names an animal in the group, e.g. bird - duck.
Activity 1: introduction and setting objectives
Teacher introduction: Do all animals live in the same place? (No) Do polar bears
live in rainforests? (No) Do parrots live in the Arctic? (No). Teacher explains
what a habitat is and says “in this lesson we’re going to learn to identify and
describe key features of four animal habitats.”
We watch the first part of the following video: Habitats: homes for Living Things
https://www.schooltube.com/video/709668e2abd94af1ad7c/Habitats%20Homes%20f
or%20Living%20Things
Together we give a definition of habitat according to the video:
A habitat is a place where animals and plants get everything they need to live
and grow. Animals need food, water and shelter.
Activity 2
Children watch computer images of a desert, a rainforest, grasslands and the Arctic.
Teacher makes questions e.g. What’s the weather like? What plants grow
there?, and uses children’s answers to introduce new vocabulary, e.g. season,
temperature, soil, fertile, extreme
Children work as a class: in a world map they color the habitats we focused on and
stick animal pictures next to them.
Activity 3
Worksheet 1- single work
• children read the description of each habitat in part 1 and write the names
• teacher checks the answers by asking questions about the different habitats e.g.
Which habitat has a rainy season? (grasslands) Where is there permafrost?
(the Arctic) Which habitat can be cold and hot? (deserts) Which habitat has
millions of plants? (rainforests).
Worksheet 2 – in pairs
Students read facts about an habitat. Then complete the activities and write names of
animals that live in this habitat.
Activity 4
Group work: each group produces a poster about a habitat giving information about:
❖ Where is this habitat?
❖ What’s the weather like in this habitat?
❖ What animals live in this habitat?
Activity 5
Each group presents its work to the others
Activity 6
Test: fill in the gaps. Choose the right word
SAMPLE MATERIALS
WORKSHEETS: THE DESERT
THE POLAR HABITAT
Create a minibook: Arctic vs Desert
Habitats test
Fill in the gaps: choose the right words and write them in the spaces in the
sentences.
1. A ____________ is a dry place with very little rain. desert / river
2. Permafrost is soil permanently _______________. fertile / frozen
3. Antarctica is a very ____________ place. hot / cold
4. In _____________ live tall trees and many different animals. rainforests /
deserts
5. Savannah grasslands usually have very ____________grass. short / tall
6. Tropical rainforests are usually near the _____________. North pole /
equator
7. Whales and dolphins breathe ___________ but live in the sea. air /water
8. Usually animals that live in the _______________ don’t need much water.
rainforest /desert
9. Animals that live in the Antarctica feed on fish from the ____. rivers/ sea
10.___________________________ are near the equator. Tropical rainforests/
Temperate forests
Unit 4 : ANIMAL ADAPTATION
Children will learn to: understand ways in which animals are adapted to live in their
habitat
Main outcome: Elaboration of a fantasy animal
Main language:
Why do….? To ….
It’s…/it’s not
It’s got…/it hasn’t got…
....live in .....
…need…
Main vocabulary: animals names, parts of the body (gills, scales, fur.....), actions
(swim, climb, run, jump) habitats
Key words: desert, rainforests, the Arctic, hot, cold, wet, water, rainy, season, cool,
temperature, ice, permafrost, dry, fat, sand, camouflage, prey, predator
Resources:
(to collect information about habitat)
http://www.mrsrussellsclassroom.com/adaptations.html
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/animalclassga
me.htm
http://www.onestopenglish.com/clil/what-is-clil/free-sample-material/
http://www.learningchocolate.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=animal+adaptat
ion
http://animals.pppst.com/adaptations.html
http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/homework/adaptations/tortoise.htm
Suggested lesson procedure
Warmer: revision activity
Children play the “animals domino” and practice the following expressions: It has got
scales/feathers/a tail/four legs…It hasn’t got scales, hair…
ACTIVITY 1: introduction and setting objectives
Teacher says “We’re going to learn about ways in which animals are adapted
to live in different habitats”. She elicits that adapted means that animals have
special features which help them to survive in their habitat, e.g. Think about it! Why
are polar bear white? Why do they have thick fur? A polar bear is white to
hide in the snow; it has thick fur to survive the cold weather in the Arctic.
Teacher explains that different animals live in each habitats and are adapted to
this habitat: they have special features to live in there. Make more examples: a
camel has thick lips to eat plants like cacti.
ACTIVITY 2
Children watch a ppt presentation about animal adaptation.
Single work: worksheet “A home that meets my needs”
Pairs work: Worksheet “In order to survive”
ACTIVITY 3
Teacher explains to the children that they are going to do a quiz on animal adaptation
and divides the class into two teams.
Worksheet “Animal quiz”
Students complete the Animal quiz in teams, then each team checks the answers and
counts its points.
ACTIVITY 4
Web activity: http://switchzoo.com/zoo.htm
In this web activity students will learn about animals' characteristics and habitats and
have fun. They can make their own new creatures by switching the animals' heads,
legs and tails. While they play, they can read facts about the animals that make up
their new beast.
SAMPLE MATERIALS
Animal quiz
Read and tick the correct answers (there may be more than one).
1. Why do polar bears have big paws?
a. To swim faster.
b. To walk in the snow.
c. To catch penguins.
2. Why do snowy owls have fur on their feet?
a. To swim faster.
b. To fly faster.
c. To keep warm.
3. Why do Arctic hares have long, strong claws?
a. To dig tunnels in the snow.
b. To attack their enemies.
c. To catch fish in the sea.
4. Why do camels have long eyelashes?
a. To make friends with other camels.
b. To protect their eyes in sand storms.
c. To help them go to sleep at night.
5. Why do giraffes have long necks?
a. To eat leaves from tall trees.
b. To run faster.
c. To see enemies in the distance.
6. Why do elephants have big ears?
a. To listen to music.
b. To keep their body temperature cool.
c. To protect their babies.
7. Why do lions have a mane?
a. To look big and strong.
b. To keep warm.
c. To protect their throat in fights.
8. Why do parrots have a strong, curved beak?
a. To crack and eat nuts and seeds.
b. To sing.
c. To fly faster.
9. Why do polar bears have a white fur?
a. To look beautiful.
b. To hide in the snow.
c. To run faster.
10. Why do crocodiles have webbed feet?
a. To kill their prey.
b. To walk on mud.
c. To swim.
PHISICAL ADAPTATION FLIPBOOK
FOLDABLE : “WHY DO I NEED THESE FEET?”