Mississippi Science L.2.1

L.2.1 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• L.2.1.1

  Compare and sort groups of animals with backbones (vertebrates) from groups of animals without backbones (invertebrates).

• L.2.1.2

  Classify vertebrates (mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles) based on their physical characteristics.

• L.2.1.3

  Compare and contrast physical characteristics that distinguish between classes of vertebrates (i.e., reptiles compared to amphibians).

• L.2.1.4

  Construct a scientific argument for classifying vertebrates that have unusual characteristics, such as bats, penguins, snakes, salamanders, dolphins, and duck-b...

01

What Students Need to Do

Students sort animals by whether they have a backbone. They group animals with backbones as mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, or reptiles. They use body traits to explain where unusual animals belong.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Given pictures of a snail, trout, frog, snake, penguin, and bat, a student identifies the snail as having no backbone and places the others in the correct groups. They explain that a bat is a mammal because it has fur and nurses its young, even though it flies.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may call a dolphin a fish because it swims or say a penguin is not a bird because it cannot fly. They may think a snake has no backbone because it bends, or mistake a salamander for a reptile because it looks like a lizard.

04

How to Assess It

Show pictures of a snail, bat, penguin, frog, snake, and trout. Ask students to circle the animal without a backbone, label the other five groups, and write why the bat is a mammal.

1. 01

   Give pairs animal photo cards with short trait notes, then have them sort by backbone and label the five backbone groups.

2. 02

   Have students answer on paper why a penguin is still a bird even though it cannot fly, using one body clue.

3. 03

   Play mystery animal with clue cards such as 'moist skin, backbone,' and have teams name the group before revealing the picture.

4. 04

   Use photos and backbone facts for a park snail, robin, and squirrel, then have students label each for a park wildlife sign.

• L.6.4

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of classification tools and models such as dichotomous keys to classify representative organisms based on the charact...

• L.K.1B

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of how animals (including humans) use their physical features and their senses to learn about their environment.

• BIO.1A

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of life and biological organization.

• L.2.4

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the ways animals adapt to their environment in order to survive.