Naming mammals
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can name and group together common animals that are mammals.
Key learning points
- Mammals are animals that have a backbone, breathe air, and grow hair at some point during their life.
- Mammals give birth to live young and feed them milk.
- Mammals are warm blooded animals.
- Different mammals have different names.
- Animals can be sorted into mammals and not mammals using simple classification skills.
Keywords
Animals - An animal is a living thing which moves and eats other animals or plants.
Mammal - A mammal is a warm-blooded animal that gives birth to live young and has hair or fur.
Hair - Hair is a thin, flexible structure that grows from the skin of mammals.
Milk - Milk is a liquid produced by mammal mothers to feed newborns.
Live young - Most mammals give birth to living young rather than hatching their young from eggs.
Common misconception
Humans are not animals. Only four legged mammals such as dogs that can be kept as pets are animals.
Use of humans as an example animal in this lesson. Use of a wide variety of mammals, including wild animals, as examples in this lesson.
Teacher tip
There are some exceptions to the rules as to what makes a mammal, such as the platypus which is a mammal but lays eggs. This can be a good discussion point but must be discussed carefully to ensure that misconceptions are not accidentally reinforced.
Equipment
Sorting hoops, pencils or pens, paper, animal pictures from the slide deck or worksheet
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these animals is often a pet?
Q2.What is the name of this animal?
Q3.Animals are ...
Q4.Wild animals should not be kept as pets because ...
Q5.If an animal is not familiar to you it means ...
Q6.Which of these animals are pets?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When mammals have babies they ...
Q2.What do mammals grow on their body at some point in their life?
Q3.Mammals are warm-blooded. What does warm-blooded mean?
Q4.What do mammals feed their newborn babies?
Q5.Lucas has been sorting animals into mammals and not mammals. He said a robin is a mammal because it has a backbone and is warm blooded. Is he correct?
Q6.Why is a bat not a bird?
To help you plan your 1 science lesson on: Naming mammals, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 science lesson on: Naming mammals, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 science lessons from the Naming and grouping animals unit, dive into the full primary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.