Chapter 1.4 (Science and Technology 5)

Animals: Vertebrates

Getting Ready: In our learning activities, we will:

  1. Explain what are vertebrates.
  2. Identify vertebrates in our localities.
  3. Observe safety precautions when handling animals.
  4. Use the Internet to access information and pictures of different vertebrates.
  5. Classify vertebrates into mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians.
  6. Identify the major characteristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians.
  7. Find out more about the characteristics of vertebrates in our localities and share this information with others in our own communities.In this way, we will develop our interest in the characteristics of vertebrates in our locality.
  8. Make a photo album of different vertebrates in our localities. This will be a project.

Activity 1.30: Learning new words

Language link: Learn the meaning of these words:

Animals in our Locality

Let us remember: What do we know?

We are familiar with animals in our locality. We know that animals have characteristics of living things. Discuss some characteristics with a partner.

Your Safety: What animals are common in your locality. Can they harm? How do you ensure that you and others are safe? Share your safety ideas.

Animals that have a backbone are called .

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Which of these animals are common in your locality? Human beings are living things. Which group of living things do they belong to?

Animal welfare: Which animals do you keep at home? Take care of them. Feed them. Give them water. Clean their shelter. Keep them safe.

Classification of Animals

Activity 1.32: What are the various groups of animals?

Learn more. Grow. Share the knowledge with your family and community members

Classification of animals

Animals with a backbone are called vertebrates. The backbone is also called the spine. Vertebrates are further divided into mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians.

Animals without a backbone are called invertebrates.

Characteristics of Vertebrates

Activity 1.33: Observing vertebrates in our locality

Your teacher will take you to observe and identify animals in the locality. Take pictures of the animals. Record the following:

  1. How do they move? What type of food do they eat? What covers their body? How are their mouth parts? How do they breathe?
  2. Do they live in water or on land? Are there some that can live in water as well as on land?
  3. How do they reproduce? How do they give rise to their young ones?

Be safe: Do not play with animals. Animals can cause injuries. Ensure that you and others are safe. Wash your hands with soap and water after interacting with animals. Rub your hands for 20 to 30 seconds.

Classifying animals into various groups of vertebrates

Activity 1.34: Observing the characteristics of various animals

For every animal you observe, record its characteristics. For example:

Grouping animals by their characteristics

Work safely in groups. Talk about the animals in your local area. Write down a list, for example: (cow, dog, chicken, lizard, frog, crocodile, duck, ostrich, shark, hippopotamus, tilapia, hare, sardines (omena), snake, toad, bat, whale, gazelle and human beings). Use their characteristics to sort them into groups. Give examples of animals that fall under each group. 

  1. M
  2. B 
  3. R
  4. F
  5. A
Use the following questions to sort the animals:
  1. Does it have a backbone? Does it suckle its young ones? Does it lay eggs? Does it have body hair (fur)? Does it have scales?
  2. Does it have fins? Does it have feathers? Does it have a moist skin?
  3. Does it have a beak? Does it have teeth?
  4. Does it live on dry land? Does it live in water throughout its life? Or does it live in both; that is, in water and on dry land?
  5. Does it eat green vegetation? Does it eat meat? Does it eat foods of both animal and plant origin?

Activity 1.35: Identifying various groups of vertebrates

Caring for animals: What are animal rights? What does “cruelty to animals” mean? Find out. Share this information with others.

Learn more. Grow. Share the knowledge with your family and community members

Classification of Vertebrates

Animals that suckle their young ones and have fur are called mammals. ​Birds lay eggs and have claws on their feet. They also have scales, beaks and feathers.

Animals that lay eggs and have scales are in the group of reptiles. ​Fish swim, lay eggs, and have fins. Amphibians lay eggs. Some live in both water and on land. Their young ones hatch and live in water.

Work safely in groups. Talk about these animals. Identify them.

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Use the Internet to find out the following: 

  1. Are these animals vertebrates?
  2. Which group of vertebrates do they belong to?
  3. What are the characteristics of each animal?
  4. Which other animals have similar characteristics?
  5. Which of these animals are found in my locality?

Share this information with other learners.

Digital Lesson

Access Digital Lesson 3: Identifying Vertebrates

Source. YouTube Channel: CBC Online Academy