•  Students should dress for the weather.
•  OPTIONAL – Teachers could bring a digital camera to document student finds.

Simple ways how scientists classify and group living things are highlighted in this class. Firs,t six student volunteers are grouped in different ways with the rest of the class determining the reasons for the particular groupings. Next, a series of objects are grouped in different ways (plant/animal; alive/not alive). This leads to a presentation of the 5 things all living things need:  food, water, shelter, air, and space. Classes then rotate through 2 activities:

1.  A visit with a live and a toy snake to practice comparing and contrasting.
2.  A “Wild Hike” in the park on which students compile a class list of observed animals and/or animal signs, examples of plants, and colors observed.  If desired, students will collect some fallen autumn leaves and return to school with a zip-locked class collection. The group will also visit the ‘Bug Garden’ and search for live invertebrate examples like slugs, ants and isopods.

1. Describe and sort animals into groups many ways, according to their physical characteristics and behaviors. (1.4.1.1.1)
2. Recognize that animals need space, water, food, shelter and air. (1.4.2.1.1)
3. Sort objects in terms of color, size, shape, and texture, and communicate reasoning for the sorting system. (0.2.1.1.1)
4. When asked “How do you know?” students support their answer with observations. (1.1.1.1.1)
5. Recognize that describing things as accurately as possible is important in science because it enables people to compare their observations with those of others. (1.1.1.1.2)