Animal Detectives

Science Year 3/4
This unit is part of Year 3/4 Science The Circle of Life

Objectives

It’s time to use your detective skills to work out why animals vary so much from one another. What can you tell about an animal by looking at its teeth or its poo? Learn how an animal’s diet can affect these things and much more besides! Create an animal mask and research its special features ready to use in the Circle of Life presentation.

Science Objectives
i) Describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans
ii) Identify the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions

Working Scientifically

  1. Reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions
  2. Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes

Other Curriculum Areas

Art: Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (paint and collage)

You Will Need

Additional Resources

  • Paper plates - 1 per child
  • Acrylic paints in animal colours, e.g. shades of brown, yellow, grey etc.
  • Paintbrushes
  • Paper & card in animal shades
  • PVA glue
  • Scissors
  • Pencils & pens
  • Masking tape
  • Tissue paper
  • Felt tips
  • Egg boxes
  • Collage materials, e.g. cotton wool, fabrics, string
  • Access to the internet for research
  • A copy of ‘The Mole who knew it was none of his business’ by Werner Holzwarth and Wolf Erlbruch
  • Either some thread, elastic or some garden canes to enable children to use the masks (this can be done at any point before Session 5)


Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • To understand that every animal is adapted to its own particular life style and habitat including its teeth.
  • To research and present information on the teeth, diet or digestion of a chosen animal.


Activities

  1. Play an active game that encourages children to think about distinctive features and adaptations of different animals (Yrs 3&4)
  2. Explain the different diets of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores and know how you can deduce an animal’s diet by studying its teeth (Yrs 3&4)
  3. Create an animal mask from a paper plate and either complete 3 simple sentences and research a dietary fact on their chosen animal (Yr3) or write a paragraph on their chosen animal using their own research (Yr4)
  4. Begin to understand why an animal’s poo varies according to its diet, life style and health (Yrs 3&4)


Investigation
Create animal masks to use in the dance. Are all animals the same in the way they digest food? No! Why? Because their diet is different. Investigate different animals – their diet, digestion and droppings. Revise vocab: Herbivore, Carnivore and Omnivore. (analysing secondary sources)
Year 3- Research 3 key facts on their chosen animal
Year 4 – Write a short paragraph on their chosen animal for the dance narration


Vocabulary
Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, diet, features, adaptations, life style, survival, predator, prey