Grade 1 Follow-up Activity “Circles of Life”

Quality Core Curriculum Objectives:
 

Science:                 

#1 - Asks questions, makes/records observations, sorts objects, communicates with others, makes predictions.

#2 – Uses books and other media to obtain information

#4 – Actively engages in learning via hands-on/minds-on science activities.

#11 -  Compares/describes different animals.

#12 -  Compares animal groups; identifies groups w/ similar characteristics

#13 –  Describes/compares characteristics of animals that enhance survival.

#4  -    Recalls information presented orally.

#5  -    Interprets the meaning of questions in order to give an appropriate response.

#6 –    Increases vocabulary to reflect a growing range of knowledge.

#46/50/51 - Uses picture dictionaries, media center, etc. as information sources.

Vocabulary:  same, different, similarity, difference, appearance, behavior, habitat, characteristics, compare

Materials:  Blackboard, pictures of animals, sheets of paper with a pair of overlapping circles drawn on them (enough for half the class).

1.  Gather pictures of both wild and domesticated animals.  Pick out two pictures at a time and tape them to the board.  Draw a diagram consisting of two overlapping circles as shown below: 

2.       Ask the students to think of all the things they know about the first animal.  Write all these things inside the non-overlapping part of that animal’s circle.  It is helpful to ask the same questions in the same order for both animals.  For example:  1) Where does it live? 2) What does it eat?  3) What does it look like?  (What color is it?  How many legs does it have? What covers its body?) 4) How does it find food?
 

3.       Ask them to think of all the things they know about the second animal.  Write these things in the non-overlapping part of the second circle. 
 

4.       Now review the answers and ask the students to point out any characteristics that are the same for both animals.  For instance, both a groundhog and a cougar may be covered in fur.  Point out that this is what we call a “similarity.”  Erase the similarities from the non-overlapping parts of the circles and write them inside the overlapping part of the two circles.   Do the same for all the similarities you find, explaining that the overlapping part of the two circles represents the similar features that these two animals share.

5.       Continue this activity using other animal pairs.  When the class appears ready, give each student an animal picture and divide them into pairs.  Each pair of students will work on comparing and contrasting their own animal pair.  They can research their animals as needed, and can draw pictures representing their responses in the circles.