Cats and Their Coats

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

K, 1

Overview

In this lesson, students explore what lions, tigers, and leopards look like and analyze how the animals' coats help them survive in their different habitats. The students will discuss different big cats and their physical features, discuss the habitats of big cats, and how they survive in their habitat. 

Science (2015) Grade(s): KG

SC15.K.3

Distinguish between living and nonliving things and verify what living things need to survive (e.g., animals needing food, water, and air; plants needing nutrients, water, sunlight, and air).

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Vocabulary

  • Distinguish
  • Living
  • Nonliving
  • Verify
  • Need
  • Survive
  • Animals
  • Plants
  • Nutrients
  • Water
  • Sunlight
  • Air
  • Food

Knowledge

Students know:
  • All animals need food, water, and air in order to survive.
  • Animals obtain their food from plants and other animals.
  • Plants need water, light and air to survive.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Distinguish between living (including humans) and nonliving things.
  • Verify what living things, including plants and animals, need to survive.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Patterns in the natural world can be observed and used as evidence when distinguishing between living and nonliving things and determining the needs of living things.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns
Science (2015) Grade(s): 1

SC15.1.5

Design a solution to a human problem by using materials to imitate how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs (e.g., outerwear imitating animal furs for insulation, gear mimicking tree bark or shells for protection).

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Vocabulary

  • materials
  • design
  • solution
  • human problem
  • imitate
  • external parts
  • survive
  • needs
  • insulation
  • mimicry
  • camouflage
  • protection
  • ask
  • plan
  • imagine
  • create
  • improve

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How plants use their external parts to survive, grow and meet their needs.
  • How animals use their external parts to survive, grow and meet their needs.
  • People can imitate how plants and animals survive and grow to help us solve a human problem.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Design a device that attempts to solve a human problem.
  • Use materials to imitate external structures of plants and animals.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts

Structure and Function

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

National Geographic

License Type

Custom

Accessibility

Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings
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