Lesson Plan: Invertebrates ( Arthropods and Molluscs) (21st - 26th Oct)

Subject: Science Grade 2

Materials and preparation:

 Animals pictures / stickers

 Science copies
 Worksheet
 Whiteboard

Key terms: vertebrates, invertebrates, backbone, segmented, jointed legs, exoskeleton

Learning Objectives: After this lesson, students will be able to:

 define invertebrates
 understand that insects have 3 body parts
 identify different invertebrates

Introduction / Warm up Activity: (Duration: 2 mins)

Recall all the different kinds of vertebrates the children have learnt. Ask them about animals
that do not have a backbone. Ask them to give examples and what are they called. Ask
children if they have seen an earthworm. It feels soft all through and has no bones. Such
animals do not have a backbone and are called invertebrates.

Explicit instruction / Activity: (Duration: 10 mins)

 Tell children invertebrates are almost everywhere. In fact, at least 95% of all the
animals in the world are invertebrates!
 Invertebrates do not have the support of bones, so their bodies are often more
simple, soft, and small.
 They are also cold-blooded, which means their body temperature changes when the
air or water around them changes.
 They are usually smaller and slow moving.

Tell your students that there are two main types of invertebrates:
1. With jointed legs - with 3 pairs of legs or more than 3 pairs of legs
2. Without jointed legs - segmented or not segmented
Ask children if they can name any animals belonging to each group. Show them pictures of
animals and offer examples of each, such as spiders, ants, octopus, crabs and snails. Explain
the different groups by telling them the characteristics of each.

With Jointed legs:

Most creatures in this group have an exoskeleton. An exoskeleton is a tough outer skin or
shell that protects the body of an animal from outside. Have you ever wondered why a bug
makes that crunching sound when you squish it? It's the exoskeleton!

With 3 pairs of legs - Insects

 These are the largest group of invertebrates.

 They have 3 body parts: the head, thorax and the
abdomen.
 Insects have 2 antennae.
 They have 3 pairs of legs connected to the thorax.
 Some insects have wings.
 Some examples include: mosquitoes, bees, locusts and butterflies.

4 pairs of legs - Spiders:

 They are creatures with two body segments, eight legs, no wings or antennae and
are not able to chew.
 Some examples include: spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks.

More than 4 pairs of legs - crabs, millipede

 They have 2 pairs of antennae to help them sense predators.

  Have segmented bodies with two pairs of legs on each segment.
 Some breathe with gills and need to be in moist habitats.
 Crabs have 5 pairs of legs with the first set knows as pinchers.
 Some examples are crabs, lobster and shrimp.
 Centipedes and millipedes have lots of legs.

Without jointed legs

Segmented bodies:
 They have soft bodies, no legs and live on land, in water or in inside other animals.
 For example: earthworm, flatworms, leeches

Non-segmented bodies:
 Lots of them have shells to protect their soft bodies. However, not all have a shell.
 Some examples include: slugs, octopuses, clams, snails, squid and oysters.
 Some have tentacles to sting their prey like the jellyfish.
 Some have spiny bodies and five arms like the star fish.

Independent working time: (Duration: 7 mins)

Classwork:

Children will complete a worksheet.

Children will list down the types of invertebrates in exercise books.

Enrichment:

Ask students to pick an invertebrate. Have them go to the library and pick a book. Find and
write 5 facts about that particular invertebrate. Draw a picture of that invertebrate as well.

Support:

Children will be shown a video related to invertebrates in smart board class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr_T4skBYNo

Review and closing (Duration: 5 mins)

Ask students to ensure if they have understood the difference between insects, spiders and
soft-bodied creatures.