New
New
Year 3

Animal skeletons

I can compare and group vertebrate animals based on their skeleton.

New
New
Year 3

Animal skeletons

I can compare and group vertebrate animals based on their skeleton.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Different animals have different skeletons, including its size, shape and number of bones
  2. A skeleton that is inside of the body is called an endoskeleton
  3. Animals that have a spine inside their bodies are classed as vertebrates

Common misconception

Children often believe 'bendy' animals do not have a spine so classify them as invertebrates.

Use images of X-rays/ skeletons of snakes and eels will illustrate that they have spines and are therefore vertebrates.

Keywords

  • Skeleton - A skeleton is a frame for the soft parts of the body.

  • Compare - We compare things by looking at what is the same and what is different.

  • Endoskeleton - Animals with an endoskeleton have an internal skeleton.

  • Vertebrate - A vertebrate is an animal with an internal skeleton, including a spine.

  • Spine - The backbone of an animal is also called its spine.

Whenever possible allow them to handle real snake skeletons to show the jointed vertebrae in the spine. Illustrating how humans can bend and curl up like a snake will help them understand that spines are flexible and can move in this way.
Teacher tip

Equipment

see addtional guidance

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
  • Exploration of objects

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these living things are animals?
Correct answer: reindeer
tulip
Correct answer: lizard
grass
Correct answer: shark
Q2.
Order these animals from smallest to largest.
An image in a quiz
1 - tadpole
2 - mouse
3 - tortoise
4 - eagle
5 - whale
Q3.
Match the animal to its correct group.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:shark,fish

fish

Correct Answer:seagull,bird

bird

Correct Answer:frog,amphibian

amphibian

Correct Answer:human,mammal

mammal

Correct Answer:crocodile ,reptile

reptile

Q4.
Match the features of the animal to its correct group.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:cold blooded, dry scaly skin,reptile

reptile

Correct Answer:feed young on milk,mammal

mammal

Correct Answer:breathes through gills,fish

fish

Correct Answer:feathers and wings,bird

bird

Correct Answer:lays eggs in water,amphibian

amphibian

Q5.
What is the framework inside our body called that is made up of bones?
An image in a quiz
lungs
brain
Correct answer: skeleton
heart
Q6.
To look at our skeleton we would need to have a special image called an...
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: X-ray, x-ray, Xray, xray, X ray

6 Questions

Q1.
Animal skeletons are made up of different sizes and shapes of...
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: bones, bone
Q2.
Order these vertebrate animals from shortest to longest spine.
An image in a quiz
1 - mouse
2 - human
3 - cow
4 - giraffe
Q3.
What does endoskeleton mean?
An image in a quiz
It means the skeleton is on the outside of the body.
Correct answer: It means the skeleton is inside the body.
It means the skeleton is next to the body.
It means there is no skeleton.
Q4.
Birds bones are different to other animal bones because they are...
An image in a quiz
soft and spongy.
Correct answer: hollow and light.
heavy and very thick.
Q5.
All vertebrates...
have scales.
have a beak.
Correct answer: have a spine.
have fur.
have fins.
Q6.
Which of these animals are not vertebrates?
An image in a quiz
cow
Correct answer: worm
dolphin
Correct answer: butterfly
snake

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