Curriculum

• Paper
• Pencil or crayons
• Pictures of a fish, frog, snake, bird, and dog

1. Step 1. Label five spaces fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal.
2. Step 2. Name each pictured animal and notice the feature that identifies its group.
3. Step 3. Place each picture with its major group.
4. Step 4. Mix the pictures and ask your child to sort and explain them independently.
5. Quick check. Show one animal from each major group in a new order. Success means your child names at least four animals and identifies their groups correctly.

Worked example. A frog is an amphibian, a salmon is a fish, a snake is a reptile, a robin is a bird, and a dog is a mammal.

Optional challenge. Add a less familiar animal such as a whale or salamander and use group features—not habitat alone—to classify it.

What to notice. Save a photo of the five-group animal sort, or a short parent note listing three animals and the major groups your child named.