22

Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

By the end of this unit you should:

Recognize the main distinguishing features of

vertebrate animals.

Know that members of the same species show

variation.

Unit 5L.5: Vertebrates

Internal skeleton and

features of different

vertebrate groups

Measuring variation

Science skills:

Observing

Classifying

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Invertebrates:

Animals without a backbone

Vertebrates:

Animals with backbone

Classification:

Sorting living organisms into groups according to

their common characteristics.

Internal skeleton and features of different

vertebrate groups

There are millions of species of animals on earth. To

help identify them scientist’s group them according to

specific characteristics. This is known as classification.

We can classify animals into two groups based on the

presence and absence of a backbone. A backbone is

also known as an internal skeleton.

We call animals that have a backbone vertebrates and

animals without a backbone invertebrates.

Invertebrates have a skeleton on the outside of their

body this is known as an exoskeleton.

5.4.1

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Examples of internal skeletons of vertebrates:

The skeleton of vertebrate animals has three important

functions:

•Movement

•Supporting

•Protection

Snake Skeleton Turtle Skeleton

Bird Skeleton Cow Skeleton

25

Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals

The human body also has an internal skeleton similar to

vertebrate animals.

The human skeleton is made up of

several major bones:

• the skull

• the spine

• ribs

• the pelvis

• arms and

• leg bones

Invertebrates don’t have internal

skeleton, how do invertebrates move,

support and protect their bodies?

----------------------------

----------------------------

There are 5 main groups of vertebrates:

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Fish:

They live in water.

They are cold blooded

They reproduce by laying eggs.

They have fins and tail for

swimming.

Their skin is covered by scales.

They use gills to breathe the oxygen dissolved in

water.

2. Amphibians:

They are cold blooded.

They have smooth, moist skin.

They live most of their adult lives

on land.

They reproduce by laying eggs in water.

On land, the adults breathe oxygen from the air with

their lungs.

In water, the tadpoles breathe oxygen dissolved in

water through their gills.

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

3. Reptiles:

They have dry scaly skin.

They are cold blooded.

Some of them can live in dry

places away from water and

others can live in water.

They breathe with lungs.

They reproduce by laying eggs.

4. Birds:

They have feathers and wings.

They are warm blooded.

Most are able to fly.

They reproduce by laying eggs.

They have different types of

beaks for eating different types of food.

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Warm blooded: body temperature stays constant even if

the outside temperature changes.

Cold blooded: the body temperature changes when the

outside temperature changes.

5. Mammals

They have skin covered with hair

or fur.

They are warm blooded.

All mammals have lungs to breathe.

They reproduce by giving birth to

live young.

Female mammals feed their young with milk produced in

the mammary gland.

Body temperature:

Both birds and mammals

are warm blooded animals.

Fish, amphibians and

reptiles are all cold

blooded animals.

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

The Table below shows some characteristics of

vertebrate groups:

Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals

Body

temperature

Cold

blooded

Cold

blooded

Cold

blooded

Warm

blooded

Warm

blooded

Body cover Scales Smooth

moist skin

Dry

scaly

skin

Feathers

Hair or

fur and

wool

Habitat Water

Born in

water, live

on land

Water

and

land

Land Land and

water

Breathing Gills

Born with

gills then

develop

lungs

Lungs Lungs Lungs

Reproduction

Lay

eggs in

water

Lay eggs in

water

Lay

eggs on

land

Lay eggs

on land

Give

birth to

live

young

Examples

Salmon

Salamander

Snake

Falcon

Camel

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Key Terms:

Classifying

Back bone

Vertebrate

Invertebrate

Warm blooded

Cold blooded

Body cover

Habitat

Breathing

Reproduction

Key Ideas:

Vertebrates are animals with

a backbone.

Invertebrates are animals

without a backbone.

Different groups of

vertebrates share common

characteristics like body

cover, body temperature,

habitat, breathing and

reproduction.

Key question:

It is important for scientists to classify animals into

groups. Tick one box to show the main reason for

classifying animals.

to compare the many

types of animals

to find out which

animals eat them

to find out which

animals live in trees

to help find animals

in the wild

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Key question:

Sorting animals

a. Some children went to their local zoo. They saw

these animals:

Ostrich Cow Butterfly Camel Hawk

Name two things that the cow and camel have in common.

1. 1-……………………………………………………………………………………………….……….

2. 2-………………………………………………………………………………………………………

b. Tariq and Hassan sort the five animals above using

the following classification table. Write the names of

the animals above into the correct boxes in the table.

Has feathers Does not have feathers

Can fly

Cannot fly Ostrich

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Measuring variation Look around at all the

people in your class.

We are all similar.

What are some of our

similarities?

We all belong to the same species.

Now take another look, you will see that there are

also differences.

A. Variation in Humans:

Activity 1:

You need:

Tape measure

To make a group of 4 students

Steps: Use the tape measure to record each person’s;

height

arm length,

hand span and

finger length.

Record the measurements in the following table;

5.4.2

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4

Height (cm)

Arm length

(cm)

Hand span (cm)

Finger

length(cm)

4. Display your results above as a bar chart.

Result: …………………………………………………………………………………………

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

When you finish the activity, compare your results

with the other groups. You will find out a lot of

differences between the students in your group.

Although humans share a lot of characteristics, there

are differences between them.

Scientists call the differences in the same type of

organisms (species) variation.

Variation: Differences between members of the same

type of organisms (species).

Activity 2:

Look at the family picture and write down three

variations that you can see.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…….……………………………………………………………………

Now: Find a partner, sit looking across at each other.

Record some differences between you and your partner;

1- -------------- 3---------------

2- -------------- 4---------------

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

B. Variation in Animals:

Just like humans, animals have variations too.

The pictures below show some variation that animals

can have.

Activity 3:

List as many variations as you can find in the

pictures of the animals above.

.………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

.………………………………………………………………………………………………

What other variations may they have that can’t be

seen in the picture?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

C. Variation in Plants:

Plants from the same species

can also show variation.

Corn is one species of plant

that grows in several

different sizes and colors.

Activity 4:

You will need:

Tape measure

Collection of leaves from a tree.

Steps:

1- Measure the length and the width of each leaf.

2- Record your measurements in the following table:

Leaf 1 Leaf 2 Leaf 3 Leaf 4 Leaf 5

Length

(cm)

Width

(cm)

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Life science

Grade5, Unit 5L.5

Vertebrate

Key Terms:

Variation

species

Key Ideas:

Variation is the differences between

members of the same type of organism.

Variation can be seen in humans,

animals and plants.

Project:

Look through a fashion magazine and cut out pictures of

many different people. Design a poster that shows the

variations of the people. Arrange and explain your

groupings.

Key Questions:

1- Why is there variation in human, plant and animal

species?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

2- Look for more variation in your classroom and record

your results in the table.

Hair color Hair height Weight Body height

Student 1

Student 2

Student 3