1. Ms. Stinns Online Tutoring
Episode 1: Vertebrates and Invertebrates

2. What well be reviewing
What are vertebrates?
What are invertebrates?
What is an exoskeleton?
What are the 5 main groups of vertebrates?
What are some examples of invertebrates?
Practice classifying vertebrates
3. What are vertebrates?
We classify organisms based on how they live, as well as their common characteristics.Animals are classified two groups: vertebrates and invertebrates.
Vertebrates are animals with backbones, or spines.
4. What are invertebrates?
Invertebrates are animals without backbones, or spines.
5. What is an exoskeleton?
This week, our root of the week is exo- or ex-, meaning out or away from.
Some invertebrates, like grasshoppers, wear their skeleton on the outside of their bodies.This is called an exoskeleton.
An exoskeleton is the support system for the invertebrate, just like a spine.The only difference is that the support system is found outside the organism, not inside!
The picture to the right is a discarded exoskeleton of a dragonfly nymph.
6. What are the 5 main groups of vertebrates?
The 5 main groups of vertebrates, or animals with backbones, are: fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds.
All animals classified in these subgroups are vertebrates.
7. What are some examples of invertebrates?
Some examples of invertebrates are insects, such as: beetles, grasshoppers, and worms; aquatic animals, such as: jellyfish, sea anemones, sponges.
8. Lets practice classifying an animal!
I have a backbone.
I lay eggs.
My babies must live in water until they develop lungs, then they may live outside of water.
What am I?
An amphibian because amphibians lay eggs in water and their babies lungs develop like tadpoles becoming frogs.
9. Visit Sheppard Software for more practice!