This lesson introduces students to the animal kingdom. Students are shown that human beings are part of this 'kingdom,' as are elephants, cats, spiders and butterflies! Differences and similarities of a variety of members of this kingdom are explored. This information assists the student in understanding the impact the animal kingdom has on our earth.

"Setting the Stage" - Before starting the program, ask the students: Do you have a favorite animal? What is it? Why is it your favorite? Do you like really big animals or really tiny ones?

"Introduction to Our Animal Kingdom"
Touch-screen - This lesson starts with Sam and Samantha Bear putting together an animal puzzle on the Learning Station. The puzzle is dropped and all the pieces scatter. Sam must put the pieces back together again. Students use the Learning Station to put the puzzle back together by moving the pieces into the correct positions. Students must use their problem solving skills, as well as motor skills, to complete the task.

"Classifying Animals"
During this segment, the word 'zoologist' is defined. On the Learning Station, animals are classified as vertebrates or invertebrates - many examples of each are provided. Ask the students to repeat the new vocabulary words until they can pronounce them correctly and understand their meaning. Then, as an activity, students can locate each other's vertebrate (or backbone). Discuss other animals which have a vertebrate: is it just like their spine? Is it different? What purpose does a spine serve?

"Spiders"
In the most basic classification of plants and animals, insects (3 body parts) and arachnids (2 body segments) are considered animals. This segment of the lesson discusses the parts of the spider; how many legs they have, how they spin webs. The student is told that the spider is actually related to the crab and not an insect!
Hands-on activity - A pattern of the spider's 2 body parts is provided. This can be reproduced as a hand out for students, or used as a pattern on construction paper for a class activity. The 8 legs can be simply made by cutting strips of paper and folding them accordion-style to be glued onto the body. Remind the students that the legs are attached to the front half of the body (4 on each side), not the back abdomen segment. Review the anatomy of the spider. Talk about how strong a spider web can be. (A rope of spider's silk one-inch thick would hold up to 74 tons! It is 3 times as strong as a one-inch rope made of iron.)

"Make a Spider Web"
Touch-screen - This activity is a dot-to-dot game on the Learning Station. As the student touches one point, the next point will blink. The threads of the spider web will appear as each point is touched until the web is completed.
Hands-on activity - Use the preprinted handout of a spider web as an example for the students to draw their own spider web design.

"More About Invertebrates"
Touch-screen activity - On the Learning Station, this part of the lesson incorporates icons in the form of various invertebrates. These icons will be activated by the student. Each icon provides information describing the creature whose form it represents. As each icon is touched, the image will become full screen. Discuss the different invertebrates shown on the Learning Station. Some of these animals, like the octopus, may be a novelty for some students so encourage full class participation, and full sentences.
Touch-screen activity - As the butterfly is introduced, students will use the color palette on the Learning Station to add color to a black and white butterfly image. The students also learn that a butterfly's wings are always symmetrical. Working in pairs, one student will select a color and choose which of the butterfly's wings to be colored. The partner must then color the other wing to match. Use the reset button to clear the colors and reset for use by other pairs of students.
Touch-screen activity - After the world of ants is explored, students complete a simple maze of an ant colony. A worker ant wants to take food to the queen ant. As this activity progresses, remind the student that the goal is to reach the queen. Hands-on activity - Use the preprinted handout of the maze from the Learning Station image so all students can complete this maze on paper.

"Questions About Invertebrates"
Touch-screen activity - The icons presented in the previous part of the lesson are shown again on the Learning Station. As each icon is activated, a question about the creature it represents will be asked. Students must use their listening skills and memory to answer correctly. When the correct icon is chosen as an answer, additional information about the animal it represents is provided.

"Vertebrates"
Touch-screen activity - This Learning Station activity operates the same way as the invertebrates segment. Icons of animals are shown, and as each icon is activated, information about that vertebrate is provided.
Note: In this activity, the shark is introduced. Technically, the 'bones' of the shark are completely made of cartilage, but, since the shark is considered to have a 'spine' and 'skeletal structure' - and, since sharks fascinate most children - they are included in this segment.
The word cartilage is introduced as a new vocabulary word. Talk about where cartilage is found on the human body, i.e., nose, ears. A variety of animals are presented in this lesson. If available, provide other materials or pictures of horses, kangaroos, tortoises, crabs and sharks. Use this opportunity to discuss different ideas students may have about various animals.

"Animal Matching Game"
Touch-screen activity - This is a matching game on the Learning Station. Students match baby animals to members of the same species. Talk about how some animals, such as sharks and turtles, look just like older members of their species at birth; while other animals, such as ducks and humans, look very different from older members when first born. Talk about the baby animals they may have seen. Do the ones that look different at first remain that way - or do they soon change to look more like the rest of their species?

"Draw Your Own Animal"
Hands-on activity - Instruct students to draw pictures of their favorite animal. Remind them that their favorite may not have, as yet, been discussed in class. This segment encourages the students to discuss the characteristics of their favorite animals as well as those of other animals to which they have been introduced. Encourage creative drawings, even if their favorite animals don't quite look like an animal! Talk about what kind of animal they would like as a pet, and how they would care for it.

"Be a Zoologist"
Videotaping activity - Continue the discussion about favorite animals with a videotaping activity. The teacher should ask questions which encourage creative presentations and full sentences.

"When You Get Home"
Using the preprinted handout, students take home a picture of the animal puzzle presented at the beginning of this lesson. Remind students to take home their spiders and webs.

Before Students Go Home - Review
What is something special about a spider? How many legs does it have?
Talk about the silk web a spider can spin.
Discuss the symmetry of a butterfly's wings.
What is the difference between a vertebrate and invertebrate.
What is cartilage? Where do we have cartilage on our bodies?

Supply List for Activities
"Today I Discovered" - parents handout
preprinted handout (on disk) to make spiders (this can be reproduced as is, or used as pattern for stiff paper)
glue, scissors, and optional eyes for the spider (i.e., craft eyes, dots, or hole punch 'dots' of paper)
preprinted handout (on disk) of spider web with space for student to draw own web design
preprinted handout (on disk) of ant colony maze
preprinted handout (on disk) of animal puzzle to take home
Videotape