There are millions of kinds of living thing, so scientists sort them into groups by the features they share. On the Sorting Safari, Year 4 scientists learn the main animal groups and use keys — sets of yes-or-no questions — to identify what they find.
What your child will learn
- Tell vertebrates (with a backbone) from invertebrates (without)
- Name the five vertebrate groups and a feature of each
- Sort common invertebrates such as insects, spiders and snails
- Use a simple classification key
One question at a time
A classification key narrows things down with yes-or-no questions: Does it have a backbone? Does it have feathers? Each answer rules out some groups until only one is left. Surprises teach the most: a whale is a mammal, not a fish, because it breathes air and feeds its young on milk.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Which group of animals has feathers?
- Fish
- Mammals
- Birds
- Reptiles
Show answer
Answer: Birds. Only birds have feathers.
2. Which of these is a vertebrate?
🐸- A spider
- A worm
- A frog
- A snail
Show answer
Answer: A frog. A frog has a backbone; the others do not.
3. Which of these has six legs?
🐜- A spider
- An ant
- A worm
- A crab
Show answer
Answer: An ant. An ant is an insect, and insects have six legs.
Tips for grown-ups
- Make a key for five objects in your pencil case.
- On a walk, sort the animals you see into vertebrates and invertebrates.
- Pick an unusual animal, such as a bat or a penguin, and decide which group it belongs to and why.