In this lesson students discuss the definition of an animal. What characteristics do all animals have in common? To introduce the subject the teacher gives a brief discussion of the
five kingdoms (see reference below). What evidence is needed to decide that an organism is an animal? Students watch the video Sponges: Origins and reconsider the definition of an animal.
A list of questions about the characteristics of sponges to use after viewing the video Sponges: Origins.
In this lesson students make a guess as to what was the first animal. The class watches the Sponge video from the shapeoflife.org and writes down what evidence they saw that sponges were the first animals. Then the class discusses what evidence they need to figure out what might have been the first animal. They watch the scientist video “Mitchell Sogin, Evolutionary Biologist: Proof of the First Animal” and write down the evidence that is presented for the sponge being the first animal.
Your students can discover Sponges through this PowerPoint which can be used individually or in a virtual classroom.
A list of questions to use after viewing the video Sponges: Origins.
Through teacher-led discussion, students try to define what makes an organism an animal. This discussion should lead students to think about what all animals have in common.
Through questions, discussion and observing two videos, students evaluate the evidence for which group of animals was the first to appear on Earth.
