All animals are classified in a scientific system. This is called taxonomy. Each species belongs to a genus, which belongs to a family, which belongs to an order, which belongs to a class, which belongs to a phylum (the largest grouping). Teachers often study animals in groups, most commonly by class (birds, mammals, reptiles, fish) or by family (cats, bears, ducks, snails, owls). It isn't necessary to know the Latin names for these groups, but it's fun to see how often they relate to words that we know and use, such as felidae (cats)> to feline. When you study a group of animals, you can learn about how they are the same and how they are different. What do all birds have in common? What is the smallest bird? The largest? Do all fish have scales? How is a house cat like a tiger? You and the children can generate many interesting questions to look into. Field guides are excellent resources for studying groups of animals, and there are several series for children in particular. There are also hundreds of websites. Here are a few resources to check out:
1. Peterson Field Guides, such as The Young Birders Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, 2008.
2. National Audubon Society First Field Guides, such as Insects. 1998
3. National Geographic Society kids site:
This site has video clips, stories, games, photographs, etc. about hundreds of animals.
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