Primary 1 · Science · Biological sciences
Animal features
Children describe external features of animals, such as fur, feathers, scales, tails and wings, and how these help them live.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to Singapore levels by age (Primary 1 is the first year of primary school). They are not aligned to MOE syllabuses or the PSLE, so check them against the syllabus your child is working towards.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Name external features of animals, such as fur, feathers, scales, fins, wings, tails and beaks.
- Explain how a feature helps an animal live, move, eat or stay safe.
- Group animals by their body covering.
Success looks like
- I can point to and name features on an animal.
- I can say how one feature helps an animal.
- I can sort animals into fur, feathers and scales groups.
The big idea
Animals have parts on the outside of their bodies that we can see. These are called features.
Many animals have a body covering:
- Fur keeps animals like dogs, cats, rabbits and bears warm.
- Feathers keep birds warm and dry and help them fly.
- Scales protect fish, snakes and lizards like a suit of armour.
Animals have features that help them move. Birds and bats use wings to fly. Fish use fins and their tail to swim. Ducks have webbed feet for paddling. Horses have long, strong legs for running.
Features help animals eat. A bird uses its beak to pick up seeds or catch insects. A cat has sharp teeth and claws to catch food.
Features also keep animals safe. A turtle can pull into its hard shell. A rabbit has big ears to hear danger coming. Some animals have colours or patterns that help them hide.
A tail can do many jobs. A fish's tail pushes it through water, a monkey can hold on with its tail, and a lizard uses its tail for balance.
Worked examples
Looking at a duck
Name a duck's features and say how each one helps.
- Feathers: keep it warm and stop water soaking in.
- Wings: help it fly.
- Webbed feet: push the water like paddles when it swims.
- Flat beak: scoops up food from the water.
Answer: Feathers keep it warm and dry, wings for flying, webbed feet for swimming, beak for eating.
Looking at a fish
How do a fish's features help it live in water?
- Scales: cover and protect its body.
- Fins: help it steer and balance.
- Tail: swishes from side to side to push it forward.
Answer: Scales protect it, and its fins and tail help it swim.
Sort by body covering
Sort: cat, parrot, snake, dog, chicken, goldfish.
- Ask of each animal: does it have fur, feathers or scales?
- Cat and dog have fur.
- Parrot and chicken have feathers.
- Snake and goldfish have scales.
Answer: Fur: cat, dog. Feathers: parrot, chicken. Scales: snake, goldfish.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
Which animal has feathers?
Parrot — A parrot is a bird, and all birds have feathers.
What does a fish use to swim?
Fins and a tail — A fish swishes its tail and uses its fins to steer.
How does thick fur help a bear?
It keeps it warm — Fur traps warmth close to the body.
Which animal is covered in scales?
Lizard — Lizards have dry scales that protect their bodies.
What helps a duck paddle through water?
Its webbed feet — Webbed feet push against the water like paddles.
Birds use their ____ to fly.
wings — Birds flap their wings to fly.
Does a dog have fur, feathers or scales?
fur — Dogs are covered in fur.
A turtle pulls into its hard ____ to stay safe.
shell — The hard shell protects the turtle's soft body.
Watch out for
- Children may think every animal with wings is a bird. Bats have wings but they have fur, and insects such as bees also have wings.
- Some children think all birds can fly. Penguins and ostriches have feathers and wings but cannot fly.
- Children may think only fish have scales. Snakes and lizards have scales too.
Tips for parents
- Watch a pet or birds in the garden together and ask 'What is that part for?'
- Use picture books and let your child point to and name each feature.
- Safety: be gentle with pets, look but do not touch wild animals, and wash hands after touching any animal.
Go further
- Design a made-up animal and label the features that help it live in its home.
- Play 'Guess my animal': describe its features one at a time until someone guesses it.
- Look at a craft feather with a magnifying glass and draw what you see.
About 35 minutes
You'll need
- Picture books or printed pictures of animals (or a pet to watch)
- Paper divided into three columns: fur, feathers, scales
- Crayons or pencils
- A craft feather and a soft toy or a piece of fluffy fabric to feel
Key words
- feature
- A part of an animal's body that we can see, such as a tail, wings or fur.
- fur
- Thick, soft hair that covers some animals and keeps them warm.
- feathers
- The light covering of a bird. Feathers keep birds warm and help them fly.
- scales
- Small, hard plates that cover and protect fish, snakes and lizards.
- fin
- A thin, flat part of a fish that helps it swim and steer.
- beak
- The hard mouth of a bird, used to pick up and eat food.
Still tricky?
For parents
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