Knowledge organiser - How are Animals Classified - Year 1

In the Year 1 curriculum, students are introduced to the fascinating world of animal classification. This knowledge organiser provides key vocabulary and concepts that are essential for understanding how different animals are grouped based on their characteristics. For instance, amphibians such as frogs and newts start their lives in water with gills and tails. Reptiles are identified as cold-blooded animals with a tendency to lay eggs and have skin adorned with hard, dry scales. Mammals are distinguished by being warm-blooded, breathing air, and having a backbone.

The organiser also breaks down animals by their diets, defining herbivores as those that consume only plants, carnivores as meat-eaters that hunt other animals, and omnivores as creatures that eat both plants and meat. Crucial knowledge includes the ability to classify a range of animals, differentiate between carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores, as well as distinguish between mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Students are expected to learn how to categorise living things as living, non-living, or never alive, know some common bird names, and understand why certain animals are adapted to specific environments. This foundational science knowledge sets the stage for further exploration and understanding of the animal kingdom.