Learning Objectives

• Identify ways chemistry is involved in animal bodies and life processes.
• Explain how substances such as water, proteins, fats, minerals, and oxygen support animals.
• Classify examples of animal materials and processes as chemical or physical in simple terms.
• Use evidence from examples to describe how chemistry helps animals survive.

Materials Needed

• Board or projector
• Chart paper or digital slides
• Student notebooks or guided practice handout
• Index cards or small slips with animal examples
• Colored pencils or highlighters
• Optional: pictures of bones, shells, feathers, fur, and digestive system diagrams

Support

• Use pictures, icons, and sentence frames such as '_____ helps animals by _____.'
• Pre-highlight key words in prompts for students who need language support.
• Pair students strategically so a stronger reader can support a peer.
• Allow oral responses or drawing plus labeling instead of full written sentences.
• Provide a word bank with vocabulary and examples.

Challenge

• Ask students to compare two animals and explain how chemistry supports each one differently.
• Have students distinguish between physical structures and chemical processes in their explanations.
• Invite students to use at least two vocabulary words in one expanded response.
• Ask students to infer what might happen if an animal did not get enough of one nutrient.

Checks for Understanding

• Observe pair sorting and listen for correct use of vocabulary.
• Use targeted questions during guided practice to check understanding.
• Review student written responses for accuracy and connection to examples.
• Listen for the final reflection to confirm each student can state one chemistry-animal connection.

Closure

Revisit the essential idea: animals are made of substances, use nutrients and oxygen, and depend on chemical processes to build body parts and release energy. Highlight one or two strong student examples.