Grades 2–4
Animal Group Clues
Match the five vertebrate groups to the clue that describes them, then name one animal from each group.
Science worksheet · Animal classification
Animal Groups
Write fifteen animals under mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians.
- Grade level
- Grades 1–3
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Animal groups, Classifying, Vertebrates and invertebrates
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- Write each animal under its group.
- Which group do you belong to? How do you know?
Words on this sheet
sharkpenguinturtlechickenMammalsbattoadtunaBirdsfroglizardFisheaglecowsnakedog
Teacher tip
Sort plastic animals into five bins before the sheet.
How to use it
- Sort picture cards as a class before the sheet.
- Ask what all the animals in one group have in common.
- Start with a two-minute “I notice, I wonder” talk about the picture on the sheet.
Watch for
Whales and dolphins are mammals, not fish. Penguins are birds.
Talk about it
- Why is a bat a mammal and not a bird?
- What did you notice that surprised you?
Take it further
Make a class animal book with one page per group.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More animal classification worksheets
Grades 1–3
Parts of an Insect
Label the head, thorax, abdomen, antennae, legs and wings, then answer two insect questions.
Grades 2–4
Vertebrate or Invertebrate?
Sort ten animals by whether they have a backbone, then check for your own.
Grades 3–4
Make a Classification Key
Pick four animals and write yes-or-no questions that sort them, one at a time, in a branching key.
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