LESSON 6.3
Research Your Animals
Grades 1-3

To write, you must know what you are writing about.
This lesson will help you get to know the animals you chose in Lesson 6.2
Task 6.3.1 – Individual
Draw or copy/paste the animals you chose in Lesson 6.2. Your teacher will give you paper or have you open a new file.
Task 6.3.2 – Class

Review the example chart below. You will be filling in one for your animals.
Example
Animal A | Animal B | Differ? | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Common name | Crocodile | Alligator | |
2 | Scientific name | Crocodylus acutus (American crocodile) | Alligator mississippiensis (American alligator) | |
3 | Size | Saltwater crocs - up to 20 ft long, 2000 lbs | Usually, 10-13 ft long, 1000 lbs | Differ |
4 | Special features |
Have salt glands - can survive in saltwater Have webbed feet for better swimming Strongest bite of any animal |
Cannot survive in saltwater | Differ |
5 | Behavior |
Highly aggressive nature 106 people were killed in Australia from 1971 - 2013 During World War II, crocodiles in Malaya killed hundreds of Japanese soldiers in three weeks |
Usually shy. Avoid humans. Rarely attack humans unless triggered or if people enter their territory. Recent cases out of women in Georgia who said alligators do not kill humans. |
Differ |
6 | Diet | Insects, frogs, fish, birds, rodents, fresh deer, pigs, cows, crocodiles, alligators, pets, kangaroos, emu, horses, humans, and many other things | Insects, frogs, fish, birds, snakes, lizards, deer, raccoons, pets, amphibians, turtles, and other things | Alike |
7 | Range | Southeast Asia, China, India, Australia, Africa, South America, North America (including coastal areas such as Florida and Louisiana) | American southeast, such as Florida and Louisiana | Differ |
8 | Habitat |
Live in both freshwater and saltwater, often found in coastal areas like rivers, mangroves, and swamps. They can be found in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. They are better at living in salty water thanks to special glands that filter large parts of extra salt. |
Live mostly in freshwater like swamps, rivers, and lakes. They live in warm areas, especially in the southeastern US as they are part of Florida. Alligators need the fresh water as places to feed and also cozy water for rest. | Differ |
9 | Offspring |
Female digs a hole or makes a mound. Lay 40-60 eggs. Raccons eat many of the eggs. Only 1% (few tens) of hatchlings survive to reach adulthood. |
Female builds a nest and lays between 20-50 eggs. Raccoons and birds eat the eggs. Only 2-3 hatchlings out of an average clutch of 45 eggs will survive to maturity. | Alike |
10 | Other | Lifespan: up to 70 years | 50 years on average | Alike |
[1] A special feature is something that makes the animal look special.
[2] Behavior (be – hay – ve – or) means how something or someone acts.
[3] Aggressive means “mean”
[4] Territory means “where they live.”
[5] A diet is what an animal eats.
[6] A range is where an animal lives.
[7] Habitat is what type of land the animal likes.
[8] Offspring refers to babies.
[9]Territory means “where they live.”
[10]A diet is what an animal eats.
[11]A range is where an animal lives.
[12]Habitat is what type of land the animal likes.
[13]Mangroves – where jungle trees grow into swamps or along the sea.
[14]Marshes – wetlands, usually without trees
[15]Brackish – dirty; slimy
[16]Offspring refers to babies.
[17]Clutch – bunch
Task 6.3.3 – Individual
Your teacher will give you sheets of paper that look like the chart below. Use them for the rest of this lesson and for Lesson 6.4.
- Fill in Your Animal A with the name of one of the animals you chose in Lesson 6.2.
- Fill in Your Animal B with the other animal you chose in Lesson 6.2 3. Leave the Useful column blank until Lesson 6.4.
Your Chart
Animal A | Animal B | Differ? | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Common name | |||
2 | Scientific name | |||
3 | Size | |||
4 | Special features | |||
5 | Behavior | |||
6 | Diet | |||
7 | Range | |||
8 | Habitat | |||
9 | Offspring | |||
10 | Other |

Task 6.3.4 – Tandem
Write your animals’ scientific names in the second row of the chart.
Capitalize the first word but not the second.
If you are using a computer, italicize the words.
- highlight both words
- type CONTROL I.
Task 6.3.5 – Tandem
Enter your animal A’s size and weight in the left side of the third row of the chart. Enter your animal B’s size and weight in the right side of the third row of the chart.
Task 6.3.6 – Small Groups
Enter your animal A’s special features in the left side of the fourth row of the chart. Enter your animal B’s special features in the right side of the fourth row of the chart.
Task 6.3.7 – Tandem
Enter your animal A’s behavior in the left side of the fifth row of the chart. Enter your animal B’s behavior in the right side of the fifth row of the chart.
Task 6.3.8 – Tandem
Put your animal A’s diet in the left side of the sixth row of the chart.
Put your animal B’s diet in the right side of the sixth row of the chart.
Task 6.3.9 – Tandem
Put your animal A’s range in the left side of the seventh row of the chart. Put your animal B’s range in the right side of the seventh row of the chart.
Task 6.3.10 – Tandem
Put your animal A’s habitat in the left side of the eighth row of the chart. Put your animal B’s habitat in the right side of the eighth row of the chart.
Task 6.3.11 – Tandem
Put animal A’s offspring in the left side of the ninth row of the chart t. Put animal B’s offspring in the right side of the ninth row of the chart.
Task 6.3.12 – Tandem
Put other information about animal A in the left side of the tenth row of the chart if it does not fit any other row. Be sure to label it.
Put other information about animal B in the right side of the tenth row of the chart if it does not fit any other row. Be sure to label it.