MONTESSORI STORY
SCRIPTS ON BIOLOGICAL
CLASSIFICATIONS
@MindSproutPH
The Story of
Living & Non-Living Matter
Living matter is matter that is or has been alive. Non-living matter is
matter that has never been alive.
A mouse is alive, but money is not.
Living things engage in certain activities that non-living things cannot.
All living things grow. You are living, and a baby duck also grows, like
you. A seed that you plant will also grow--it is living. However, a piece of
glass cannot grow.
Living things can reproduce. For example, a buck and doe can reproduce
a baby deer called a fawn.
Can you think of other things that can reproduce?
All living things respond to outside forces such as light or heat. A green
plant will respond to light by growing towards it. A toad will bury itself in
the ground in the winter to protect itself from the cold.
Living things can also move. A fish swims, an insect hops, a bird flies, and
you walk. Plants also move, but they do so very slowly. A rock will only
move if someone else moves it--it cannot move by itself.
All living things need food to live. Without food, they will starve and die.
Some living things live for a very long time. For example, the giant
redwood trees in California can live for thousands of years. Some living
things live for a very short time. For instance, some insects only live a few
hours. Living things have existed on Earth since the beginning of time.
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The Story of
Plants and Animals
Although all living things must perform the same basic functions to survive,
they do not all look or behave the same way.
Biologists categorize living things into two major groups: the plant kingdom
and the animal kingdom. Each kingdom contains living things that are vastly
different from those in the other kingdom.
One significant difference between animals and plants is that plants are
capable of producing their own food, while no animal can. Animals must
consume plants or other animals to survive.
Plants cannot move from one place to another by themselves, unlike most
animals that can move independently. Only certain parts of plants move, such
as leaves that turn towards the sun, and roots that grow downwards towards
water.
Another difference is that animals can see, hear, taste, and smell, while plants
cannot see, hear, or taste.
All green plants get their green color from a substance called chlorophyll. No
animal, no matter what species, produces chlorophyll. With chlorophyll, plants
undergo photosynthesis, which is the process of making food from air, water,
and sunlight.
Most animals have a brain, which helps them find food, fight or flee from
predators, and locate suitable habitats. Humans use their brains to learn,
communicate, create literature, and construct cities.
Plants continue to grow throughout their lifespan. However, many plants only
grow at the tips and around the outer perimeter. In animals, growth occurs in
nearly all parts of their bodies before it slows or stops when they reach maturity.
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The Story of
Vertebrates and Invertebrates
The animal kingdom has two divisions: vertebrate and invertebrate.
Vertebrates are animals that have an internal skeleton and a
backbone. This skeletal structure allows them to grow much larger
than invertebrates. Some examples of vertebrates include owls,
humans, horses, and flamingos.
There are five classes of vertebrates: mammals, fish, amphibians,
reptiles, and birds.
Invertebrates, on the other hand, do not have an internal backbone. Most
invertebrates are symmetrical, except for sponges, and have distinct front
and rear ends. Examples of invertebrates include ladybugs, worms,
spiders, and oysters.
Some well-known invertebrate phyla include sponges, arthropods,
mollusks, worms, and echinoderms.
The phylum arthropods includes insects and arachnids that have
exoskeletons, which are skeletons on the outside of their bodies.
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The Story of
Five Classes of Vertebrates
Biologists divide animals into two groups: vertebrates and
invertebrates.
Vertebrates have a backbone and a brain enclosed with skull
bones. Gorillas, lizards, ducks, sharks, and frogs are all
vertebrates.
Invertebrates have no backbone. Jellyfish, spiders, starfish and
butterflies are all invertebrates.
Biologists also divide all vertebrates into five classes: mammals,
birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
MAMMALS
Humans, cats, dogs, monkeys, and rabbits are all mammals.
Mammals give birth to live young. The females produce milk to
suckle the young.
Mammals have hair on their bodies. They are warm-blooded, which
means they are able to maintain a constant internal body
temperature.
Mammals are highly adaptable. They can modify their behavior to
suit changes in their environments.
Mammals, especially primates, sometimes form complex societies.
Primates include humans, apes, monkeys and lemurs.
Can you name some mammals?
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The Story of
Five Classes of Vertebrates cont.
BIRDS
Chickens, ducks, eagles, penguins, and flamingos are all birds.
Birds reproduce by laying eggs.
They have feathers. They are warm-blooded.
They can fly efficiently. They have short, strong muscles, light bodies
and feathers to help them fly.
Can you name some birds?
REPTILES
Snakes, crocodiles, iguanas, turtles, and lizards are all reptiles.
Reptiles reproduce by laying eggs (usually on land).
They are covered in scales. They are cold-blooded, which means they
cannot generate internal heat.
Can you name some reptiles?
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The Story of
Five Classes of Vertebrates cont.
AMPHIBIANS
Frogs and toads are amphibians.
Amphibians reproduce by laying eggs (usually in water). The egg
hatches into larvae, such as a tadpole. The larvae have gills to breathe
in water.
The larvae undergo a metamorphosis to become adults who breathe
through lungs and live mostly on land, but near water. Amphibians
have skin that is unprotected and moist. They are cold-blooded.
Can you name some amphibians?
FISH
Salmon, walleye, and seahorses are all fish.
Most fish reproduce by laying eggs that hatch in water. Fish breathe
through gills. They are covered with scales.
Fish are cold-blooded. They swim efficiently because of their fins and
streamlined bodies.
Can you name some fish?
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