Grade 6 - Diversity of Life

Program Highlights

This exciting grade 6 program provides students with a unique opportunity to explore the classification of living things through “hands-on, minds-on” experiences with live animals and real animal specimens. Created specifically to meet curriculum outcomes in the grade 6 science unit on the diversity of life, this program uses an object-based and skills-based approach to encourage students to develop their classification and observation skills. 

Touch the jaw of a shark! Observe the wet skin of a bull frog! Through multisensory observation, discussion, asking questions, and recording their observations, students will explore Nova Scotian animals representing different animal groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. In a concluding activity, students will be challenged as a group to construct classification charts to compare the characteristics of these animals.

Curriculum Outcome Links

Specific Curriculum Outcomes

  • Create and analyze their own chart or diagram for classifying and describe the role of a common classification system (300-15)                                            
  • Classify animals as vertebrates or invertebrates and compare the characteristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes (300-16, 300-17)

Science Skills

  • Classify according to several attributes and create a chart or diagram that shows the method of classifying (206-1)
  • Communicate questions, ideas, and intentions, and listen to others while conducting investigations (207-1)

Program Length

90 min

Program Capacity 

  • 2 classes (60 students maximum)
  • 1 chaperone for every 5 students

Cost

The charge for this program is $3.55 per student which includes the tax. The teachers are admitted free of charge. One chaperone is admitted free for every five students (1:5 ratio).

Activities

10 minutes: Introduction

The program begins with an introduction to classification and the scientific language of classification through an interactive activity.

60 minutes: Gallery Stations

In small groups, students will visit seven animal exhibits around the Museum representing different animal groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates (arthropods and echinoderms). At each exhibit, students will observe the animals and related specimens through multiple senses. Students will record their observations through writing and/or drawing in field notebooks. 

20 minutes: Conclusion

In a concluding activity, students will be challenged as a group to use their observations to classify the animals they have observed into groups. A t-chart will be used for the students to create a dichotomous classification chart to compare and classify the animals based on several different characteristics. 

Information and Reservations

To book this program for October, November or December 2024, please email mnhgroups@novascotia.ca