Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify and describe different characteristics of mammals.

Materials and Prep

• Pen or pencil
• Blank paper or notebook
• Internet access (optional)

No prior knowledge is required for this lesson.

Activities

1. Start by brainstorming with the student about what they already know about mammals. Write down their ideas on the paper or notebook.

2. Introduce the concept of mammals by explaining that they are a group of animals that have certain characteristics. Discuss and list these characteristics together:

   • Fur or hair
   • Warm-blooded
   • Breathe air with lungs
   • Give birth to live young (except for monotremes like the platypus)
   • Feed their babies with milk produced by mammary glands

3. Ask the student to think of examples of mammals and write them down. Encourage them to think about animals they see in their everyday life, such as pets, farm animals, or animals they see in the wild.

4. If internet access is available, explore some pictures or videos of different mammals together. Discuss how they exhibit the characteristics mentioned earlier.

5. As a final activity, have the student draw and label their favorite mammal, including its characteristics.

Third Grade Talking Points

• "Mammals are a group of animals that have fur or hair."
• "Unlike reptiles or birds, mammals are warm-blooded, which means their body temperature stays the same even when it's cold outside."
• "Mammals breathe air using their lungs, just like we do."
• "Most mammals give birth to live babies, except for a few special ones like the platypus that lay eggs."
• "Mammals have special glands called mammary glands that produce milk, which they use to feed their babies."