Teacher guide · Curious Lab · Easier · about 30 min

🐾 Animal Groups

Pupils practise curiosity through "Animal Groups": Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles.

Lesson guide

1. Hook · 5 min
Show the 🐾 mission title and read the opening: "Match the animal to its group.". Take three quick guesses.
2. Model · 5 min
Think aloud through the first step together. Use Sniff the Beagle's line as your prompt: "Great question! Ready to dig one layer deeper? Pick your next mission below."
3. Do · 10 min
Pairs work through the 3 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"
4. Discuss · 10 min
Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.
5. Reflect · 5 min
Exit ticket: one sentence on how they used curiosity today.

What was the hardest choice in "Animal Groups", and why?
Which animal is a herbivore (eats plants) — explain your reasoning to a partner.
Invent a new animal. What does it eat and where does it live — explain your reasoning to a partner.
Where could you use curiosity outside school this week?
If you did this again, what would you change?

Support: Read prompts aloud, pair with a confident partner, and accept spoken or drawn answers for writing steps.

Stretch: Ask pupils to create their own extra step for a partner and explain the correct answer.

National Curriculum: Science: working scientifically plus the year-group topic
National Curriculum: Science: working scientifically — asking questions and observing
National Curriculum: Geography/History: enquiry and using sources
PSHE: Living in the wider world: media literacy and checking information

Pupil sheet

Name: ____________________ Date: __________

1. Match the animal to its group.
Dog → ________________
Eagle → ________________
Shark → ________________
Snake → ________________
2. Which animal is a herbivore (eats plants)?
☐ Lion
☐ Rabbit
☐ Shark
3. Invent a new animal. What does it eat and where does it live?