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What are animals?
Animals are living beings that can move, eat, grow and feel. They need food, water, air and shelter to live. Animals make sounds, breathe, and many of them have babies.
Main features of animals (simple points for Class 1):
Simple ways to group animals:
How to teach/learn in class:
Care and kindness:
Teach children that animals feel pain and need care. We should feed pets, give water, keep them clean and never hurt them.
Animals are living things that can move, grow, and need food, water and air to live. We can tell animals apart by their body coverings, how they move, where they live and how they are born.
These simple characteristics help us observe, group and learn about animals around us.
What are body parts of animals?
Body parts of animals are the different parts of an animal’s body that help it to live, move, eat and protect itself. Common parts are head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, legs, wings, tail, fins, beak, claws and shell. Different animals have different body parts depending on where they live and how they get their food.
Main parts and their functions
Types of animals by body parts (simple view for Class 1)
How body parts help animals
Simple class activities
Modes of movement are the different ways animals move from one place to another. Children can learn to recognise how animals go about their day by looking at their body parts and how they use them.
Walk and run: Animals with legs move by walking or running. Example body parts: legs and feet. These movements are used for looking for food and moving around on land.
Fly: Animals with wings fly in the air. Example body parts: wings and light bodies or feathers. Flying helps animals travel long distances and escape danger.
Swim: Animals that live in water swim. Example body parts: fins, flippers, tail. Swimming helps animals move, find food and hide in water.
Hop and jump: Some animals move by hopping or jumping using strong hind legs. This helps them move quickly on land.
Crawl and slither: Animals without legs or with short legs crawl or slither on the ground using muscles and body movement.
Why it matters: knowing how animals move helps children understand where animals live, how they find food and how they stay safe. A simple classroom activity is to show pictures of animals and let children act out each mode of movement.
Animal sounds are the noises that different animals make. Learning these sounds helps young children recognise animals, understand where they live (farm, home, forest, pond), and improves listening skills. Many animal sounds are written as onomatopoeic words (words that imitate sounds) such as ‘moo’, ‘bark’ and ‘meow’.
Common places to hear animal sounds: farms (cows mooing, hens clucking), homes (dogs barking, cats meowing), ponds (frogs croaking, ducks quacking), and zoos/forests (lions roaring, elephants trumpeting). Teachers and parents can use sound games, picture cards, and listening walks to help children match animals to their sounds.
Why it is useful: recognising sounds helps with safety (recognising a barking dog or a growling animal), builds vocabulary (learning words like ‘neigh’ and ‘bleat’), and supports observational science at a simple level (noticing when and where sounds happen).
Animals can be grouped in different ways so that it is easy to study them. We look at where they live, how they move, what they eat and how their bodies are covered.
Main groups:
To identify an animal, we ask simple questions: Where does it live? How does it move? What does it eat? What covers its body? Answers help us place the animal in the correct group.
What are birds?
Birds are animals that have feathers, wings and a beak. Most birds can fly, but some cannot. Birds lay eggs and are warm-blooded.
Birds can live in trees, nests on buildings, water (ducks), open fields, and forests. Some birds migrate (move to warmer places) when it is very cold.
Different birds eat different foods: seeds, fruits, insects, fish, and sometimes small animals. For example, sparrows eat seeds, while kingfishers eat fish.
Aquatic animals are animals that live in water. They can live in freshwater (ponds, rivers, lakes) or saltwater (seas and oceans). Some animals spend all their life in water (like fish), while others live both in water and on land (amphibians, like frogs).
Many aquatic animals have special body features that help them live in water. For example, fish have fins and tails to swim, gills to breathe under water, and streamlined bodies to move easily. Sea turtles have flippers, crabs have claws for walking on the seabed, and dolphins have smooth bodies and fins to swim fast. Amphibians such as frogs hatch from eggs and live as tadpoles in water before becoming adults that can come on land.
We see aquatic animals all around us: goldfish in aquariums, frogs in school ponds, crabs at the beach, and fish in rivers and seas. It is important to keep water clean so these animals stay healthy. Simple actions like not throwing waste in water and feeding pets properly help protect aquatic life.
What are insects? Insects are small animals with three main body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), six legs, and usually antennae. Many insects have wings. They are found in gardens, fields, homes and near water. Examples: ants, bees, butterflies, flies.
What are small animals? Small animals are animals bigger than most insects but still small in size. They often have four legs or no visible legs (frogs) and may have fur, feathers or scales. Examples: rabbit, mouse, frog, lizard, squirrel.
Key features (simple)
Where they live: Gardens, trees, ponds, homes, soil, and farms. All animals need food, water and shelter.
Why they are important: Many insects pollinate flowers (bees, butterflies). Some help break down dead plants (decomposers). Small animals are part of food chains (plants → insects → small animals → bigger animals). Some are pets (rabbit, fish); some can be pests (mosquito, rat).
Safety and care: Do not touch unknown insects or animals. Wash hands after touching pets. Look but do not harm butterflies, bees and other useful insects.
Simple activities for Class 1: Observe and draw an insect (label head, thorax, abdomen), count legs of animals in a picture, make a small habitat box for an insect (with leaves, small stick, water drop).
Summary: Insects are a special type of small animals with 3 body parts and 6 legs. Other small animals vary in body type and living places. Both help keep nature balanced.
What is a habitat? A habitat is the natural home or place where an animal lives. It gives the animal food, water, air and shelter. In simple words: a habitat is the animal's home.
Animals live in different kinds of homes depending on what they need and where they can find food and safety. Some animals live on land, some in water and some in the air. Some animals make their homes themselves, while others use places already made.
Animals that can live in two places: Some animals live both on land and in water. For example, frogs live near ponds and also hop on land. The place where an animal lives helps it survive by providing food, shelter and protection from weather and enemies.
How to observe habitats: Look around your school or home. Find where birds, ants, dogs, cats, insects and water animals live. Notice what each home looks like and what it provides.
What is food for animals? All animals need food to grow, move and stay healthy. Food gives them energy and helps their bodies to grow and repair themselves.
Types of foods animals eat
Examples of eating habits
How animals get their food
Why different animals eat different foods? It depends on where they live and how their bodies are made. A bird with a long beak may reach nectar; a strong carnivore has sharp teeth to tear meat.
Good habits for children: Observe animals at home or in a park, learn what they eat, and do not feed wild animals human food. Always ask a teacher or parent before feeding animals.
What are young ones? Young ones are the baby forms of animals. Every animal has a name for its young. Learning these names helps children recognise animals and understand how they grow.
Parent → Young
How are baby animals different? Baby animals are usually smaller, may have softer fur or feathers, and often need their parents for food and protection. For example, chicks need warmth and feed from the mother hen; puppies drink milk from their mother and learn to eat solid food later.
Why do we learn these names? It helps us talk about animals correctly, take care of them, and notice how they change as they grow from babies to adults.
Simple classroom activities: matching cards (parent and young), drawing a farm and labelling baby animals, role-play care activities like feeding a puppy or warming a chick.
Animals help people in many ways. We get food, clothes and other useful things from them. Some animals help us work and travel. Other animals are our friends and keep us safe. We must love and care for animals because they help us.
We should feed animals, give them water, and keep them clean. When animals are healthy, they can give more help.
What is Caring for Animals?
Caring for animals means giving them the things they need to live happily and safely. Animals need food, water, a clean place to sleep, love and protection. When we care for animals we are kind and gentle to them.
Why do animals need our care?
How can we care for animals? (Simple everyday actions)
Safety rules for children around animals
Simple daily routine to care for a pet
How caring helps everyone
When animals are healthy and safe, they make our lives better. Pets give us friendship, and wild animals keep nature healthy. Caring for animals teaches us responsibility and kindness.
What is safety around animals? Safety means doing things that keep you and animals safe. Animals can be friendly or scared. We must be kind and careful so nobody gets hurt.
Types of animals you meet:
Simple rules to stay safe
What to do in some common situations
Why these rules help
Grouping and sorting animals means putting animals together who are similar in some way and arranging them in an order. This helps us learn about animals easily. Children can group animals by where they live, what covers their bodies, how they move, or what they eat.
What is Observation? Observation means watching animals carefully using your eyes, ears and sometimes smelling or touching (only when safe). We notice how animals look, move, eat and where they live.
How to Observe
Drawing Animals
Activities to Learn
Safety and Respect: Never touch unknown animals. Ask a teacher or parent. Be gentle with pets and do not disturb wild animals.
What is Kindness? Kindness means being gentle, helpful and caring to animals. We do not hurt them. We give them food, water and a safe place to live.
What is Conservation? Conservation means protecting animals and their homes so they can live and grow. It means saving resources like water, trees and food so animals have what they need.
Why it matters
When we are kind and conserve, animals stay healthy and happy. Birds, cats, dogs, insects and other animals will have clean water, food and safe homes. This keeps nature balanced.
How children can show kindness and help conserve
Class activity idea: Make a bird feeder, plant a small sapling, or draw a poster that says "Be kind to animals".