Grade 4 Science And Technology Living Things – Characteristics Of Animals Notes
Science & Technology — Living Things
Subtopic: Characteristics of Animals (Age 9, Kenya)
- Know what animals are.
- Learn 7 easy characteristics of animals.
- Give examples of animals found in Kenya.
What is an animal?
Animals are living things that can move on their own and take food from their surroundings. They can be big like an elephant 🐘 or small like an ant 🐜. Many animals live in Kenya — for example: elephant 🐘, giraffe 🦒, zebra 🦓, cow 🐄, chicken 🐔, goat 🐐 and fish 🐟.
Main characteristics of animals
Animals can move from place to place. Some run, some fly, some swim and some crawl.
Example: Cheetah runs, bird flies, fish swims.Animals breathe to get oxygen. Land animals use lungs. Fish use gills.
Example: Humans and cows have lungs; fish have gills.Animals must eat food to get energy. Some eat plants, some eat other animals.
Example: Goats eat grass; lions eat meat.Animals grow bigger as they get older. Babies look different from adults.
Example: A calf grows into a cow; a chick grows into a chicken.Animals sense light, sound and touch and react. They can find food or escape danger.
Example: A bird hears a sound and flies away.Animals make young ones to keep their kind alive. Some lay eggs; others give birth.
Example: Chickens lay eggs; cows have calves.Animals get rid of wastes from their bodies to stay healthy.
Example: Urine and faeces are wastes from animals.How animals are different from plants
- Animals move on their own; most plants do not.
- Animals eat food; plants make their own food using sunlight.
- Animals have senses (see, hear); plants do not have eyes or ears.
Animals you can find in Kenya
Class activity (easy)
- Look around your home or school. Find one animal and draw it. Write three things it does (moves, eats, breathes).
- Group the animals you know into: land animals, water animals and birds.
- Ask: Which animal lays eggs? Which animal gives birth?
Short quiz (write answers)
- Name two animals that breathe with lungs.
- Give one example of an animal that lays eggs.
- List three characteristics of animals.
Show suggested answers
2) Chicken, fish, turtle — they lay eggs.
3) Move, eat, grow (also breathe, reproduce, respond, remove waste).