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Primary Science · Year 4Chapter 2 · Grouping living things
Year 4 · Chapter 2

Grouping living things

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Explain that living things can be grouped in many different ways, using shared features
  • Name the five groups of animals with a backbone, and give one feature of each
  • Name the main groups of animals without a backbone, and say how to tell an insect from a spider
  • Sort plants into flowering and non-flowering plants
  • Read a table and a Venn diagram to count the living things in each group
  • Explain why a group is chosen by its shared features, not by where an animal lives

You should already know

  • Living, dead and never alive, and the basic needs of animals (Year 2 Science)
  • The parts of a flowering plant, and what a skeleton does (Year 3 Science, Chapters 2 and 6)

Where this leads

  • Classification keys, which use yes or no questions to name living things (Year 4 Science, Chapter 3)
  • Food chains, and the animals and plants in habitats (Year 4 Science, Chapter 4)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 science, Year 4. Content: LH1 recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways, Examples of LH1 (Year 4 notes): vertebrate groups (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and invertebrate groups (snails and slugs, worms, spiders, insects).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhich group of animals has feathers and a beak? Write the word.
2
FWhich hard bone protects the brain? Write the word.
3
FWhat is the name for the place where a living thing lives? Write the word.
4
FIs a snake in the reptile group? Write yes or no.
5
FDo spiders have wings? Write yes or no.
2.1

Grouping living things in different ways

Year 4
LH1: recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways
Video lesson: Grouping living things in different waysComing soon
Story. Yusuf and his sister Mei have a box of living things to sort. “Shall we put the animals with legs together?” asks Mei. Yusuf says, “Or we could group them by what they eat, or where they live.” Mr Patel says, “You are both right. There is more than one way.”

Scientists group living things by looking for features that they share. A feature is something you can see, count or measure, such as the number of legs, the covering of the body, or what the animal eats.

There is more than one way to group living things. The best group depends on the question you are asking. For example, a group of animals that all eat plants is a different group from a group of animals that all have feathers.

Key ideas

  • Living things can be grouped in a variety of ways.
  • A feature is something that can be seen, counted or measured.
  • A good group is one where every member has the shared feature.
  • Grouping by what a living thing eats, or where it lives, are also useful ways.
Worked example 2.1.1
Mei sorts animals by the number of legs. A spider has 8 legs, and an insect has 6 legs. Which animal has more legs? Write the name.

Method. Compare the number of legs.

  1. Read the numbers. A spider has 8 legs, and an insect has 6 legs.
    8 and 6
  2. Compare them. 8 is more than 6, so the spider has more legs.
    spider
  3. Write the answer.
    spider

Check. Eight is more than six. ✓

Worked example 2.1.2
A group of animals all eat only plants. Is “eats only plants” a feature that can be used to group them? Write yes or no.

Method. Think about whether the feature is shared.

  1. Read the feature. Eating only plants is a feature that every animal in the group shares.
    shared
  2. Decide. A feature that every member shares can be used to group them.
    yes
  3. Write the answer.
    yes

Check. Grouping by diet is one of many ways to group living things. ✓

Worked example 2.1.3
Yusuf says a bird and a bat can both fly, so they should be in one group. Is “can fly” a good feature to group them? Write yes or no.

Method. Think about the other features of a bird and a bat.

  1. Think about the bird. A bird has feathers and a beak, and lays eggs with hard shells.
    feathers
  2. Think about the bat. A bat has fur, and feeds its young on milk, so it is a mammal.
    fur
  3. Write the answer.
    no

Check. Some features, such as flying, are shared by animals in different groups. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: one shared feature is not always enough to make a good group. Look at several features, and check that the living things really belong together.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Collect five small objects from the garden or a park, with a grown-up. Sort the objects that are living things into two groups, and write the feature you used. Remember to wash your hands afterwards.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “What feature did you use to make the group? Can you find a different way to group them?” Let your child use the words group and feature.

Exercise 2A  Grouping living things in different ways

1
FWrite one feature that living things might share, such as legs, feathers or fur.
2
FFill in the gap: scientists sort living things into groups by looking for ___ that they share. Write the word.
3
FTrue or false: there is only one correct way to group living things. Write true or false.
4
FWhich living thing in this list is a plant: rabbit, fox or grass? Write the name.
5
FWrite the word for an animal that eats only plants.
6
FWhich of these is a living thing? Write a, b or c. a) a rock b) a tree c) a chair
7
FHow many more legs does a spider have than an insect? Write the number.
8
PSA group of animals all live in a pond. Is living in a pond a way to group them? Write yes or no.
9
PSWrite one sensible way to group the children in your class.
10
PSAli says a robin and a dog can both be grouped together, because they both have legs. Is Ali right to group them together? Write yes or no.
11
RExplain why a group needs a shared feature. Write one sentence.
2.2

Animals with a backbone: five groups

Year 4
LH1: vertebrate groups as examples of grouping (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals)
Video lesson: Animals with a backbone: five groupsComing soon
Story. Mo visits the aquarium with his class. He sees a fish, a frog, a lizard, a parrot and a rabbit. “How do we know which group each one is in?” he asks. Ms Chen says, “Look at the skin, the covering and how it has young.”

Animals with a backbone are called vertebrates. A backbone is a line of bones down the back that supports the body. Vertebrates are grouped into five groups by their features.

FishAmphibiansReptilesBirdsMammals
Five groups of animals with a backbone, drawn from simple shapes: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

The table gives the main features of each group.

GroupMain features
Fishfins and scales, gills for breathing, lives in water
Amphibiansmoist skin, lives on land and in water, usually lays eggs in water
Reptilesdry scaly skin, most lay eggs with leathery shells on land
Birdsfeathers, a beak, lays eggs with hard shells
Mammalsfur or hair, feeds its young on milk

Key ideas

  • Vertebrates are animals with a backbone.
  • The five groups are fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
  • Birds have feathers and a beak, and lay eggs with hard shells.
  • Mammals have fur or hair, and feed their young on milk.
Worked example 2.2.1
Which group does an animal belong to if it has feathers and a beak? Write the word.

Method. Find the feature in the table.

  1. Find the feature. Feathers and a beak are the features of birds.
    feathers and a beak
  2. Name the group. So the animal belongs to the group of birds.
    birds
  3. Write the answer.
    birds

Check. Feathers and a beak are the main features of birds. ✓

Worked example 2.2.2
Which group does a frog belong to? A frog has moist skin, and usually lays eggs in water. Write the word.

Method. Compare the frog with the features in the table.

  1. Read the features. Moist skin and eggs laid in water are the features of amphibians.
    moist skin
  2. Name the group. So a frog is an amphibian.
    amphibians
  3. Write the answer.
    amphibians

Check. Frogs and toads are amphibians. ✓

Worked example 2.2.3
A whale breathes air, and feeds its young on milk. Is it a mammal? Write yes or no.

Method. Check the features of a mammal.

  1. Find the key feature. Mammals feed their young on milk.
    milk
  2. Decide. A whale feeds its young on milk, so it is a mammal. The answer is yes.
    yes
  3. Write the answer.
    yes

Check. Whales, dolphins and bats are mammals, even without fur. ✓

Watch out. Mammals feed their young on milk. Fur is not always easy to see on a whale.

Watch out

Watch out: a penguin is a bird, not a fish, even though it swims. A bat is a mammal, not a bird, even though it flies.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Look at pictures of a fish, a frog, a bird and a dog in a book, with a grown-up. For each one, write the group it belongs to and one feature you can see. Do not touch any wild animals.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “What covers the body? How does it have its young?” Let your child name the group, and then give one feature for it.

Exercise 2B  Animals with a backbone

1
FWhich group has feathers and a beak? Write the word.
2
FWhich group has fur or hair, and feeds its young on milk? Write the word.
3
FWhich group has fins and scales, and lives in water? Write the word.
4
FWhich group has moist skin, and usually lays eggs in water? Write the word.
5
FWhich group has dry scaly skin? Write the word.
6
FA penguin is which group? Write the word.
7
FA whale is which group? Write the word.
8
FA frog is which group? Write the word.
9
FA snake is which group? Write the word.
10
FA shark is which group? Write the word.
11
PSA bat can fly. Which group is it in? Write the word.
12
RAli says a bat is a bird, because it can fly. Is Ali right? Write no, and give one reason in one sentence.
2.3

Animals without a backbone

Year 4
LH1: invertebrate groups as examples of grouping (snails and slugs, worms, spiders, insects)
Video lesson: Animals without a backboneComing soon
Story. In the garden, Aisha finds a snail on a leaf, a worm in the soil, a spider in the corner of the shed and a beetle on a wall. “Do they all have a backbone?” she asks. Mr Patel says, “None of them do. We call animals without a backbone invertebrates.”

Animals without a backbone are called invertebrates. There are many more invertebrates than vertebrates. The groups below are the ones often found in gardens and parks.

Snails and slugsWormsSpidersInsects
Four invertebrates, drawn from simple shapes: a snail, a worm, a spider and an insect.

The table gives the main features of each group.

GroupMain features
Snails and slugssoft body; snails have a shell, and slugs have little or no visible shell
Wormslong soft body, no legs
Spiders8 legs and 2 body parts
Insects6 legs and 3 body parts

Key ideas

  • Invertebrates are animals without a backbone.
  • A spider has 8 legs and 2 body parts.
  • An insect has 6 legs and 3 body parts.
  • Worms have a long soft body and no legs.
Worked example 2.3.1
How many legs does an insect have? Write the number.

Method. Find the insect row in the table.

  1. Find the row. The row for insects says 6 legs and 3 body parts.
    6 legs
  2. Read the number. So an insect has 6 legs.
    6
  3. Write the answer.
    6

Check. Count six legs on the insect picture. ✓

Worked example 2.3.2
A spider has 8 legs and 2 body parts. An insect has 6 legs and 3 body parts. Which animal has more body parts? Write the name.

Method. Compare the body parts.

  1. Read the numbers. A spider has 2 body parts, and an insect has 3.
    2 and 3
  2. Compare them. An insect has 3 body parts, which is more than the spider, so the answer is insect.
    insect
  3. Write the answer.
    insect

Check. Three is more than two. ✓

Worked example 2.3.3
Is a worm a vertebrate? Write yes or no.

Method. Check whether the worm has a backbone.

  1. Check the worm. A worm has a long soft body and no backbone.
    no backbone
  2. Decide. An animal without a backbone is not a vertebrate, so the answer is no.
    no
  3. Write the answer.
    no

Check. A worm is an invertebrate. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a spider is not an insect. A spider has 8 legs and 2 body parts, while an insect has 6 legs and 3 body parts.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Find a spider or an insect in a garden, with a grown-up, and look at it from a safe distance. Count its legs, and count its body parts. Do not touch the animal. Wash your hands afterwards.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “How many legs did you count? How many parts can you see on the body?” Let your child count carefully, and do not handle the animal.

Exercise 2C  Animals without a backbone

1
FDoes a worm have a backbone? Write yes or no.
2
FHow many legs does a spider have? Write the number.
3
FHow many legs does an insect have? Write the number.
4
FHow many body parts does an insect have? Write the number.
5
FHow many body parts does a spider have? Write the number.
6
FFill in the gap: an animal without a backbone is called an ___. Write the word.
7
FWhich group has 8 legs and 2 body parts? Write the word.
8
FWhich has more legs: a spider or an insect? Write the name.
9
PSA snail has a soft body and a shell. Is a snail a vertebrate? Write yes or no.
10
PSWhich of these animals has 6 legs: spider or insect? Write the name.
11
PSWrite the name of the group that has a long soft body and no legs.
12
RExplain how to tell an insect from a spider. Write one sentence.
2.4

Grouping plants

Year 4
LH1: living things can be grouped in a variety of ways, including plants with and without flowers
Video lesson: Grouping plantsComing soon
Story. Priya and Leo collect plants from the park. Priya finds a rose and a daisy with flowers. Leo finds a fern and some moss without any flowers. “Are these all plants?” asks Leo. “Yes, but they belong to different groups,” says Mr Patel.

Plants can be grouped by whether they have flowers. Flowering plants have flowers, and most of them make seeds inside their flowers. Non-flowering plants do not have flowers. Ferns and mosses are non-flowering plants.

FloweringNon-floweringrosefern
A rose with flowers, and a fern with leaf-like fronds but no flowers.

The table sorts four plants into two groups.

PlantFlowering or non-flowering?
Roseflowering
Daisyflowering
Fernnon-flowering
Mossnon-flowering

Key ideas

  • Plants can be grouped by whether they have flowers.
  • Flowering plants have flowers, and make seeds in them.
  • Ferns and mosses are non-flowering plants.
  • A plant can be grouped by features, just like an animal.
Worked example 2.4.1
Is a rose a flowering plant? Write yes or no.

Method. Look at the picture and the table.

  1. Look at the rose. A rose has flowers.
    flowers
  2. Decide. A plant that has flowers is a flowering plant, so the answer is yes.
    yes
  3. Write the answer.
    yes

Check. The table says the rose is a flowering plant. ✓

Worked example 2.4.2
Is a fern a flowering plant? Write yes or no.

Method. Look at the picture and the table.

  1. Look at the fern. A fern has leaf-like fronds and no flowers.
    no flowers
  2. Decide. A plant with no flowers is not a flowering plant, so the answer is no.
    no
  3. Write the answer.
    no

Check. Ferns are non-flowering plants. ✓

Worked example 2.4.3
How many non-flowering plants are in the table? Write the number.

Method. Count the non-flowering rows.

  1. Read the table. The non-flowering plants are the fern and the moss.
    fern and moss
  2. Count them. There are two non-flowering plants.
    2
  3. Write the answer.
    2

Check. The other two plants in the table are flowering plants. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a plant with green leaves is not always a flowering plant. Look for flowers before you decide.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). With a grown-up, look at two plants in a garden or park. Decide whether each one is a flowering or a non-flowering plant, and write the group next to each name. Do not pick flowers or touch unknown plants.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “Can you see any flowers? Which group does this plant belong to?” Let your child decide by looking, and never let them taste or touch an unknown plant.

Exercise 2D  Grouping plants

1
FDoes a rose have flowers? Write yes or no.
2
FDoes a fern have flowers? Write yes or no.
3
FWhich plant in the table is a moss? Write the name.
4
FHow many flowering plants are in the table? Write the number.
5
FFill in the gap: flowering plants make ___ inside their flowers. Write the word.
6
FTrue or false: ferns and mosses have flowers. Write true or false.
7
FHow many non-flowering plants are in the table? Write the number.
8
PSA daisy is a plant with flowers. Write its group: flowering or non-flowering.
9
PSWhich of these plants does not have flowers: rose, daisy or fern? Write the name.
10
PSName one non-flowering plant in the table. Write one name.
11
RExplain why a rose and a fern are in different groups. Write one sentence.
12
RWrite one question you could ask to sort plants into two groups.
2.5

Comparing groups with tables and Venn diagrams

Year 4
LH1: classify living things into groups, and compare the groups by their shared features
Video lesson: Comparing groups with tables and Venn diagramsComing soon
Story. Ruby is making a poster about eight animals she saw at the farm and the park. “I want to show which animals have a backbone, and which ones have fur,” she says. Mr Patel says, “A Venn diagram with two circles will show that very clearly.”

A Venn diagram uses two overlapping circles to show two groups. Each circle is one group. Living things in the overlap belong to both groups. Living things outside both circles belong to neither.

The table lists eight animals, with whether each one has a backbone, and its group.

AnimalHas a backbone?Group
Goldfishyesfish
Frogyesamphibian
Robinyesbird
Snailnosnails and slugs
Earthwormnoworms
Spidernospiders
Dogyesmammal
Mouseyesmammal
Has a backboneHas fur or hairGoldfish, Frog,RobinDog, Mouse(none inthis table)Outside both circles: Snail, Earthworm, Spider
A Venn diagram of the eight animals. Left circle: has a backbone. Right circle: has fur or hair. Overlap: both.

Key ideas

  • A Venn diagram has two overlapping circles, each showing one group.
  • Things in the overlap belong to both groups.
  • Things outside both circles belong to neither group.
  • To find a total, add the numbers in each part of the diagram.
Worked example 2.5.1
How many animals in the table have a backbone? Write the number.

Method. Count the rows that say yes.

  1. Read the second column. The rows that say yes are the goldfish, frog, robin, dog and mouse.
    five yes
  2. Count them. There are five animals with a backbone.
    5
  3. Write the answer.
    5

Check. The three rows that say no are the snail, earthworm and spider. ✓

Worked example 2.5.2
In the Venn diagram, how many animals are in the overlap? Write the number.

Method. Find the overlap.

  1. Find the overlap. The overlap is the part inside both circles: Dog and Mouse.
    Dog and Mouse
  2. Count them. There are two animals in the overlap.
    2
  3. Write the answer.
    2

Check. Dog and mouse both have a backbone and fur or hair. ✓

Worked example 2.5.3
How many animals are in the Venn diagram altogether? Write the number.

Method. Add the three parts of the diagram.

  1. Count each part. Backbone only has 3, both has 2, and neither has 3.
    3 + 2 + 3
  2. Add them. 3 plus 2 plus 3 makes 8 animals.
    8
  3. Write the answer.
    8

Check. The table also has eight animals. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a Venn diagram has three parts that could contain animals inside the circles, and one part outside both circles. Count every part.

Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Make a simple Venn diagram with two hoops or two sheets of paper, with a grown-up. Sort five toys or pictures of animals into it, using one feature. Count how many are in each part.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “Which part of the diagram is this in? Does it belong to both groups?” Let your child place each picture first, and then count each part.

Exercise 2E  Comparing groups with tables and Venn diagrams

1
FHow many animals in the table have no backbone? Write the number.
2
FWhich two animals in the table have fur or hair? Write the names.
3
FHow many animals are in the overlap of the Venn diagram? Write the number.
4
FHow many animals are in the Venn diagram altogether? Write the number.
5
FHow many animals have a backbone but no fur or hair? Write the number.
6
FIs a robin in the circle for fur or hair? Write yes or no.
7
FIs a spider in the circle for a backbone? Write yes or no.
8
PSAdd the number of animals with a backbone and the number without a backbone. What is the total? Write the number.
9
PSWrite the name of one animal that is in both circles of the Venn diagram. Write one name.
10
PSRuby says the spider belongs in the overlap, because it has legs. Is Ruby right? Write no, and give one reason.
11
RExplain why the snail is in neither circle of the Venn diagram. Write one sentence.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
GroupingLiving things can be grouped in many ways, using features they share.
Animals with a backboneVertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Each group has its own features.
Animals without a backboneInvertebrates: snails and slugs, worms, spiders and insects. Count legs and body parts to tell them apart.
PlantsFlowering plants have flowers and make seeds in them. Ferns and mosses are non-flowering plants.
Tables and Venn diagramsA table sorts living things by their features. In a Venn diagram, the overlap belongs to both groups.

Can you…?

  • I can explain that living things can be grouped in many ways
  • I can name the five groups of animals with a backbone, and give a feature of each
  • I can name some animals without a backbone, and say how to tell an insect from a spider
  • I can sort plants into flowering and non-flowering plants
  • I can read a Venn diagram and count the animals in each part

Key terms

group
living things that share one or more features
feature
something about a living thing that can be seen, counted or measured
vertebrate
an animal with a backbone
invertebrate
an animal without a backbone
backbone
a line of bones down the back that supports the body
amphibian
a vertebrate with moist skin, that usually lays eggs in water, such as a frog
reptile
a vertebrate with dry scaly skin, such as a lizard or a snake
mammal
a vertebrate with fur or hair, that feeds its young on milk
flowering plant
a plant that has flowers, and makes seeds in them
Venn diagram
two overlapping circles that show two groups, with the overlap in both groups

Exercise 2Z  Check-up

1
Write the name of the group that has feathers and a beak.
2
Write the name of the group that has fins and scales, and lives in water.
3
Which group has moist skin, and usually lays eggs in water? Write the word.
4
A whale, a bat and a dolphin all feed their young on milk. Write the name of the group they belong to.
5
How many legs does an insect have? Write the number.
6
How many body parts does a spider have? Write the number.
7
A penguin is which group? Write the word.
8
Write one feature that all mammals share.
9
Are a snail and a worm both invertebrates? Write yes or no.
10
Explain why a bat is grouped with mammals, not birds. Write one sentence.

Total 16 marks. Allow about 16 minutes.

Exercise 2X  Practice test questions

1
FWrite the name of the group that has dry scaly skin.[1 mark]
2
FHow many legs does a spider have? Write the number.[1 mark]
3
FIs a frog a fish? Write yes or no.[1 mark]
4
PSHere are four animals: dog, snail, goldfish and mouse. Write the names of the two that are mammals.[2 marks]
5
FWrite the name of the group of animals without a backbone that have 6 legs and 3 body parts.[1 mark]
6
FA rose and a fern are plants. Write the group the rose belongs to: flowering or non-flowering.[1 mark]
7
FWrite one feature of a bird, and one feature of a fish.[2 marks]
8
RExplain why a snail and a spider are in different groups. Write one sentence.[2 marks]
9
FSort these animals into their groups: frog, lizard, snake and shark. Write the group of each one, in the same order.[3 marks]
10
FHere are four animals: robin, goldfish, spider and earthworm. Write the names of the two that have no backbone.[2 marks]
← Chapter 1: Working scientifically revisitedChapter 3: Classification keys →

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