Wild Animals
Primary 4 · English
Wild Animals
Lesson 1 of 5
40 min
Primary 4 is looking at pictures of animals from Akagera National Park. “A crocodile lives in the water, so it is a fish!” says Ishimwe. “No, it isn't,” says Uwase. “It has no fins, and it can walk on land.”
Who is right? Today you will learn the names of wild animals and how to put them into groups.
Read the text and find the five animal groups.
Wild animals live free in forests, grasslands, rivers and lakes. Nobody feeds them. They find their own food and look after their own babies. Scientists put animals into groups. Animals in the same group are alike in some ways.
Mammals have hair or fur. Their babies drink milk from their mothers. Lions, zebras, elephants, gorillas and hippos are mammals.
Birds have feathers, wings and a beak. They lay eggs. Most birds can fly. The grey crowned crane, with its golden crown, is a bird. The ostrich is a bird too, but it cannot fly. It runs very fast instead.
Reptiles have dry skin covered with scales. Most reptiles lay eggs. Crocodiles, snakes, lizards and tortoises are reptiles.
Fish live in water all their lives. They breathe with gills and swim with fins. Tilapia and the little isambaza of Lake Kivu are fish.
Amphibians, like frogs, begin their lives in water. Later they can live on land too. Their skin is smooth and wet.
What is a wild animal?
An animal that lives free and finds its own food. Nobody feeds it.
How do we know that a zebra is a mammal?
It has hair, and its babies drink milk from their mother.
So, is a crocodile a fish?
No. It has dry skin with scales and it lays eggs, so it is a reptile. Uwase was right.
Use is for one animal and are for many:
Use an before a word that starts with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u): an elephant, an eagle, an ostrich, an antelope. Use a before other sounds: a lion, a hippo, a zebra, a crocodile.
| Rule | One | Many |
|---|---|---|
| Most words add -s | lion, giraffe, monkey | lions, giraffes, monkeys |
| Words ending in x, s, ch, sh add -es | fox, finch | foxes, finches |
| Some words do not change | fish, sheep | fish, sheep |
| Some words change inside | mouse, goose | mice, geese |
Speak: Play “Guess my animal” with a friend. Give three clues: It is a bird. It has a golden crown. It can dance. Your friend guesses: Is it a crowned crane?
Write four sentences about one wild animal: A … is a … . It has … . It can … . It can't … .
Tip
Listen to the first sound, not the first letter. If your mouth starts open (a, e, i, o, u), say an: an elephant, an eagle. Otherwise say a: a lion.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Which group does a snake belong to?
Answer: reptiles (dry skin with scales)
Write a or an: ___ antelope.
Answer: an (antelope starts with a vowel sound)
Write the plural: one mouse, two ___.
Answer: mice
Correct the mistake: A gorilla have black hair.
Answer: A gorilla has black hair.
Write one sentence about a bird that cannot fly.
Answer: Example: An ostrich is a bird, but it can't fly.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Match each animal to its group.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
