Animals

Here is our collection of Web sites on animals, including endangered species, animal classification, animal photos, sounds and more. If you can't get out to take a wildlife walk or a trip to the zoo with your students, use these Web sites to bring the world of animals into your classroom! (See Oceans in the archives for more about aquatic animals and their habitats.)

Endangered Species | Animal Classification | General

Endangered Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program provides facts about all U.S. endangered species, with scientific and legal information that makes the site appropriate for older students.

Endangered Species Kids Corner, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides information tailored for younger students and includes a teachers’ section with downloadable materials.

ARKive features video clips, photographs and sound recordings of many endangered animals. The site from the British charity Wildscreen also provides multimedia lessons on nature topics.

Critter Corner, from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, provides information on the state’s wildlife, including endangered and threatened species.

Keep the Wild Alive, from the National Wildlife Association, is an interactive site that presents basic facts about 25 endangered species, video clips, a detailed explanation of why each species is endangered, and information on what students can do to help.

World Wildlife Fund Species Home offers information about many endangered animals and their habitats.

Endangered Species of the Next Millennium takes a comprehensive look at the problem of animal extinctions. This student-created site includes audio and video clips, quizzes, and an interactive story.

Mountain Gorillas has interdisciplinary, problem-based learning modules for grades 7-12 from NASA Classrooms for the Future’s Exploring the Environment. Simulation activities ask students to evaluate social, economic, and environmental factors affecting gorilla survival and to make recommendations.

Florida Everglades gives interdisciplinary, problem-based learning modules for grades 5-8 from NASA Classrooms for the Future’s Exploring the Environment. Students are asked to make predictions about the future of the Florida Panther based on an Earth system science analysis of water restoration in the Everglades.

How Pono the Happy Face Spider Found His Smile is a lesson on Hawaii’s rare and endangered animals. The elementary students who created this site use storytelling to teach and include a glossary, games, and a quiz.

The Watchlist, from the National Audubon Society, identifies and gives information about threatened North American bird species, a list of birds by state, and activities for children.

Species at Risk in Canada includes information and photographs for species on the Canadian endangered species list.

Animal Classification

Phylogeny of Life, from the University of California-Berkeley Museum of Paleontology, looks at life on Earth, using graphics and text to outline each group's fossil record, life history, ecology, systematics, and morphology. A “Web Lift to Taxa” brings up information and additional Web links about each phylum.

Guide to the Animal Kingdom for Students and Educators, from BIOSIS, is a simplified classification scheme that allows users to easily position an animal group within the animal kingdom and link to related information.

Zoological Record Taxonomic Hierarchy, from the Zoological Society of London, allows users to search for specific taxonomic terms or browse the hierarchy by phyla.

The Tree of Life web project is a “phylogenetic navigator” that offers information about the phylogenetic relationships and characteristics of organisms and links to other biological information available on the Internet.

Classification of Living Things is a tutorial on the principles of taxonomy from a professor at Palomar College. The tutorial includes illustrated lessons, tables, and quizzes suitable for high school or college students.

A to Z of Classification from the Forest of Leeds provides lessons designed for elementary students on animal and plant classification and identification.

Animal Classifications: Vertebrates for K12, from the Internet School Library Media Center at James Madison University, offers a brief introduction to classification with many Web links.

Classifying Critters from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute is an online activity that helps elementary students learn about the main categories of vertebrates by grouping animals and then identifying their common characteristics.

Classify This is a simple animal classification game from Scholastic.

Diversity of Life is a teacher guide to the ecology of the ocean for grades 7-12. Developed by the Sea World Education Department, it includes sections on animal diversity, classification, and taxonomy.

Animal Classification Unit is a comprehensive lesson plan for third-grade students.

Mammal Species of the World is a database from the Smithsonian Institution that will give the scientific name of any mammal (not bird, reptile, or other animal) if its common name is typed in the blank field.

Fishbase, from the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, is a database on more than 25,000 species of fish that can be searched by common or scientific name.

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General

The Kids' Planet Web site from Defenders of Wildlife contains fact sheets about many animals, an in-depth interactive unit about wolves, and games and quizzes. The teachers' section includes multi-disciplinary units about wolves, sea otters and black bears.

Animal ABC's from the ASPCA's Animaland site lets young students learn about 26 animals while practicing the alphabet.

Animal Diversity Web from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology provides information on distributions, natural history, conservation, and economic importance of many animals. Suggestions for using the site with high school and college students are also presented.

Nature Guides, from eNature.com, provides online versions of many Audubon field guides students can use to identify and learn about North American animals. The site also features local guides, habitat guides, and an “Ask an Expert” section.

The National Zoo Web site includes information about many animals and their habitats, Webcams showing live animal action, and more than 200 animal photos from the photo library.

Animal Information, from Sea World and Busch Gardens, features information for elementary and middle-school students about many animals.

Creature Feature, from the National Geographic Society, presents a multimedia look at several animals that are popular with younger students, such as the panda, polar bear, hippo, and koala.

Animal Fun from the PBS series Nature includes interactive features about a wide variety of animal topics, like Hippo Quest, Dogsledding and Termite Teamwork.

Animals A to Z, from the Oakland Zoo, provides fact sheets with photographs of many animals.

Kratt’s Creatures, from PBS, provides information on a variety of animals, as well as quizzes and games for elementary students.

Animals, from the National Aquarium in Boston, offers information about many aquatic animals.

All About Birds, from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, provides detailed information about many birds and audio clips of their calls.

Cats: Plans for Perfection, from the National Geographic Society, takes an in-depth look at the cat family, with sections on the skeleton, muscles, senses, coat, and behavior.

Tarantulas, from the National Geographic Society, features illustrations and information about different tarantulas, including their anatomy and life cycle.

Bald Eagles provides information on eagle ecology, history, and folklore. The site was created by and for elementary and middle-school students.

Monarch Watch, from the University of Kansas Entomology Program, gives detailed information about the monarch butterfly's life cycle and migration patterns, as well as challenges for students, research project ideas, and curriculum suggestions.

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