Y4 Autumn 1.1 · Group and classify living things · Scheme of Work & Lesson Plans

Scheme of work — at a glance

This is the first block of the Year 4 autumn term. Five lessons take pupils from grouping animals by their features, through vertebrates and invertebrates, to using and making their own classification keys for both animals and plants — building a clear answer to the enquiry “how can living things be grouped and classified?” Every lesson runs the same structure — Arrival → Starter → I do → We do → Independent → Exit — in about 44 minutes, differentiated across three primary tiers.

#	Lesson	Learning objective	Key vocabulary
1	Group animals	Sort animals into the five vertebrate groups by their features; know a vertebrate has a spine.	vertebrate, mammal, bird, fish, amphibian, reptile	Open →
2	Vertebrates and invertebrates	Split animals by whether they have a spine; group invertebrates and meet the exoskeleton. Our enquiry begins.	invertebrate, insect, spider, exoskeleton	Open →
3	Classification keys (animals)	Use and make a key of closed yes/no questions about features to identify animals.	classification key, closed question, feature	Open →
4	Group plants	Group plants — flowering vs non-flowering, deciduous vs evergreen.	flowering, non-flowering, deciduous, evergreen	Open →
5	Classification keys (plants)	Use keys to classify plants and answer the enquiry — living things are grouped by their features.	classification key, spores, classify	Open →

National Curriculum coverage

Recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways.
Explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment.

Working scientifically

Identifying, classifying and grouping living things by their features (throughout).
Using and constructing simple classification keys of closed yes/no questions (L3, L5).
Gathering, recording and presenting findings, and answering the enquiry (L2–L5).

Vocabulary across the block

living thingsvertebrateinvertebratemammalbirdfishamphibianreptileinsectspiderexoskeletonclassification keyfloweringnon-floweringdeciduousevergreenclassify

Assessment

A tiered exit ticket every lesson (Seedling / Sapling / Oak).
Interactive independent sorter self-checks understanding in the moment.
The block builds to pupils’ own classification keys answering the enquiry.

Prior learning & next steps

Builds on (Y2): animals — mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, and their needs. Working scientifically: identifying, grouping and classifying, and using and making keys.

Leads to (Y6): classifying living things into broad groups, micro-organisms, and Carl Linnaeus.

How each lesson is built

Every lesson is a single interactive web page: six-phase structure with on-screen timings; three tiers on the four pupil-facing tasks; a short teaching video; a self-contained animation targeting the lesson’s key misconception; TA Focus and Cold Call prompts; and a one-click print pack.

Differentiation tiers map to attainment bands: 🌱 Seedling = working towards · 🌿 Sapling = expected · 🌳 Oak = greater depth.

1

Group animals

LO: Identify and sort animals into the five vertebrate groups using their features.

🌱 SeedlingSorts a mammal and a fish with support.

🌿 SaplingNames vertebrate groups and a feature of each.

🌳 OakExplains why a whale is a mammal, not a fish.

Lesson structure (≈44 min)

Phase	Min	What happens
Arrival	4	New topic and start of the term — recap Year 2 animal groups.
Starter	5	Introduce ‘vertebrate’ and the five groups.
I do 1	6	The five vertebrate groups and their features (video).
We do 1	6	Sort animals by group, using harder examples.
I do 2	4	Look past where it lives (animation: spine + the five groups).
We do 2	5	True/false on the groups.
Independent	10	Mammal / fish / myth sorter + tiered write-up.
Exit	4	Three tiered questions.

Misconceptions to addressThat an animal in water must be a fish (a whale is a mammal), and that bats are birds — features decide the group, not habitat.

Resources: video Vertebrate animals for kids; spine-and-groups animation; Mammal/Fish Sorter; TA Focus; Cold Call; print pack.

Open Lesson 1 →

2

Vertebrates and invertebrates

LO: Understand invertebrates have no spine, group them, and know what an exoskeleton is. The enquiry is introduced.

🌱 SeedlingKnows an invertebrate has no spine.

🌿 SaplingExplains the difference between a vertebrate and an invertebrate.

🌳 OakExplains why a spider is not an insect.

Lesson structure (≈44 min)

Phase	Min	What happens
Arrival	4	Recap L1 (vertebrate groups).
Starter	5	Introduce ‘invertebrate’, exoskeleton and the enquiry question.
I do 1	6	Invertebrates up close — insects, spiders, soft-bodied (video).
We do 1	6	Split animals vertebrate / invertebrate together.
I do 2	4	Inside vs outside (animation: spine vs exoskeleton).
We do 2	5	Vertebrate or invertebrate? Reason each one.
Independent	10	Vertebrate / invertebrate / myth sorter + tiered write-up.
Exit	4	Three tiered questions.

Misconceptions to addressThat all minibeasts are insects (spiders have eight legs), and that invertebrates have a skeleton inside (the exoskeleton is outside).

Resources: video Invertebrates for kids; inside/outside animation; Vertebrate/Invertebrate Sorter; TA Focus; Cold Call; print pack.

Open Lesson 2 →

3

Classification keys (animals)

LO: Use and construct a simple key of closed yes/no questions to identify and sort animals.

🌱 SeedlingAnswers a yes/no question about an animal.

🌿 SaplingWrites good closed yes/no key questions.

🌳 OakMakes a short key that separates several animals.

Lesson structure (≈44 min)

Phase	Min	What happens
Arrival	4	Recap L2 (vertebrates and invertebrates).
Starter	5	A key = closed yes/no questions about features.
I do 1	6	Questions that sort — asking about features (video).
We do 1	6	Walk an animal down a key together.
I do 2	4	A key branches in two (animation: yes/no tree).
We do 2	5	Good key question or not? Sort statements.
Independent	10	Good / poor / not-a-question sorter + build a short key.
Exit	4	Three tiered questions.

Misconceptions to addressThat open questions (‘how furry is it?’) or opinion questions (‘is it cute?’) belong in a key — questions must be closed and about features.

Resources: video Animal groups; branching-key animation; Key Question Sorter; TA Focus; Cold Call; print pack.

Open Lesson 3 →

4

Group plants

LO: Group plants in different ways — flowering vs non-flowering, deciduous vs evergreen.

🌱 SeedlingSorts a flowering and a non-flowering plant.

🌿 SaplingExplains how flowering and non-flowering plants differ.

🌳 OakExplains why a fern is still a plant with no flowers.

Lesson structure (≈44 min)

Phase	Min	What happens
Arrival	4	Recap L3 (classification keys for animals).
Starter	5	Flowering vs non-flowering; deciduous vs evergreen.
I do 1	6	Ways to group plants (video).
We do 1	6	Sort plants flowering / non-flowering together.
I do 2	4	Flowers, or spores? (animation: flowering plant vs fern).
We do 2	5	Flowering or non-flowering? Reason each one.
Independent	10	Flowering / non-flowering / myth sorter + tiered write-up.
Exit	4	Three tiered questions.

Misconceptions to addressThat all plants have flowers or are green, and that plants are not living things — they grow, make food and reproduce.

Resources: video Classifying and grouping plants; flowering-vs-fern animation; Plant Group Sorter; TA Focus; Cold Call; print pack.

Open Lesson 4 →

5

Classification keys (plants)

LO: Use and construct keys to sort plants by their features, and answer the block enquiry.

🌱 SeedlingAnswers a yes/no question about a plant.

🌿 SaplingWrites good closed questions to sort plants.

🌳 OakAnswers the enquiry: living things are grouped by their features, using keys.

Lesson structure (≈44 min)

Phase	Min	What happens
Arrival	4	Recap L4 and review the whole block.
Starter	5	Keys work for plants using closed feature questions.
I do 1	6	Build a plant key — flowers first (video).
We do 1	6	Walk a plant down the key; answer the enquiry.
I do 2	4	The same key idea, for plants (animation: plant key).
We do 2	5	Good plant key question or not? Sort.
Independent	10	Good / poor / not-a-question sorter + answer the enquiry.
Exit	4	Tiered questions; block review.

Misconceptions to addressThat plant key questions can be broad or opinion-based — they must be specific, closed and about features; and that plants can’t be classified with keys (they can).

Resources: video Classifying and grouping plants; plant-key animation; Plant Key Sorter; TA Focus; Cold Call; print pack.

Open Lesson 5 →