Label Anatomy

FREE Butterfly Anatomy Posters by Hatching Curiosity (Click the image above to download)

Materials:

Nature Journal, writing utensil of choice, a plant or animal to observe

Activity:

Choose a plant or animal to observe. Draw the plant or animal in your nature journal and label its anatomy. Paying special attention to its unique or specialized features.

Younger: 

Have young children name the basic parts of their specimen: petals, stem, head, wings, tail, etc.

Older:

Challenge older children to research and label more specific features like the stamen, primary covert feathers, muzzle, dorsal fin, etc.

Take it Further:

Look at the anatomy of different plants and animals. Discuss how knowing the way an animal is shaped helps us understand the way it lives and interacts with its environment. If you are feeling splurgy then I recommend Montessori anatomy puzzles for teaching the basic parts of the main classes of vertebrates.