Teach first graders that some animals are vertebrates, or animals with backbones, and that one way to classify them is to look at their body coverings. Use large pictures of fish, birds and mammals to show students examples of scales, feathers and fur.
If possible, bring in samples of live animals or real samples of the body coverings. Allow students to examine the samples or animals through their containers with magnifying glasses. Have them draw small pictures of each type of body covering to add to the project.
Have students look through animal picture books to locate animals of all three types with a partner or group. Have each pair or group show the class their examples so all students see many examples of scales, feathers and fur in preparation for completing the project.
Provide students with a poster board divided into three parts. Assist students in writing the titles "Scales," "Feathers" and "Fur" in the boxes. Have students locate wild, fictional and pet animal examples that have the three types of body coverings. Ask parents to assist with pet picture copies of animals with scales, feathers or fur for the projects. Use wildlife magazines to locate pictures kids can cut out of wild animals with the different body coverings.
Have students create fictional examples of animals with these body coverings and add them to a poster project or create a hand drawn picture book of them. Guide students to search in popular book titles to find animal characters with the different body coverings. Help students draw pictures of fictional characters such as the fish in the picture book "Rainbow Fish" to attach to the poster or book.