Student Worksheet

Species Discovery Drawing - Activity Instructions

You have discovered a never before seen animal in your backyard. It’s unlike anything else that has ever existed! The world is waiting for you to release the first pictures of this creature, and since you discovered it, you get to name it as well.

A man named Carolus Linnaeus was the first one to think about organising living things, way back in the 18th century. We still use the basis of his system today.

Linnaeus’s system has seven levels:

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Every animal on the planet can be classified (sorted) according to this system. There are rules about what features an animal has to have to fit into a certain category. Whilst every animal fits into the Animalia Kingdom, the levels get more and more specific. So lions and tigers are identical right up until the Species level, which makes sense because cats are very similar in almost every way.

Classifying animals is known as taxonomy.

Safety advice: Be careful when using scissors and make sure never to run with them in your hand.

Step 1.

Use the checklist below to help you brainstorm a brand new animal.

Skin

Scales
Fur
Feathers
Carapace/shell

Legs

None
Two
Four
Multiple
Wings
Flippers

Eyes

Echolocation (seeing via sound like a bat)
Two
Multiple

Teeth

Carnivore (sharp teeth for ripping meat)
Herbivore (flat teeth for grinding plants)
Omnivore (mix of both)
Beak

Extras

Horns
Claws
Tail

Step 2.

Using your art supplies, create a drawing, painting or cut-paper collage of your animal. Experiment with textures to achieve the right look for your animal. Include a background to show what kind of habitat your animal lives in.

Step 3.

Write a few sentences about your animal. What does it eat and drink? Is it predator, or prey? Is it friendly, solitary or enemies with other animals? What noise does it make? What type of environment does it live in? Does it sleep during the day or the night?

Taking It Further

As the discoverer of this new species, you get the honour of naming it. However, there are very specific rules about how to name a new species. The only part of the animal’s name you really get to make up is the actual species name.

Using the search bar on the Animal Diversity Website, type in the name of an animal similar to the one you have created. Use the panel on the side to get an idea of the proper scientific name of your animal.

Species Discovery Drawing (home learning)

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