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Science Grade 2-3

Animal Coverings: Fur, Feathers, Scales, and Shells

How body coverings help animals survive

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Practice identifying animal coverings and explaining how fur, feathers, scales, and shells help animals stay safe, warm, dry, and protected.

Read each problem carefully. Use complete sentences when you explain your thinking.

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How body coverings help animals survive

Science - Grade 2-3

Instructions: Read each problem carefully. Use complete sentences when you explain your thinking.
  1. 1
    A fluffy rabbit with soft fur sitting on grass.

    A rabbit has soft fur covering its body. What is one way fur helps the rabbit?

  2. 2
    A duck with feathers near water droplets.

    A duck has feathers. What is one way feathers help a duck?

  3. 3
    A fish underwater with shiny overlapping scales.

    A fish has scales. How do scales help a fish?

  4. 4
    A turtle protected by its hard shell.

    A turtle has a shell. What is the main job of the turtle's shell?

  5. 5
    A cat, bird, snake, and clam showing different body coverings.

    Sort these animals by their body covering: cat, bird, snake, clam. Write fur, feathers, scales, or shell for each animal.

  6. 6
    A polar bear with thick fur standing in snow.

    A polar bear lives in a very cold place. Which body covering helps it stay warm, and why?

  7. 7
    A bird with fluffed feathers sitting in a nest.

    A bird uses its feathers to fly. Name one other way feathers can help a bird.

  8. 8
    Four animal coverings: fur, feather, scales, and shell.

    Which animal covering is usually hard: fur, feathers, scales, or shell? Explain your answer.

  9. 9
    A snake with dry protective scales moving over sand.

    A snake has dry scales. What is one way scales help protect a snake?

  10. 10
    A feathered bird with a beak beside a nest of eggs.

    Look at these clues: This animal has feathers, lays eggs, and has a beak. What type of animal covering does it have?

  11. 11
    A snail hiding inside its shell for protection.

    A snail carries a shell on its back. How can the shell help the snail when it is in danger?

  12. 12
    Animals with different coverings: fur, feathers, scales, and shell.

    Complete the sentence: Animals have different coverings because the coverings help them meet their needs. Give one example.

  13. 13
    A dog with fur beside a lizard with scales.

    A dog has fur, and a lizard has scales. How are their body coverings different?

  14. 14
    A turtle, robin, crab, and horse shown for comparing coverings.

    Circle the animals that have shells: turtle, robin, crab, horse. Then explain your choices.

  15. 15
    Example animals showing fur, feathers, scales, and shell.

    Choose one animal covering: fur, feathers, scales, or shell. Write the name of one animal with that covering and explain how the covering helps it.

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