ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Smile and Learn English Invertebrate animals for kids: arthropods, worms, cnidarians, mollusks, sponges, echinoderms
Hello everyone! Today, we’re going to learn about some amazing animals called invertebrates. Do you know what makes them special? Invertebrates are animals that don’t have a backbone or skeleton. Some of them have hard outer shells to protect themselves. There are six main groups of invertebrates: mollusks, worms, arthropods, cnidarians, echinoderms, and sponges. Let’s explore each group and discover some fun facts!
Have you ever watched ants working together? They belong to a group of invertebrates called arthropods. Arthropods have a hard outer shell called an exoskeleton, which protects their bodies. They also have jointed legs to help them move. Arthropods are divided into groups based on the number of legs they have: insects have six legs, arachnids have eight legs, crustaceans have ten legs, and myriapods have more than ten legs. They can live on land, in water, and some can even fly!
Did you know that arthropods are the largest group of animals in the world, with over 10 million different types? Some ants can lift 100 times their body weight, which is like a person lifting four cars!
Next, let’s talk about mollusks. These animals have soft bodies, and some have shells for protection. Mollusks are divided into three groups: gastropods, cephalopods, and bivalves. Gastropods, like snails, use a muscular foot to move and have eyes on their tentacles. Bivalves, like clams, have shells that close tightly to keep them safe. Cephalopods, like squids, have long tentacles and live in water.
Did you know that some squids can grow as tall as a five-story building? That’s huge!
Worms have long, soft bodies and breathe through their moist skin. They don’t have legs, so they crawl using their muscles and tiny bristles called setae. Worms can live on land, like earthworms, or in water, like leeches.
Earthworms are important for keeping soil healthy. They dig tunnels that help air and nutrients reach plant roots. The longest worm ever found was 180 feet long, which is longer than an Olympic-sized swimming pool!
Cnidarians include animals like jellyfish. They are divided into two groups: jellyfish and polyp animals. Jellyfish have see-through, jelly-like bodies and tentacles with stingers to catch food. Polyp animals live on reefs or rocks and have tentacles and a mouth on the top of their bodies.
Echinoderms are marine animals that move slowly on the ocean floor using tiny tube feet. Starfish are a type of echinoderm and have tube feet and a mouth on the bottom of their bodies.
Did you know that if a starfish loses a leg, it can grow a new one?
Sponges have bodies full of tiny holes called pores. They live in the sea and attach themselves to rocks and reefs. Sponges can’t swim, so they were once thought to be plants. They use their pores to filter food from the water.
Did you know that sea sponges have been used for washing and bathing for centuries?
That’s all about invertebrates! If you want to keep learning, try exploring more about these fascinating creatures. Have fun discovering the amazing world of invertebrates!
Invertebrate Scavenger Hunt: Go on a scavenger hunt in your backyard or local park to find examples of invertebrates. Look for ants, worms, snails, or spiders. Use a magnifying glass to observe them closely. Can you identify which group each invertebrate belongs to? Draw a picture of each invertebrate you find and label its group.
Create Your Own Invertebrate: Use clay or playdough to create your own invertebrate. Think about the different groups we learned about: arthropods, mollusks, worms, cnidarians, echinoderms, and sponges. What special features will your invertebrate have? Will it have an exoskeleton like an arthropod or a soft body like a mollusk? Share your creation with your family and explain which group it belongs to and why.
Observation Journal: Start an observation journal to record your findings about invertebrates. Each day, choose one invertebrate to observe. Write down what you see, such as how it moves, what it eats, and where it lives. Ask yourself questions like: How does this invertebrate protect itself? What role does it play in its environment? Share your journal with your class and discuss your observations.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Hello everyone! Today we’re going to talk about invertebrate animals. Do you know what these animals are? Invertebrates have no backbone or skeleton. Some invertebrate animals have hard outer shells that they use for protection. Invertebrates fall into six groups: mollusks, worms, arthropods, cnidarians, echinoderms, and sponges. Would you like to learn more about them? Here they come!
[Music]
Wow, look at all those ants! Have you seen how they work together as a team? Today, I’m here to talk about a group of invertebrate animals called arthropods. Do you know what kind of animals they are? Don’t worry, I’ll explain it to you quickly.
Arthropods are very different from one another, but they have a lot in common. They have an external skeleton called an exoskeleton, which protects the soft parts of their bodies. Some arthropods shed their exoskeletons several times throughout their lives to grow; this process is called molting. Arthropods have jointed legs, which they use to move around. Depending on the number of legs they have, we divide arthropods into different groups: insects have six legs, arachnids have eight legs, crustaceans have ten legs, and myriapods have more than ten legs. Arthropods can live on land, in water, and some can even fly.
Here are some interesting facts about arthropods: they are the largest group in the animal kingdom, with more than 10 million different types in the world! Did you know that there is an ant species that can lift 100 times its body weight? That’s equivalent to a human lifting the weight of four cars! Amazing!
Now, let’s talk about another group of invertebrate animals: mollusks. Do you know what kind of animals mollusks are? Mollusks are very different from one another, but they also have a lot in common. Their bodies are soft, and in some cases, they are protected by a shell, while in others, they have no shell at all. Mollusks are classified into three groups: gastropods, cephalopods, and bivalves.
Gastropods, like snails, move thanks to their muscular foot. Did you know that their eyes are on their tentacles? Bivalves, like clams, have shells that close tightly to protect them from predators. Cephalopods, like squids, have long tentacles and live only in water. Most mollusks, like squids, swim, while others, like marine limpets, attach themselves to rocks.
Did you know there are squids that can grow as tall as a five-story building? Amazing!
Now, let’s talk about worms. Worms have long, soft bodies, and their skin is moist. They breathe through their skin. They don’t have legs, which is why they crawl using their body muscles and tiny bristles called setae. Worms can live on land, like earthworms, or in water, like leeches.
Did you know that earthworms are really important for soil health? They dig burrows that help oxygenate the soil and transport nutrients and minerals. The longest worm ever found measured 180 feet—longer than an Olympic-sized swimming pool!
Next, let’s discuss cnidarians, which include jellyfish. Cnidarians are marine animals divided into two groups: jellyfish and polyp animals. Jellyfish have almost transparent bodies and are gelatinous, resembling umbrellas. Their tentacles have toxic substances that they use to capture prey.
Polyp animals live on reefs or attach themselves to rocks using their suckers. They also have tentacles and a mouth, but unlike jellyfish, their mouth and tentacles are on the upper part of their body.
Now, let’s move on to echinoderms. Echinoderms are exclusively marine animals that move slowly on the seabed using tiny tube feet. For example, a starfish has tiny tube feet and a mouth on the lower surface of its body.
Did you know that when a starfish loses one of its legs, a new one will grow in its place?
Finally, let’s talk about sponges. Sponges have bodies full of pores. Many sponges are soft and smooth, but others can be hard and rough. They live in the sea and attach themselves to rocks and reefs. Sponges can’t swim, which is why they were thought to be plants for many years. They use their pores to feed on plankton and tiny particles of bacteria in the water.
Did you know that sea sponges have been used for centuries for washing and bathing?
That’s all about invertebrates! If you want to keep learning, try our Smile and Learn platform for free for a month and enjoy all of our games, videos, and interactive stories. Download Smile and Learn on your mobile device or PC!
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This version maintains the educational content while removing informal language and unnecessary phrases.
