Animal Structure and Function Science Games

In this series of games, your students will learn that plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. Animal Structure and Function learning objective — based on NGSS and state standards — delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as demonstrated by research.

Scroll down for a preview of this learning objective’s games and the concepts.

Concepts Covered

All organisms have structures, which are the physical parts that make up an organism. The structures in an organism have different purposes, or functions. External structures are located on the outside of an organism. Internal structures are located within an organism. The functions of internal and external structures work together as part of a system in an organism. These structures support an organism’s survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

An organism is a living thing. When organisms grow, they become larger over time. Behavior is how an organism responds to its environment. Survival is the ability of an organism to stay alive in its environment.

Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to parts of an animal’s body. Lungs in animals carry oxygen to the blood and remove carbon dioxide. An animal’s brain determines how it behaves in response to its environment. The stomach of an animal is where food is digested. Skin covers many animal bodies and protects them from their environments. The ovaries in a female animal produce eggs that allow for reproduction.

Organisms that share similar characteristics can be classified into groups. Vertebrates are animals that have backbones. Invertebrates are animals without backbones. Vertebrate animals have a skeletal system that gives their bodies structure and helps them to move. Some animals have an external skeleton that protects their bodies; this is called an exoskeleton. Vertebrate animals are classified into the following groups: fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal.

A preview of each game in the learning objective is found below.

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