🐄 Animals Around Us

What your child will learn

• Students will name animals they see at home, on the street, on a farm, in water and in the forest, and sort them as pets, farm animals or wild animals.
• Students will group animals by what they eat (plants only, other animals, both) from what they have observed.
• Students will match animals to their shelters (nest, burrow, hive, den, shed, kennel, pond) and say why a shelter is needed.
• Students will describe how different animals move (walk, run, hop, fly, swim, crawl, slither) and connect movement to body parts (legs, wings, fins, no legs).
• Students will compare the ears and eyes of animals (ears outside the head or hidden, big or small; eyes in front or on the sides) and relate this to how animals sense danger.
• Students will order the life stages of a butterfly (egg, caterpillar, pupa, butterfly) and of a hen (egg, chick, hen).
• Students will state three ways to care for animals and birds around them and name animals that help people.

Lessons in this unit

1. Where We See Animals: Animals the child meets every day and where: at home (dog, cat, ant, lizard), on the street (cow, crow, pigeon, stray dog), on a farm (buffalo, goat, hen), in water (fish, frog, duck), in the forest (deer, monkey, elephant). Sort into pets, farm animals and wild animals.
2. What Animals Eat: Group animals by food from observation: plant-eaters (cow, goat, deer, rabbit, elephant), meat-eaters (cat, lion, eagle, lizard eats insects), both (dog, crow, hen, bear). Connect to what the child has seen a cow, crow or dog eat.
3. Animal Homes: Shelters animals use and why: nest (sparrow, crow), burrow (rat, rabbit), hive (bee), den (lion), tree hole (woodpecker, owl), web (spider), kennel and shed (dog, cow, kept by people), pond (fish, frog). Reason: safety from heat, rain and enemies, a place for the young.
4. How Animals Move: Ways of moving seen around us and the body parts used: walk and run on legs (cow, dog), hop (frog, rabbit), fly with wings (crow, sparrow, butterfly), swim with fins and tail (fish) or webbed feet (duck), crawl on many legs (ant, centipede), slither without legs (snake, earthworm).
5. Ears, Eyes and Senses: Compare animal ears and eyes from observation: ears that stick out (cow, dog, elephant, rabbit) and ears you cannot see (birds, lizard, frog, snake have ear holes or none); eyes in front (cat, owl) or on the sides (cow, rabbit, pigeon); animals that see well at night (cat, owl). Link big ears and side eyes to noticing danger.
6. From Egg to Butterfly: The life cycle of a butterfly in four stages (egg on a leaf, caterpillar that eats leaves, pupa that rests, butterfly) and of a hen (egg, chick, hen) as something the child can watch in a garden or a poultry yard. The cycle repeats: the butterfly lays eggs again.
7. Caring for Animals: How animals help people (dog guards, bullock pulls the cart, hen gives eggs, cow gives milk, bees give honey) and how we care for them: water bowl for birds in summer, feeding pets on time, not teasing or throwing stones, not touching nests, keeping the street clean of plastic that cows eat.

Key words

pet

An animal that lives with a family and is looked after by them, like a dog or a cat.

wild animal

An animal that lives on its own in a forest, river or field, like a deer or a monkey.

shelter

A safe place where an animal lives and rests, like a nest, a burrow or a shed.

burrow

A hole dug in the ground where animals like rats and rabbits live.

plant-eater

An animal that eats only plants, like a cow or a goat.

meat-eater

An animal that eats other animals, like a lion or a cat.

life cycle

The stages an animal passes through as it grows, from egg to grown-up, and then eggs again.

caterpillar

The baby of a butterfly: a small worm-like creature that eats leaves.

pupa

The resting stage when a caterpillar wraps itself up and slowly changes into a butterfly.

Help your child at home

What to watch for

Only lions, tigers and elephants are 'animals'; cows, dogs and birds are not.

Help: A dog, a cow, a crow, an ant and a fish are all animals. Animals are all around us, not only in the jungle.

All animals eat the same thing people give them.

Help: Each animal has its own food. A cow eats grass and husk; a cat eats fish, milk or meat; a crow eats almost anything.

All birds live in nests all the time.

Help: Birds build a nest mostly to lay eggs and keep chicks safe. At other times they rest on branches, roofs and wires.

Every bird can fly.

Help: A hen and a duck fly very little; an ostrich cannot fly at all. Wings do not always mean flying.

Try this at home

• Riya looks out of her window: crow, cow, dog, squirrel. Which live with people, which live on their own?
• Meera watched a cow eat grass and a crow eat a chapati and a dead insect: sort them
• Kabir finds a crow's nest of twigs on the neem tree: who made it, what is it for?
• Fatima watches a frog hop and a fish swim in the pond: which body parts help them?

Quick questions to ask aloud

1. A squirrel runs up the mango tree in Arjun's school. Is it a pet, a farm animal or a wild animal? (wild animal: it lives on its own / pet: it lives in the school / farm animal: it eats fruit)
   Show answer

   wild animal: it lives on its own. The squirrel finds its own food and shelter and no one looks after it, so it is a wild animal even near a school.
2. Which animal eats only plants? (goat / cat / crow)
   Show answer

   A goat eats leaves, grass and peels. It is a plant-eater.
3. Why does a sparrow build a nest? (to lay eggs and keep its chicks safe / to store grains for winter / because it cannot sit on branches)
   Show answer

   to lay eggs and keep its chicks safe. The nest is a safe place for eggs and chicks. Grown-up sparrows rest on branches and roofs.

Parent guide: how to help your child with Class 3 EVS

Frequently asked questions

What will my child learn in "Animals Around Us" (Class 3 EVS)?

Your child will be able to: Students will name animals they see at home, on the street, on a farm, in water and in the forest, and sort them as pets, farm animals or wild animals.; Students will group animals by what they eat (plants only, other animals, both) from what they have observed.; Students will match animals to their shelters (nest, burrow, hive, den, shed, kennel, pond) and say why a shelter is needed.; Students will describe how different animals move (walk, run, hop, fly, swim, crawl, slither) and connect movement to body parts (legs, wings, fins, no legs).; Students will compare the ears and eyes of animals (ears outside the head or hidden, big or small; eyes in front or on the sides) and relate this to how animals sense danger.; Students will order the life stages of a butterfly (egg, caterpillar, pupa, butterfly) and of a hen (egg, chick, hen).; Students will state three ways to care for animals and birds around them and name animals that help people..

How does MangoMindz teach "Animals Around Us"?

In 7 short parts (Where We See Animals, What Animals Eat, Animal Homes, How Animals Move, Ears, Eyes and Senses, From Egg to Butterfly, Caring for Animals). Each part has a picture-based lesson read aloud by Mango Teacher, a quick check, and a quiz built from common mistakes children make, with Mango, a study buddy, for questions.

How long does "Animals Around Us" take?

About 160 minutes in total, spread over 7 parts of 15–25 minutes each.

How can I help my child with "Animals Around Us" at home?

Work through a small example together, such as: Riya looks out of her window: crow, cow, dog, squirrel. Which live with people, which live on their own?; Meera watched a cow eat grass and a crow eat a chapati and a dead insect: sort them. Then ask a quick question aloud: A squirrel runs up the mango tree in Arjun's school. Is it a pet, a farm animal or a wild animal? (wild animal: it lives on its own / pet: it lives in the school / farm animal: it eats fruit)

What mistakes do children often make in "Animals Around Us"?

Only lions, tigers and elephants are 'animals'; cows, dogs and birds are not. Fix: A dog, a cow, a crow, an ant and a fish are all animals. Animals are all around us, not only in the jungle. All animals eat the same thing people give them. Fix: Each animal has its own food. A cow eats grass and husk; a cat eats fish, milk or meat; a crow eats almost anything. All birds live in nests all the time. Fix: Birds build a nest mostly to lay eggs and keep chicks safe. At other times they rest on branches, roofs and wires.

Is "Animals Around Us" free on MangoMindz?

Yes. Every lesson part and quiz in "Animals Around Us" is free on MangoMindz, with no ads.