Animal vision lesson plans: six free lessons
Six ready lessons on light, colour and senses for ages 7 to 14. Each one runs with the free animals, has timings, curriculum links and a printable worksheet. No pupil accounts, nothing uploaded.
Ages 7 to 9
US grades 2 to 4; England Years 3 and 4
- Light and colour: Pupils explain that we see things because light bounces off them into our eyes, and that animal eyes use that light in different ways. 20 minutes. Worksheet
- Night eyes: Pupils learn that we need light to see, and that night hunters have eyes that make the most of very little light. 20 minutes. Worksheet
Ages 9 to 11
US grades 4 and 5; England Years 5 and 6
- Senses and survival: Pupils link the way an animal sees to the way it lives: hunters, hunted, day and night. 30 minutes. Worksheet
- Hide and seek: Pupils explore camouflage: a colour that hides an animal from one eye can stand out to another. 30 minutes. Worksheet
Ages 11 to 14
US middle school; England key stage 3
- Is it a fair test?: Pupils sort facts about animal eyes into measured and estimated, and discuss how scientists test eyes. 40 minutes. Worksheet
- Colour cells: Pupils connect the number of colour cell types (cone types) in the retina to the colours an animal can tell apart. 40 minutes. Worksheet
How to run them
Put the free tool on the board and follow the steps, or use class mode with a teacher licence: one big reveal, a guessing round with the names hidden, and a room code so pupils can try the same animals on their own photos.
Home educators are welcome to every lesson and worksheet. Curriculum links cover the US (NGSS) and England; other curricula have not been checked yet.