Vertebrates and Invertebrates Sorting Cards - Nature Curriculum in ... - Free Printable

This image presents an educational activity for sorting animals into two categories: Vertebrates and Invertebrates. The task is to correctly place each animal from the bottom rows into the appropriate column on the grid above.

Let's solve this by first understanding the key difference between these two groups.

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Step 1: Define Vertebrates and Invertebrates

- Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone or spinal column. This group includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
- Invertebrates are animals that do *not* have a backbone. This includes insects, worms, jellyfish, crustaceans (like crabs and shrimp), starfish, and many others.

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Step 2: Examine the Animals Provided

The animals are listed in two rows at the bottom of the image. We will go through them one by one and classify them.

#### Left Column (Animals to classify):
1. Wombat - Mammal → Vertebrate
2. Eagle - Bird → Vertebrate
3. Tortoise - Reptile → Vertebrate
4. Snake - Reptile → Vertebrate
5. Elephant - Mammal → Vertebrate
6. Human - Mammal → Vertebrate
7. Bunny - Mammal → Vertebrate
8. Frog - Amphibian → Vertebrate
9. Fish - Fish → Vertebrate

#### Right Column (Animals to classify):
1. Shrimp - Crustacean → Invertebrate
2. Coral - Marine invertebrate → Invertebrate
3. Spider - Arachnid → Invertebrate
4. Crab - Crustacean → Invertebrate
5. Starfish - Echinoderm → Invertebrate
6. Jellyfish - Cnidarian → Invertebrate
7. Worm - Annelid → Invertebrate
8. Centipede - Myriapod → Invertebrate

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Step 3: Complete the Sorting Grid

Based on the classifications above:

#### INVERTEBRATES column should contain:
- Shrimp
- Coral
- Spider
- Crab
- Starfish
- Jellyfish
- Worm
- Centipede

#### VERTEBRATES column should contain:
- Wombat
- Eagle
- Tortoise
- Snake
- Elephant
- Human
- Bunny
- Frog
- Fish

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Final Answer

To complete the worksheet:

- Place all the animals from the right-hand row (shrimp, coral, spider, crab, starfish, jellyfish, worm, centipede) into the Invertebrates column.
- Place all the animals from the left-hand row (wombat, eagle, tortoise, snake, elephant, human, bunny, frog, fish) into the Vertebrates column.

This sorting is based on the fundamental biological distinction: vertebrates have backbones, while invertebrates do not.