6

Science 6
Quarter 2 - Module 3:
Characteristics of Vertebrates
and Invertebrates

AIRs - LM
LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
Science 6
Quarter 2 - Module 3: Characteristics of Vertebrates and Invertebrates
Second Edition, 2021

Copyright © 2021
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form without written
permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: Jhoanne A. Lomboy

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team
Content Reviewer: Leilani O. Olpindo
Language Reviewer: Maribel Bugnosen
Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr.
Design and Layout: Jesus O. Corpuz

Management Team:

Atty. Donato D. Balderas Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent
Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, PhD
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
German E. Flora, PhD, CID Chief
Virgilio C. Boado, PhD, EPS in Charge of LRMS
Rominel S. Sobremonte, EdD, EPS in Charge of Science
Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II
Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II

Printed in the Philippines by:

Department of Education – SDO La Union

Office Address: Flores St. Catbangen, San Fernando City, La Union
Telefax: 072 – 205 – 0046
Email Address: launion@deped.gov.ph
 6
Science
Quarter 2 - Module 3:
Characteristics of Vertebrates
and Invertebrates
Introductory Message
This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear
learners, can continue your studies and learn while at home. Activities,
questions, directions, exercises, and discussions are carefully stated for you
to understand each lesson.

Each SLM is composed of different parts. Each part shall guide you
step-by-step as you discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

Pre-tests are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in

each SLM. This will tell you if you need to proceed on completing this module
or if you need to ask your facilitator or your teacher’s assistance for better
understanding of the lesson. At the end of each module, you need to answer
the post-test to self-check your learning. Answer keys are provided for each
activity and test. We trust that you will be honest in using these.

In addition to the material in the main text, Notes to the Teacher are
also provided to our facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on
how they can best help you on your home-based learning.

Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on
any part of this SLM. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises
and tests. And read the instructions carefully before performing each task.

If you have any questions in using this SLM or any difficulty in

answering the tasks in this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher
or facilitator.

Thank you.
 Target

This module was made and written with you in mind. It will help you
develop your skills in determining the different characteristics of vertebrates
and invertebrates.

After going through this module, you are expected to determine the
characteristics of animals with backbones and animals without backbones.
This module will provide you information and activities that will help you
understand about the distinguishing characteristics of vertebrates and
invertebrates.

After going through this module, you are expected to determine the
distinguishing characteristics of animals with backbones (S6MT-IIe-f-3).

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 CHARACTERISTICS
OF VERTEBRATES

Jumpstart

I. Read the questions carefully. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write
your answer on the blank.
_______ 1. Which of the following animals is an amphibian?
A. horse
B. eagle
C. frog
D. goose

_______ 2. What does the Greek word” mamma” mean?

A. breast
B. body
C. milk
D. mother

_______ 3. All of the following are classified as reptile except one, which is it?
A. frog
B. lizard
C. snake
D. turtle

_______ 4. These are animals that has the ability to live both on land and
water. What group of animals are these?
A. amphibians
B. birds
C. fishes
D. reptiles

_______ 5. Animals that have backbones are called________.

A. invertebrates
B. flying animals
C. living creatures
D. vertebrates

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
II. Choose the animal that does not belong to the group.

salmon dove tilapia mudfish

gecko cat snake toad
hawk eagle frog ostrich
tadpole salamander frog turtle
fish mammal reptiles insects

Discover

Animals that have backbones are called vertebrates. The presence of

backbone, is the common characteristics among vertebrates. The backbone
provides axial support and house the spinal cord. At the end of the spinal
cords is the enlarged brain. Normally, vertebrates are classified into five (5)
smaller groups: mammals, fishes, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

A. Mammals
The term mammals came from the Greek word mamma which means
“breast”.

Characteristics:
✓ The bodies of mammals are partly or completely covered with
hair or fur.
✓ Most mammals develop their young inside their mother’s body
and fully formed when they are born. They feed their young with
their milk form their mammary glands.
✓ Mammals breathe through their lungs.
✓ Most mammals live on land; others live in water.
✓ They use their legs, feet and wings for locomotion.
Examples:

clipart-library.com creazilla.com

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
B. Reptiles
Characteristics:
✓ Reptiles are cold – blooded vertebrates.
✓ Reptiles are ectoderm animals. They cannot generate their body
temperature like turtles basking on the rocks on sunny day,
snakes gather together in masses during winter, covering each
other to reduce heat loss.
✓ Reptiles are terrestrial animals. They are fully adapted to life on
land.
✓ Reptiles have dry, scaly skin. Some have scales and others have
shells.
✓ Most reptiles used their feet and legs for locomotion.
✓ Some reptiles are born alive and some are hatched form eggs.

wikiclipart.com www.pinterest.ph clipart-library.com

C. Amphibians
The word amphibia means “double lives” which refers to the ability of
the animals to live in both land and water.
Characteristics:
✓ Amphibians are cold-blooded animals. They spend part of their
lives in water and part on land.
✓ Young amphibians breathe through their gills. As they grow,
their gills disappear and lungs take their place.
✓ Amphibians have moist and scale less skin. In hot and dry days,
they may bury themselves in mud to prevent their skin from
drying up.
✓ Amphibians lay eggs in water. Their eggs have no shells.
Instead, their eggs have a jelly like material.

clipart-library.com wikiclipart.com

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
D. Birds
Characteristics:
✓ Birds are warm –blooded animals or endotherms. They can
generate their body heat internally by their own metabolism.
✓ Birds are the only mammals with feathers.
✓ Birds lay eggs with shells. Their young are hatched from eggs.

clipart-library.com clipart-library.com clipart-library.com

E. Fish
Characteristics:
✓ Fish are cold blooded animal or ectoderms. Their temperature
changes when the temperature of the air or water around them
changes.
✓ Fish breathes with their gills. They take in water through their
mouth.
✓ Fish have tails and paired fins on their back and on their bellies
that enable them to swim
✓ Almost all kinds of fish are covered with scales.
✓ Fish lay eggs on water. Their young are hatched from eggs.

www.vippng.com clipart-library.com

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 Explore

Use the WORDBANK and letter clues to name each of the different types of
vertebrates described here. Then find inside the word bank an example for
each category.

1. m __ m __ __ l s - This group of animals feed their young from their

mammary glands.

example: __________________

2. a __ p h __ b __ __ n s - These animals use their gills in breathing but

as they grow, their gills will disappear and lungs take their place.

example: __________________

3. __ e __ t __ l __ s - These animals are cold blooded vertebrates with dry

scaly skin.

example: __________________

4. __ i r __s - They are the only mammals with feathers.

example: __________________

5. __ i ___ h - They are cold-blooded animals with fins that help

them to swim and gills that enable them to breathe.

example: __________________

WORD BANK

tilapia eagle
snake
horse toads

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 Deepen

A. Match column A to column B. Write the letter of the answer on the

space provided before each number.

Column A Column B
________1. has beak and is well adapted to flight A. mammal
________2. has gills, fins, and lateral line B. reptile
________3. has dry scaly skins C. amphibian
________4. warm-blooded animals with fur and D. fish
mammary glands E. bird
________5. has moist skin and lives on land and water

B. Classify the vertebrates based on their characteristics. Write the

animals under the corresponding classification.

ostrich toad duck snake

crocodile shark dolphin salamander
salmon monkey

Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Fish Birds

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 Gauge

Read the following questions carefully. Write the letter of the best answer on
the blank.

______ 1. Which of the following best describes an amphibian?

A. Amphibians use their gills for breathing.
B. Amphibians have fur and hair as body covering.
C. Amphibians are ectoderm animals with feathers.
D. Amphibians have moist, smooth and scale less skin.

______ 2. One of the distinct characteristics of mammals is being an

endothermic. What does it mean?
A. Their body temperature does not change even when the
temperature of the environment changes.
B. The body temperature changes when the temperature of the
environment changes.
C. They cannot generate their own body temperature when the
temperature of the environment changes.
D. Some mammals can generate their body temperature even
when the temperature of the environment changes.

______ 3. Which of the following animals feed their young from their
mammary glands?
A. dog B. fish
C. parrot D. turtle

______ 4. All of the following are classified as reptiles except one, which is it?
A. alligator B. crocodile
C. toad D. snake

______ 5. Which of the following characteristics are common to both reptiles

and amphibians?
A. Both live on land and water.
B. Both used gills for breathing.
C. Both have fins used for locomotion.
D. They are both cold-blooded vertebrates.

______ 6. Which of the following is NOT an ectothermic vertebrate?

A. amphibians B. fish
C. mammals D. reptiles

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
______ 7. How do fish differ from birds?
A. Fish have wings while birds have gills.
B. Fish use gills while birds have lungs for breathing.
C. Fish live on both land and water while birds live on land.
D. Fish are warm-blooded animals while birds are cold blooded
animals.

______ 8. Which of the following statement is NOT true about birds?

A. All birds can fly.
B. All birds have wings.
C. All birds are covered with feathers.
D. All birds are warm-blooded animals.

______ 9. Why can fish live on water?

A. They can swim.
B. They get their food in water.
C. They have gills to breath in water.
D. All of the above.

_____ 10. How do turtles protect themselves from their enemies?

A. They can run very fast.
B. They can hide under the sand.
C. They can withdraw into their shells.
D. They release a poisonous substance.

LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 CHARACTERISTICS
OF INVERTEBRATES

Jumpstart

Write on the blank the group of invertebrates where the following animals belong.

1. = ____________
wikiclipart.com

2. = ____________
dreamstime.com

3. = ____________
clipart-library.com

4. = _______________
pngitem.com

5. = _____________

clipart-library.com

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LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 Discover

Animals that have no backbones are called invertebrates. Normally,

invertebrates are classified into: arthropods, mollusks, poriferans,
echinoderms, cnidarians, platyhelminthes, nematodes, annelids.
A. Arthropods
Characteristics:
✓ Arthropods have segmented bodies and tough skeleton with
jointed appendages.
✓ Arthropods have segmented bodies allowing for efficient and
complex movement. They have three main body regions: a head,
a thorax and the abdomen.
✓ Arthropods have a hard exoskeleton on the outside of the body.
An exoskeleton provides framework for support and protects soft
body tissue.
✓ Arthropods have jointed and paired appendages adapted for
feeding.
✓ Arthropods are classified into (5) five groups: insects, arachnids,
crustaceans, centipedes and millipedes.
1. Insects – are six-legged arthropods.
Examples: ants, butterflies, moth, mosquitoes, fleas, grasshoppers,
termites, bees, beetles

2. Arachnids – have four pairs of walking legs. They have no antennae.

Examples: spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites

3. Crustaceans – have five pairs of legs for swimming and walking.

Most crustaceans are marine or drift near the ocean bottom.
Examples: lobsters, crabs, shrimp, crayfish

4. Centipedes – Most of these animals have less than a hundred feet.

5. Millipedes – They have cylindrical bodies consisting of about 20 to

more than one hundred segments.

B. Mollusks (Soft-bodied Animals)

Characteristics:
✓ Mollusks are found in aquatic and moist land environment.
✓ Mollusks have a soft body covered with hard outer covering.
Examples: oysters, mussels, clams, squids, octopuses, snails

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LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
C. Echinoderms ( Spiny-skinned animals)
✓ Echinoderms are marine animals with spiny endoskeletons.
Examples: starfish, sea lily, sea urchin, sand dollars, sea
urchins, starfish

D. Sponges (Pore-bearing Animals)

Characteristics:
✓ Sponges are pore-bearing animals.
✓ They have no tissue, no organ and most have no symmetry.

E. Cnidarian(Stinging-cell Animals)
Characteristics:
✓ They are stinging cell used in paralyzing their prey.
Examples: coral, hydra, jellyfish, sea anemone

F. Platyhelminthes (Flatworms)
Characteristics:
✓ They are thin, flat that can be freely living or paralytic. They
have no digestive system. Most flatworms are parasites living in
the body of variety of animals.
Examples: planaria, tapeworm and fluke

G. Nematodes (Roundworms)
Characteristics:
✓ They have long, smooth, and rounded bodies which often have
rings, bristles, or ridges that aid in locomotion. They are found
in water, soil or in other plants and animals as parasites.
Examples: hookworm, pinworm and ascaris

H. Annelids (Segmented Worms)

Characteristics:
✓ Segmented worms or annelids have body segments that allow
for specialization of tissues for efficient movement.
Examples: earthworms, leeches

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LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 Explore

Match the descriptions in column A to the terms in column B. Write the

letter of the best answer on the space provided before each number.

A B
______ 1. pore-bearing animals A. tapeworms
______ 2. cnidarians B. snails
______ 3. flatworms C. lobster
______ 4. segmented worms D. earthworms
______ 5. roundworms E. sponges
______ 6. spiny-skinned animals F. sea urchins
_____ 7. joint-legged animals G. jellyfishes
_____ 8. mollusks H. hookworm

Deepen

Arrange the letters inside the box to form the correct answer for each
number.

1. P O D S T H R O A R - animals with segmented bodies and

tough skeleton

2. S T C E S I N – ants are classified as ___________

3. – invertebrates with four pair of walking

N I D S A R A C H legs

4. - invertebrates with five pairs of leg

T S U R C A C E A N S used for swimming like crabs

5. C E N I T S E D P E – classified as arthropods with “hundred

feet”

6. L O M L U S K S - squid and octopus are good examples

of _______.
7. - marine animals with spiny skeleton
D E R M S E C H I N
8. O – pore bearing animals
S E G N O P S

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LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 9. – jelly fish and sea anemone are
S N E R
examples of A D I A N ________.
C
10. – unsegmented worms that have long,
TODESNE MA thin and round bodies

Gauge

Read the questions carefully. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write
your answer on the blank.

________1. Which of the following group of animals does not belong to the
groups of invertebrates?
A. arthropods
B. mammals
C. mollusks
D. nematodes

________ 2. Arthropods have segmented bodies. Which of the following is

classified as arthropods?
A. arachnids
B. insects
C. crustaceans
D. mollusks

________ 3. What do you call the invertebrates that have four pairs of
walking legs?
A. arachnids
B. insects
C. crustaceans
D. mollusks

________ 4. Corals, jellyfish and sea anemone are classified as ________.

A. arachnids
B. insects
C. crustaceans
D. cnidarian

________ 5. Snails and squids are classified as invertebrates? Why?

A. They are animals that don’t have backbones.
B. They have backbones that make up their bodies.
C. They are animals that stay both in land and in water.
D. They have special characteristics which makes them exists.

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LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
II. Which of the following does not belong to the group.

________ 6. absence of backbone

A. Insect
B. Mammal
C. sponge
D. worm

________ 7. insects
A. Bees
B. Crabs
C. grasshopper
D. mosquitoes

________ 8. made of two shells

A. snail
B. Clam
C. oyster
D. mussel

________ 9. parasite
A. planaria
B. ascaris
C. pinworm
D. earthworm

_______ 10. have jointed legs

A. spider
B. cockroach
C. beetle
D. jellyfish

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LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
16
Gauge
1. B
2. B
3. A
4. D
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. B
Deepen Explore 9. A
1. Arthropods 1. E 10. B
2. Insects 2. G
3. Arachnids 3. A
4. Crustaceans 4. D
5. Centipedes 5. H
6. Mollusks 6. F Jumpstart
7. Echinoderms 7. C 1. Arachnids
8. Sponges 8. B 2. Echinoderms
9. Cnidarians 3. Mollusks
10. Nematodes 4. Crustaceans
5. Nematodes
Lesson 2
Deepen (A)
1. D
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. C
Deepen (B)
7. B Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Fish Birds
8. A
9. D Shark Crocodile Salamander Salmon Ostrich
monkey snake toad dolphin duck
10. C
EXLORE JUMSTART
1. mammals/ 1. C
horse 2. A
2. amphibians 3. A
/toads 4. A
Deepen (A) 3. reptiles/ 5. D
1. E snake 6. dove
2. D 4. birds/eagle 7. cat
3. B 5. fish/tilapia 8. frog
4. A 9. turtle
5. C 10. insects
LESSON 1
Answer Key
References

Books

Padpad, Jocelyn C., 2017.The New Science Links Worktext in Science and
Technology, Rex Bookstore Inc., Manila, Philippines.

Pineda, Dorina G., 2018. Building Knowledge in Science and Health 5.St.
Augustine Publication Inc, Sampaloc, Manila.

Online Sources

http://clipart-library.com/clipart/1105812.htm

https://creazilla.com/nodes/17021-cow-black-and-white-clipart

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/538180224211034332/

https://wikiclipart.com/alligator-clipart-black-and-white_29489/

http://clipart-library.com/clipart/1380110.htm

http://clipart-library.com/clipart/15098.htm

https://wikiclipart.com/frog-clipart-black-and-white_7154/

http://clipart-library.com/free/parrot-black-and-white-clipart.html

http://clipart-library.com/clipart/376798.html

http://clipart-library.com/clipart/1270822.htm

http://clipart-library.com/cute-salmon-cliparts.html

https://www.vippng.com/maxp/mTbTib/

https://wikiclipart.com/spider-clipart-black-and-white_15568/

https://www.dreamstime.com/illustration/sea-urchin.html

http://clipart-library.com/free/snail-clipart-black-and-white.html

https://www.pngitem.com/middle/JJJhhR_big-image-png-black-and-white-crab-
clip/

http://clipart-library.com/free/earthworm-clipart-black-and-white.html

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LU_Q2_Science6_Module3
 For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – SDO La Union

Curriculum Implementation Division
Learning Resource Management Section
Flores St. Catbangen, San Fernando City La Union 2500
Telephone: (072) 607 - 8127
Telefax: (072) 205 - 0046
Email Address:
launion@deped.gov.ph
lrm.launion@deped.gov.ph

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