Vertebrates "Parts of" 3-Part Set
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Our Vertebrates "Parts of" 3-Part Set bundles five packets of 3-part reading cards, one for each of the five classic vertebrate groups (bird, fish, amphibian, mammal, and reptile). Each packet pairs real photographs of the animal and its key external parts with matching word labels, so students read science words like gill covers, tympanum, and carapace, match them to the photos, and check their own work with the control cards. This repeated, self-correcting practice builds reading fluency and connects new words to both their spelling and their meaning. Ages 5+.
All five packets isolate the same key parts of each animal, so students can lay them side by side and compare. The packets share parts like the head, eyes, and nostrils, and students soon start noticing patterns. A fish's pectoral fins, a bird's wings, and the forelegs of a frog, horse, or turtle are all versions of the same front limbs, just as a fish's pelvic fins match the hind legs of a frog, horse, or turtle. Other parts look different but do the same job, like the tympanum of a frog or turtle and a horse's ears, which are all used for hearing. This parallel construction across species indirectly lays the groundwork for later studies of evolution.
What's included
- Parts of the Bird (36 cards): a zebra finch and parts including its beak, ear patches, and wings
- Parts of the Fish (39 cards): a goldfish and parts including its gill covers, lateral lines, and pectoral and pelvic fins
- Parts of the Frog (amphibian, 33 cards): a bullfrog and parts including its tympanum, forelegs, and hind legs
- Parts of the Horse (mammal, 39 cards): a chestnut horse and parts including its hooves, mane, and ears
- Parts of the Turtle (reptile, 39 cards): an eastern box turtle and parts including its carapace, plastron, and tympanum
- 186 cards in all, each packet in its own sturdy, clear reclosable bag
- Eco-laminated with a food-grade laminate and rounded corners
- Cards are approx. 3¾" x 4¼" control cards, 3¾" x 3" photo cards, and 3¾" x 1¼" word cards
- Lesson plan included
Want the books, vocabulary cards, and definition cards too? Our Vertebrates "Parts of" Book & Card Bundle includes the complete build-a-book materials for all five animals.
Add on our 3-pocket cloth pouches (one per packet) for an elegant, child-accessible display solution.
Created by a Montessori teacher and a zoologist. Eco-printed in our rural New England office.
Made in the USA. CPSIA compliant.
Note: Photos may change from those pictured.
Why do 3-part cards matter for reading?
Three-part cards make reading practice independent. The control card lets students find and fix their own errors, which is how humans learn best, with no teacher correction required. Beyond that, remember that interest drives learning. Students who are interested in animals will choose these cards again and again, and that curiosity can carry even a reluctant reader through repeated reading practice. The cards also build vocabulary, part of the language comprehension side of reading in both Gough and Tunmer's (1986) simple view of reading and Scarborough's (2001) reading rope. By reading words like tympanum and carapace now, a student will recognize and understand them when they later meet them in a science text.
How do you use the Vertebrates "Parts of" 3-Part Set?
Introduce one packet at a time, starting with whichever animal your student finds most exciting. For each packet, begin by using the photo-only cards to teach the names of the parts (via the three-period lesson), starting with the whole animal. When students are stretching past phonetic reading, use all three parts: lay out the photo cards, read and match the word labels to the photos, and use the control cards to check for accuracy independently (no teacher help required). Once students know several packets, line up matching parts from different animals, such as all the front limbs or all the eyes, and invite them to describe what is the same and what is different.
What ages is this for?
Typically Kindergarten (ages 5–6) and above. However, students of any age can benefit from these cards if they:
- Can read phonetically
- Are interested in animals or animal classification
- Need practice reading
- Prefer self-correcting activities to teacher correction
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