Invertebrates "Parts of" 3-Part Set

Item No: polinvert

$99.95 USD

Rooted in Neurodevelopment
See the Guided Lesson Plan
High quality materials
Eco-Happy
Fun & Engaging Activities

Ages/Stages

K: Ages 5 to 6
1: Ages 6-7
2: Ages 7-8
3: Ages 8-9

Common Core

Language: Vocabulary
Reading Informational Text

Our Invertebrates "Parts of" 3-Part Set bundles five packets of 3-part reading cards, one for each of five key invertebrate groups. Each packet pairs real photographs of the animal and its key external parts with matching word labels, so students read science words like proboscis, cephalothorax, and pedipalps, 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+.

Invertebrates are animals without a backbone, and their bodies are built in very different ways. Laying the five packets side by side helps students see those differences: a butterfly has six legs and wings, a spider has eight legs, a lobster wears a hard outer shell, a snail carries a shell on its soft body, and a sea star has no legs at all and moves on hundreds of tiny tube feet.

What's included

Parts of the Butterfly (insect, 27 cards): including the proboscis and wings
Parts of the Lobster (crustacean, 30 cards): including the cephalothorax, claws, antennae, and abdomen
Parts of the Snail (mollusk, 24 cards): including the shell and soft body
Parts of the Spider (arachnid, 27 cards): including the legs and pedipalps
Parts of the Sea Star (echinoderm, 18 cards): including the central disk and tube feet
126 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 Invertebrates "Parts of" Book & Card Bundle includes the complete build-a-book materials for all five animals. For students who love insects, our ant and katydid packets are sold separately.

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 bugs and sea creatures 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 antennae and pedipalps now, a student will recognize and understand them when they later meet them in a science text.

How do you use the Invertebrates "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, lay the whole animals side by side and invite them to compare: Which have legs? How many? Which have shells?

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 bugs, ocean animals, or animal classification
Need practice reading
Prefer self-correcting activities to teacher correction

A Note to Teachers

Use the photo-only cards for 3-period vocabulary lessons. When children are stretching past reading phonetic words, use all 3-parts for independent reading activities.

Invertebrates "Parts of" 3-Part Set

$99.95 USD

Included In This Bundle

Parts of the Sea Star (Starfish) 3-Part Reading

Item No: POLSTARF

Parts of the Snail 3-Part Reading

Item No: POLSNAIL

Parts of the Spider 3-Part Reading

Item No: POLSPIDR

Parts of the Butterfly 3-Part Reading

Item No: POLBUTRF

Parts of the Lobster 3-Part Reading

Item No: POLLOBST

Knowledge Bank

Invertebrates "Parts of" 3-Part Set

What's included