Classifying Organisms

Webquest 7th

Science

Introduction

Task

Process

Resources

Introduction

Suppose you had only 10 minutes to run into a supermarket to get what you needed. Could you do it? In most supermarkets this would be an easy task. You would probably head straight to the area where the items were located. But what if you had to shop for the same items in a market where things were randomly placed throughout the store. Where would you begin? You would have to search through a lot of things before you found what you needed! You could be there for a long time!

Biologists have organized living things with similarities into groups so that the organisms are easier to study. This process is called classification.

Task

Working with a partner, you will research the distinguishing characteristics of kingdoms of organisms, the distinguishing characteristics of major animal and plant phyla and the characteristics of the species.

As you explore keep the following questions in mind:

Task, continued

• Why do scientists classify?• What are the major levels of classification?• How are organisms classified?• What is binomial nomenclature?• What are the six different kingdoms of

organisms that are generally recognized by scientists today?

Process

• Follow the directions for each section carefully.

• Answer all questions on the sheet of paper provided

Why Do Scientists Classify?

Classification is the process of grouping things based on their similarities. Biologists use classification to organize living things into groups so that the organisms are easier to study.

The scientific study of how living things are classified is called taxonomy.

Classify Organisms Based on Physical Features

• How might you classify a sunflower, a robin, a lizard, a blue jay, and a tree? Copy the table on paper and fill in your answers.

Plants Animals

What characteristics may have been used to group these beetles?

Write answers on your paper.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

Classify Organisms Based on Physical Features

Levels of Classification

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

Organisms aregrouped by their

sharedcharacteristics.

DOMAIN

Understanding Classification

#123

1st Street

Harbour View

Virginia

Suffolk

Imagine a room filled with everybody from the state of Virginia. There may be some people from Suffolk.

There may be some people from your neighborhood.There may be some people that live on your street.

You will be the only one that lives in your house.

The most generalgroup you belong to is the state.

The most specific group you belong to isthe house.

The more levels you share with others, the more you have in

common.

Levels of Classification

• Click on the following link to complete a classification activity. Return to this webquest when you are done.

http://www.quia.com/pp/51115.html?AP_rand=463451876

Binomial Nomenclature

• Linnaeus devised a system of naming organisms. Linnaeus placed organisms in groups based on their observable features. Each organism has a unique, two-part scientific name. This naming system is called binomial nomenclature.

• Click on each picture below to see what their scientific names are.

Kingdoms

• Any grouping of organisms into kingdoms is based on several factors:– Presence of a nucleus– Unicellular or multi-cellular– How organisms get their food.

• Six different kingdoms of organisms are generally recognized by scientists today– Bacteria– Archaea– Protists– Fungi– Plants– Animals

Kingdoms, continued

Go to the following website find out what some of the characteristics of these kingdoms are. Complete the following chart on paper.

http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit1/3domain/3domain.html

Bacteria Archaea

1.2.3.

1.2.3.

Recognize Examples of Major Animal Phyla

Go to the following site and play the classification gamehttp://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/class.html

Go to this site and play this gamehttp://biology.about.com/library/weekly/bl01snq.htm

And this onehttp://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/lsps07_int_animalclass/And anotherhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/classifying-life.htmlAnd anotherhttp://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/forkids/critters/critter1.html