ON your own sheet of paper . . .
Last name, First Date
TITLE: Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection
(five sentences minimum)
In a paragraph discuss how
variation, competition, survival,
and reproduction within a species
can lead to the adaptation of an
organism. Why are all four
concepts necessary for natural
selection to occur over time?
LIST AS MANY OBJECTS AS YOU CAN
IDENTIFY (Biotic and Abiotic) - (4 min)
PARTNER PAIR SHARE
With at least 1 other classmate
compare your lists. (3 min)
Everyone must have a partner;
everyone should be talking or
actively listening!
PARTNER PAIR SHARE
With at least 1 other classmate
compare your lists. (3 min)
Everyone must have a partner;
everyone should be talking or
actively listening!
Were there any items that only one
of you listed?
Were there any items that each of
you referred to by different names?
PARTNER PAIR SHARE
With at least 1 other classmate
compare your lists. (3 min)
Everyone must have a partner;
everyone should be talking or actively
listening!
Were there any items that only one of
you listed?
Were there any items that each of you
referred to by different names?
Next (with your partner)- determine 3
ways to group your list
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Who
Decides What, How, and
Why We Classify Things
REVIEW
LEARNING
TARGETS ON SIDE
BOARD
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Who
Decides What, How, and
Why We Classify Things
REVIEW LEARNING
TARGETS ON SIDE
BOARD
Where do we organize
through classification?
Why do we classify things?
Supermarket aisles
Libraries
Classes
Teams/sports
Members of a family
Roads
Cities
Money
What is classification?
Classification: putting things into orderly
groups based on similar characteristics
Taxonomy: the science of describing, naming,
and classifying organisms
Classification of Living Things
Early classification
Aristotle grouped everything into
simple groups such as animals or plants
He then grouped animals according to if they
had blood or didn’t have blood, and if they had
live young or laid eggs, and so on…
Binomial Nomenclature
Developed by Carolus
Linnaeus
Swedish Biologist 1700’s
Two-name system
Genus and species
named using Latin or
Greek words
Rules used to write scientific names
Homo sapiens
An organism’s genus is always written first;
the organism’s species is always written
second
The genus is Capitalized; the species is
written in lower case
Scientific names of organisms are always
italicized or underlined
Modern Taxonomy
The Evidence used to classify into taxon
groups
1) Embryology
2) Chromosomes / DNA
3) Biochemistry
4) Physiology
5) Evolution
6) Behavior
The modern system of classification
has 8 levels:
Domain Order
Kingdom Family
Phylum Genus
Class Species
Helpful way to remember the 8
levels
Dumb kids playing catch on freeways get
squashed
Or…make up your own…
DKPCOFGS
Levels of Classification
Domain – One World/Earth
Kingdom -
Phylum -
Class -
Order -
Family -
Genus -
Species -
Using the Classification System
Field guides help identify organisms.
-they highlight differences between similar
organisms (like trees)
Taxonomic Key (Dichotomous Key)
-paired statements that describe the physical
characteristics of different organisms
Taxonomic Key
1a Fruits occur singly ................................................. Go to 3
1b Fruits occur in clusters of two or more ................ Go to 2
2a Fruits are round ................................................... Grapes
2b Fruits are elongate ............................................... Bananas
3a Thick skin that separates easily from flesh .........Oranges
3b Thin skin that adheres to flesh .............................. Go to 4
4a More than one seed per fruit ............................ Apples
4b One seed per fruit ............................................ Go to 5
5a Skin covered with fuzz.................... Peaches
5b Skin smooth, without fuzz........................... Plums
What steps would you use to identify an
apple?
Motivation
Begin the lesson by warming students up with a review that will illustrate useful groupings of plants, animals, and non-
living objects. Ask students to volunteer objects (such as a pen, a book, a coat) for scientific observation. Then add living
objects such as plants or animals to the collection. Line up the objects on a table or in one area of the room. Now ask the
students to observe the group.
Ask students questions such as:
How many different ways can you find to group or pair these elements?
Which elements are non-living objects?
Which are living organisms?
What features determine whether something is alive or not?
After the discussion, expand the activity by asking students to choose a living organism from the original group and then
group it with two other living organisms in the classroom.
Ask students:
What features did you use to group the organisms?
What might be the purposes of these features?
Extensions
Have students use this site to observe undersea environments filled with animals, plants, and other diverse life forms.
Fabio's Scuba Diver Picture Gallery captures the colorful variety of life hidden beneath the ocean and even includes their
scientific names. Students can watch a slide show of many amazing (and rare) creatures they've probably never seen
before. Encourage them to group these creatures.
New Species
Have students work in pairs or groups to create new animal species. Invite students to imagine that they have discovered
a new species of animal, never before seen. They should draw a picture of their animal, describe its physical and
behavioral characteristics, describe its habitat, and make up a name for it that would fit into the system of binomial
nomenclature. Encourage students to use their imaginations when creating their new species.
What are some examples of everyday words that name groups or classes of things? Think about subjects you study in
school such as grammar, math, and social studies. What problems would arise if words such as noun (a word for a class of
words) and fraction (a word for a class of numbers) did not exist?
How do we use classification to make our everyday lives easier? For example, how would you use classification to do the
following: organize your desk, organize your drawers or closet, plan a meal, decide what clothes to take on a trip?
Linnaeus�s system of animal classification is based on common physical characteristics. Can you devise a system of
animal classification based on some other idea�behavior or habitat, for example? In your new system, what animals
would be classed together that are not classed together in Linnaeus�s system
We classify people in many ways; for example, by race, religion, physical appearance, ethnic origin, profession, life style,
and so on. In which ways can classification of human beings be helpful? In which ways can it be harmful
Divide your class into groups and have them devise their own system of classifying everyday objects around the room.
Students should use at least four levels of classification, but they may use as many more levels as they find necessary.
They should end up with a two-part name for each of several objects in the room. Advise students to use Linnaeus�s
system as a model, starting out with one classification level that divides all the objects in the room into two major
categories. For example, the two �phyla� could be �natural� (made of natural materials) and �artificial� (made of
artificial materials); or �useful� and �decorative.� The two major categories combined should include all objects in the
room, and the final �genus� and �species� names should exclude all objects but the one being identified. (Students
may use descriptive phrases rather than single words, and, of course, they should not be required to use Greek or Latin
terms.)