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Desinging and Using a Dichotomous Key
High schoolers are examine the purpose of dichotomous keys. In groups, they design their own in order to describe the characteristics of plants and weeds native to California. To end the lesson, they define new terminology associated...
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Dichotomous Chips
Students create a dichotomous key to different varieties of potato chips. In small groups, they observe and record characteristics of the potato chips to use in the key. They switch keys with another group to see if they can identify an...
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What is in a Name?
Students examine taxonomy and the use of dichotomous keys through two activities. They use a dichotomous key and create one of their own as well as create new scientific Family names for penguins using same word roots used by taxonomists.
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The Food Pyramid
Fourth graders plan a variety of nutritional meals using the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid as a reference and analyze food labels to plan their meals. They examine and discuss the Food Pyramid, and create dichotomous keys separating food...
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Dichotomous Key for Identifying Pine Trees
Middle schoolers identify the species of pine trees that are found in their area. They use unlabeled "mystery" samples and a dichotomous key to identify the pine trees to species. After identification, they use a field guide to answer...
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Introduction To the Classification of Organisms
Students discuss how scientists classify organisms. In pairs, they analyze and label "specimens" of breakfast cereals in order to classify them into the correct group. They create a dichotomous key for several species of animals.
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Dichotomous Key
Eighth graders use a dichotomous key to identify unknown fictitious organisms. They work individually during this exercise. The task is designed to take students approximately 15-25 minutes to complete.
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Jewel of the Earth
Students investigate several organisms, set sticky traps to collect them, and attempt to identify and classify them using a variety of sources. The origins of the organisms are traced and their adaptive features examined.
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Dichotomous Keys
Students classify objects and organisms using a dichotomous key. They are shown a demo by the teacher and then practice on their own. They discover why classification is important.
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Dichotomous Keys
Third graders practice using dichotomous keys. They discover why scientists use them and why it is important to classify animals. They use candy to practice classifying objects and move on to classifying animals.
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Everybody Needs a Rock
Students, after making quantitative and qualitative observations of their rocks, construct a Venn diagram or dichotomous key to classify their rocks.
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The Sky and the Dichotomous Key
Students use a dichotomous key to distinguish between different types of clouds
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Building a Dichotomous Key
Students analyze how a dichotomous key helps us explain and identify unknown organisms. They design and construct a dichotomous key, developing a list of three observable characteristics per organism.
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Taxonomic Keys
Seventh graders create their own dichotomous key. In this biology lesson, 7th graders classify animals based on their observable features. They explain how to use their dichotomous key.
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Classification: Dichotomous Key
Students explain the classification process of organisms. In this biology instructional activity, students practice writing the names of organisms scientifically. They answer the dichotomous key and discuss answers as a class.
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Dichotomous Key
Young scholars develop an understanding of how a dichotomous key is organized. In this dichotomous lesson, student are put into small groups, and work together dividing their group of similar objects (buttons, paper clips, screws,...
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Invertebrate Classification
High schoolers discuss the recent disovery of the "furry lobster" to peak interest in the animal kingdom. They classify various speciments using invertebrate dichotomous keys, identifying major animal phyla and classes. Thy the complete...
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The Sky and the Dichotomous Key
Students conduct observations and use a dichotomous key to identify clouds they see.
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Paleoecology of "Fossilized" Owl Pellets
Students examine fossilized owl pellets to determine how a species environmental preferences allow us to reconstruct probable past environments. Differences in anatomy are used to identify species in this lesson.
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Classifying Organisms within Kingdoms
High schoolers examine animal kingdom classifications. They discuss how animals are placed into kingdom classifications and compare similarities and differences of animals within a kingdom.
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Bean Sort
Students define and discuss dichotomous keys. They create a dichotomous key to identify a bag of mixed beans, and assign their group of beans a genus and species name.