eSkeletons
Skeleton Scramble Puzzle: Suborder Prosimians
Explore the finer details of primate skulls with these puzzles, incorporating advanced scientific analysis of two suborders- Prosimians and Anthropoidea- and one superfamily- Hominoidea. Learners read about the unique characteristics of...
Curated OER
Classify the Microbes
Students classify microorganisms into categories based on their characteristics. Pupils use a taxonomic key to identify organisms. They classify certain bacteria, protists, and viruses using a classification or taxonmic key.
Curated OER
Thinking About Life in Geological Time Scales
Students create a large (classroom-sized) timeline showing the history of life on Earth for the last 5 billion years. They are able to identify the events that are relevant to their taxonomic projects (the Origins and important...
Curated OER
The Five Classes of Vertebrates
What a terrific lesson! Learners discuss the animal kingdom, and classify them as vertebrates and invertebrates. They also identify them as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. There is even a taxonomic breakdown of popular...
Curated OER
The Animals Kingdom
Students are introduced to the classification system of animals. In groups, they set up an aquarium in which they must maintain throughout the year. They also observe earthworms and how they react to various stimuli and research the...
Curated OER
Classification And Identification
Students explore diagrammatic and taxonomic keys and their application in the marine sciences. They sort and classify objects and organisms based on visual attributes.
Curated OER
A Taxonomic Key and Local Trees
Students gain an understanding of the science of taxonomy and how it is used in classifications. They use an identification key and construct a key of their own. They identify tagged trees on the school property with their lab group...
Curated OER
How Do We Know These Beetles Are Safe to Use?
Students evaluate the impact beetles have on plants. In groups, they select plants to expose to leaf-feeding beetles and place those beetles on the caged plants. They observe the beetles and discuss the insect and plant interaction...
Michigan Sea Grant
Fish Identification
Using a dichotomous key, pupils identify characteristics of fish who live in the Great Lakes and explain how these features help them survive. In small groups, class members discover what features scientists consider important and...
Curated OER
Classification and Identification
Students, after exploring and analyzing diagrammatic and taxonomic keys and their association to marine sciences, identify and classify objects and organisms based on visual attributes/characteristics. They research and create their own...
NOAA
Plankton
Dive into the world of plankton. The 17th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program introduces different types of plankton. Young scientists then use what they have learned to classify...
Curated OER
BioKeys
Students identify insect (and plant) specimens using the online resource Biokeys. They record the data that they collect in their notebooks. Students use identification characteristics and features that are shared and unique among groups.
Curated OER
Ocean Creature Classification
Students develop a Taxonomic Key for marine invertebrates from pictures they are given after practicing together with common objects, such as shoes. They then compare their key to a provided Ocean Invertebrates Taxonomic Key.
Curated OER
One of These Things is Not Like the Other
Students examine sets of four or five organisms and determine which organism in each set doesn't "belong", and determine a variety of characteristics that explain why it doesn't belong.
Curated OER
Using a Dichotomous Key for Invertebrate Phyla
Students use a key to determine the phyla of invertebrates. They are broken into groups and each group gets a stack of pictures and uses the key to determine which phyla the animal belongs to. There are also individual questions for...
Curated OER
Diversity And Adaptations Of Organisms
Eighth graders study how and why animals are classified into eight groups in the animal kingdom. They work together to identify organisms. They use the key to determine the phylum for the included problems.
Curated OER
Ocean Creature Classification
Students develop their own system for classifying a group of objects or organisms using observed similarities and differences. They investigate the process of scientific classification, and explain how marine organisms are classified by...
Curated OER
Nuts & Bolts: is Classification, Arbitrary, Or Not?
Students, in groups, classify furniture, share their categories and rationales, then note how their different schemes vary, perfectly logical and useful, but completely arbitrary.
Curated OER
Plant Life
Seventh graders examine different categories of plant life and their roles as producers of food and oxygen for other organisms. They study the evolution of plants from simple organisms to very complex ones. They look at the different...
Curated OER
Identifying Vertebrates
In this biology worksheet, students look for the answers to how to classify animals. They specifically focus upon the vertebrates while differentiating the characteristics from other organisms.
Curated OER
Understanding Science Vocabulary and Categorization
Students analyze scientific vocabulary words. In this life science vocabulary lesson, students complete a worksheet using VisualThesaurus as they evaluate words related to plants and animals and how the words are used.
Curated OER
Kingdom Animalia ~ A Look at the Five Major Classes
Biological taxonomy masters examine the five main classes under phylum chordata. Pupils compare and contrast the identifying characteristics of the various organisms. They explain why taxonomy is important in classifying organisms. You...
Curated OER
Fun with Fictitious Animals
How can one differentiate between a dweezlebub and nessie? Use this fictitious creature dichotomous key to find out! Biologists of all ages will enjoy this creative way to learn about classification, including a chance to draw the...
Curated OER
Ecology and the St. Lawrence River
Ninth graders complete a unit of lessons on ecosystems, organism interactions, and energy flow. They create a key for known species of fish, diagram the movement of energy through an ecosystem, and create and present food chains and food...