Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Trees: Using a Dichotomous Key to Identify Local Tree Types
Using their own classification methods students will identify the types of trees found around their school and neighborhoods. Students will then present their classification methods to the class. Later students will use dichotomous tree...
Biology Corner
The Biology Corner: Dichotomous Key
Here's a great dichotomous key for beginners. Use gremlin-like creatures to learn how to use more taxonomic keys.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Introduction to Dichotomous Keys
This lesson serves as an introduction to the classification of plants and animals or trees. Students will investigate how to classify objects based on their similarities and differences. They will use technical writing to explain their...
Environmental Education for Kids
Eek!: Water Critter Key Life in a Pond
Use this interactive key to identify a critter that you found in the water. Expand it to full-screen for the best experience.
Other
Villanova University: Constructing a Dichotomous Key
This exercise provides information on how to construct a dichotomous key using geometrical shapes. Another exercise shows how a key can be constructed based on traits in a classroom group.
Oregon State University
Oregon State University: Dichotomous Key
An excellent starting point. Get a good description of what the dichotomous key for tree identification is and then directions for using it to identify trees.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Using and Creating a Dichotomous Key
Middle schoolers will investigate classification through a sorting activity and discus real-life evidence of classifying objects.
Other
Science4 Us: Materials
Students use a dichotomous key to sort materials into natural and man-made and sort further using the adjectives rough and smooth; this activity builds both science and language skills as students classify materials and build deeper...
Other
Alice Ferguson Foundation: Bridging the Watershed: Plant Identification
Use this interactive guide to identify plants based on their leaves. For each step, you are given two choices, and you continue down the branches until you discover a plant's name.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Jewel of the Earth
Collect and analyze organisms and use a dichotomous key to identify and classify the organisms. Research the evolutionary history of organisms.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: A Student Produced Field Guide to Neighborhood Trees
During this project, students will be working cooperatively to create a field guide of trees in the neighborhood near the school. Students will make observations of trees near the school. They will then learn about tree anatomy and...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Identifying Macroinvertebrates to Determine Health of Aquatic Ecosystem
In this hands on activity students will learn how to identify basic macroinvertebrate using a dichotomous key. They will complete a chart used by the MPCA and we will discuss why an ecosystem may not be healthy or not.
James Madison University
James Madison University: Dept. Of Geology and Environmental Science: Minerals
Descriptions and pictures of over thirty minerals are available at this website. Documents describing the properties of minerals and how to use the properties for identification templates to make models, and dichotomous keys make up the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Plant Life in Our Nature Center
In this Nature Center activity, students will apply knowledge from our classifying living things unit. They will compare what they already know about leaves to actual leaf samples. After collecting 5 leaves and keeping them in a journal,...
Environmental Education for Kids
Eek!: Dichotomous Tree Key
Identify a tree using this interactive identification tool.
SRI International
Performance Assessment Links in Science: Identifying Creatures
Students use a 10 step dichotomous key to identify three mythical animals of their choice. The pictures of the animals and the key are both provided.
Other
Aes: Bug Identification
This interactive resource can be used to identify the order of an insect.