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Abstract
This is the third lesson in a series of three that fall under the
unit Diversity of Organisms. In this lesson students will first
review concepts of classification taught in lessons one and two. The
students will discuss as a class the reasons why they put their
objects in particular groups from lesson one. They will then create
a dichotomous key to follow when grouping organisms into kingdoms,
then for grouping species within kingdoms.
Lesson fundamental understandings:
Essential
Questions: There are relationships between species
within the Kingdoms. These relationships are hierarchal in nature
and are ordered by an organisms distinct
characteristics.
Questions:
1. What relationships exist
among organims within kingdoms?
2. How are organisms ordered
within a kingdom?
Standards
National Standards National Science
Standards, Life Science, Grades 6-8 * Millions of species of
animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. Although
different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms
becomes apparent from an analysis of internal structures, the
similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence of common
ancestry. Content Standard K-12 UNIFYING CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES
STANDARD: As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students
should develop understanding and abilities aligned with the
following concepts and processes: * Systems, order, and organization
State Standards Nebraska Science
Standards, Life Science, Grades 5-8 8.4.5 By the end of eighth
grade, students will develop an understanding of diversity and
adaptations of organisms
Lesson
Prerequisite Skills
Teacher should review the concepts taught in lessons one and two
on classification and the kingdoms. Students need to know how to use
a spreadsheet
Teacher
Information/Situations/Setting/Time Time: This lesson
is designed to take place over a 5 day period, forty minute lessons
each day.
Materials/Resources: (1) Flip book designed in Lesson
2. (2) KWHL chart designed in Lesson 1. (3) Large sheets of yellow
or white consruction paper, medium of teacher's choice (markers,
pencils, etc.). (4) Fossil sets from Lesson 1, or other objects used
from Lesson 1 for classifying. (5) Computer generated spread sheet
or more white construction paper.
Prelesson Prep and Situation:
(1) The listed materials must be available. (2) The students will
work in pairs on the dichotomous key. The teacher will provide an
example of a key then observe students as the construct their own
key.
Assessment
(1) Students will fill in a data table. The table will have the
classification hierarchy in the first column (kingdom, phylum,
class, order, family, genus, and species). The second column will
have the group name (for example, animal chordate, mamma, carnivore,
felidae, felis, and catus). The third column will have the group
traits (for example, many cells, rodlike structure along the back
for support, nurses young, eats flesh, sharp claws, small cats, and
tame). Students will be assessed on their ability to correctly fill
in the second and third columns.
(2) Students will finish filling
out their KWHL chart. Students will be assessed on the clarity of
answers to their questions from the What I Want To Know section of
the chart.
(3) Students will create a dichotomous key. Students
will be assessed on their dichotomous key based on whether or not
the key effectively leads to an appopriate placement within the
kingdom for an organism.
(4) Students will create a Venn diagram.
Students will be assessed on how well they are able to compare
another organism in the animal kingdom to humans.
Student Activity/Tasks Engage the
students
- Discuss the results from lesson one.
- What did you
find similar about your groupings when you shared with
another
pair of students?
- How would shopping be different if stores did
not group products?
- What would happen if scientists couldn't
agree on a classification system?
- Have the students repeat the
activity from lesson one, but this time have the students record
their reasoning for the groupings they made. Tell them that they
will have to explain their reasoning.
- Show an overhead example
of a dichotomous key. Explain the progression of the dichotomous key
(similarity of organisms increases as you move further through the
key).
- Have pairs of students create a dichotomous key based on
their reasoning for the groupings they made.
- Have the pairs of
students split and reform new partnerships. Have the students give
their new partners their dichotomous keys and have them attempt to
classify according to each-other's key.
- Give each partner one
minute to share their reasoning for the dichotomous key they
made.
- Discuss results with whole class.
- Introduce the
classification hierarchy for organisms. (kingdom, phylum, class,
order, family, genus, and species)
- Show an example of the
classification groups for humans in a table on the overhead
projector. Students should be aware of the hierarchy of groups they
fall in and how they are similar and different from other animals in
that kingdom.
- The classification table will have the hierarchy
in the first column (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus,
and species). The second column will have the group name (for
example a house cat is as follows: animal, chordate, mammal,
carnivore, felidae, felis, and catus). The third column will have
the group traits (for example a house cat is a follows: many cells,
rodlike structure along the back for support, nurses young, eats
flesh, sharp claws, small cats, and tame).
- Have the students
copy the human classification table.
- Show an example of a
classifiction table for the house cat.
- On the overhead or
board, create a Venn diagram to compare the human classification
table to the cat classification table.
- To apply understanding
of the classification table have the students select an organism
from the animal kingdom (could be one they listed in their flip
books) and have them compare it to humans.
- Have the students
compare the two using a Venn diagram on white paper.
- Provide
closure to the unit by completing the KWHL chart from lesson
one.
- Have students review what they wrote about classification
and grouping before they started?
- Did you have any
misconceptions?
- Did you learn all that you wanted to?
- Did
you find any new ways for learning that you didn't expect?
What
did you learn?
-Complete the last section of the KWHL chart -
What did you learn about classification of organisms?
Enrichment/Alternate Activity:
Cross-Curricular:
1. Students could research the history behind the design of the
Kingdom classification system. An appropriate report method (poster,
word processing, poem, etc) could be used to present
information.
Technology
Requirements/Tools/Materials
Computer, overhead projector, program for making spreadsheets
(Excel, Claris, etc.)
Acknowledgements:
Additional Resources
Main
URL:
Related Lessons
Related Resources
Copyright © 1997-2003
Career Connection to Teaching with Technology
USDOE Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
Marshall Ransom, Project Manager
All rights reserved.
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