Visit Your Local PBS Station PBS Home PBS Home Programs A-Z TV Schedules Watch Video Support PBS Shop PBS Search PBS
SAF Archives search ask the scientists in the classroom cool science
welcome
on the islands
cyber field trip
for students
for teachers
cyber field trip

teaching guide

more activities

teacher contest

related frontiers activities
web resources
galapagos homepage
Destination: Galapagos Islands Cyber Field Trip
FOR TEACHERS

Cyber Field Trip Teaching Guide
Taxonomic Fun: Classifying the Life Around Us


Student activity available at
../galapagos/g42_tax.html

This interactive activity will be available for students beginning Tuesday, December 8, 1998.

Introduction
National Science Education Standards
Objectives
Concepts and Terms
Materials
Procedure
Critical Thinking Questions
Related Activity



INTRODUCTION

The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the most unusual organisms on Earth, many of which we hope to meet on our trip. To find order in the tremendous diversity of life on Earth, the science of taxonomy, or the ordered classification of organisms, was developed. In 1753, Carl von Linnaeus introduced a two-word naming system known as binomial nomenclature, which we continue to use today.

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

SCIENCE AS INQUIRY
5-8
9-12:		 Ability to Make a Scientific Inquiry
LIFE SCIENCE
5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and Heredity, Diversity and Adaptation of Organisms
9-12: Biological Evolution




OBJECTIVES

  1. To develop skill in using biological classification systems.

  2. To become familiar with binomial nomenclature.



CONCEPTS AND TERMS

Taxonomists searched for a way to group organisms that would distinguish one species from another and would reflect the relationships that exist between lifeforms. This search eventually led to the development of a systematic classification system known as the Five Kingdom System. In this system, organisms are grouped into one of five kingdoms and are then further subdivided into phylum, class, order, family, genus and, finally, species. Each of these groupings is more specific than the last. For example, a genus may encompass many species.

Binomial nomenclature allows us to assign a two-word name to each organism (e.g., humans are Homo sapiens).



MATERIALS

  • printouts of photographs below
  • scissors
  • glue or tape
  • 3 x 5 index cards
  • pen


PROCEDURE

In this activity, you will be creating your own classification system.

  1. Print out a copy of the various organisms pictured below.

  2. Cut out each organism and tape or glue the picture to a 3 x 5 index card.

  3. Separate the organisms into two groups that are similar in some way.

  4. Identify the subdivisions with a category name and indicate the name on the bottom of each card.

  5. Now separate each group into two subdivisions of species that have more specific like characteristics.

  6. Continue to make subdivisions until each organism is in a category by itself.
photograph of baby seal photograph of crab
photograph of bear photograph of blue footed booby
photograph of butterfly photograph of cat
photograph of bat photograph of elephant
photograph of frog photograph of goldfish
photograph of gull photograph of flower
photograph of iguana photograph of leaf
photograph of owl photograph of fern
photograph of mushroom photograph of leopard
photograph of penguin photograph of tarantula
photograph of lemur photograph of raccoon
photograph of flamingo photograph of Alan Alda (human)
photograph of shark photograph of ant




CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
  • On what basis did you initially separate organisms?

  • After the initial grouping, what characteristics did you use as distinguishing factors?

  • Specify the kingdoms that were noted in your separations.

  • In terms of shared characteristics, what happens as you make more subdivisions?

  • What phyla were represented in your groupings?

  • What classes were represented in your groupings?


REALATED ACTIVITY

In the More Galapagos Classroom Activities section, you will find an additional activity about Darwin's finches and Identifying Organisms with a Taxonomic Key.




 

Scientific American Frontiers
Fall 1990 to Spring 2000
Sponsored by GTE Corporation,
now a part of Verizon Communications Inc.