Classification – Teachers’ Notes
Who is it for?
11-14 year olds
How long will it take? The activities are designed for a 1 hour session.
Learning outcomes:
Students will learn about why we classify species, the different ways in
which we can classify species and the key characteristics of mammals,
birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects.
What do you need?
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Interactive whiteboard or projector
Computer to connect to whiteboard or projector
ARKive’s Classification PowerPoint classroom presentation
ARKive’s Guess Zoo cards
ARKive’s Guess Zoo - Student Instructions and Key Questions
Laptops – enough for the students to work in pairs
Colouring pencils or felt tip pens.
Summary:
This activity is designed to teach 11-14 year olds about the concept of classification – the process
by which we group species according to their characteristics.
Students learn about why we classify species, the different ways in which we can classify species
and the key characteristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects.
Activity 1: working in groups, students play Guess Zoo to help them understand the differences
between mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.
Activity 2: working in pairs, students research and identify the key characteristics of different
insect orders. Pupils draw examples of insects from three orders, highlighting the features that
make each order different from the others.
Preparation guidelines:
1. Download the ARKive Classification PowerPoint classroom presentation.
2. Read through the notes to understand why we classify species and the main differences
between mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects.
3. Print and cut out the ARKive Guess Zoo species cards, one species per card. If you
would like to create your own species cards, visit www.arkive.org for ideas and images of
species.
4. Print out ARKive Guess Zoo – Student Instructions and Key Questions.
How to run the session:
1. Begin by introducing the concept of classification using the ARKive Classification
PowerPoint classroom presentation.
2. Find out what the students already know about classification and why we classify
organisms, as a starting point for further discussion.
3. Discuss the classification hierarchy and the key characteristics of mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians, and fish. See slide notes on the ARKive Classification PowerPoint
classroom presentation for further guidance and information.
4. Introduce activity 1, Guess Zoo. This activity takes around 15 – 30 minutes depending
on the class size.
a. Split the students into groups of 6-8.
b. Give each student one ARKive Guess Zoo species card each and make sure
they do not look at it.
c. Ask the students to hold their cards against their heads so that the rest of the
group can see the card.
d. The students take it in turns to ask Yes or No questions based on classification to
work out which animal they are. The animal name in large font on the ARKive
Guess Zoo species card is the answer e.g. for spiny seahorse, the student needs
to work out that they are a SEAHORSE.
e. Give the students ARKive Guess Zoo - Student Instructions and Key Questions if
they need assistance or suggestions of questions to ask.
f. See slide notes on the ARKive Classification PowerPoint presentation for further
guidance on how to play Guess Zoo.
5. Introduce activity 2, Insect Classification. This activity should take around 25 minutes.
a. Ask the students to get into pairs.
b. Students need a computer to access www.arkive.org – and other websites if
needed - and research the defining characteristics of following insect orders:
i. Coleoptera
ii. Hymenoptera
iii. Lepidoptera
iv. Diptera
v. Odonata
c. Ask the students to choose one or two of the five orders and draw an example of
an insect from each. Students can use the images on ARKive to help them.
d. Students should label the features of the insects they have drawn, paying
particular attention to the features that make each order different from the others.
e. See slide notes on the ARKive Classification PowerPoint presentation for further
guidance on insects and an example image.
6. Bring the class together to discuss what they have learnt about classification. Some
example discussion questions are included on the last slide of the ARKive Classification
PowerPoint presentation. For example: why do we classify organisms? What are the
defining characteristics of mammals? What are the defining characteristics of insects?
Glossary of terms:
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Characteristic: a feature of a species that serves to identify it.
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Classification: the arrangement of animals and plants in groups according to their
genetic similarities.
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Order: a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms.
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Organism: an individual animal, plant, fungi or single-celled life form.
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Species: a group of organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of interbreeding
to produce fertile offspring.
Suggestions for extension activities:
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Ask the students to present one of their insect drawings to the class and discuss the
features that make that particular insect order different to the other insect orders.
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Give the students Guess Zoo cards. Get the students to group themselves into
mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, according to the species on their card.
Within the groups, ask the students whether some of the animals are more related than
others. For example, within the birds, eagles, owls and vultures are closely related,
whereas eagles and penguins are more distantly related. Discuss how animals can be
classified within larger groups.