Lesson: 7D Variation and Classification Lesson 1
Objectives
Should:
 Describe differences between individuals in a species
 To draw bar charts depicting differences between individuals in the class
Could:
 Suggest and investigate correlations e.g. Do taller pupils have wider arm
spans?
Starter:
Share lesson objectives
Sort pupils into groups based upon observable features: sex, ear lobes, eye colour,
shoe size. Use as stimulus to get pupils considering the range of variations with pupils
Explain: That differences between individuals are called Variations. If individuals
can be easily divided into groups this is called Discontinuous variation. If individuals
can’t be easily divided into groups this is called Continuous variation.
Main activities:
General tier:
Pupils collect data about the members of the group and record in table:
e.g. Eye colour, height, tongue rolling, length of middle finger, arm span, hand span
Pupils draw one bar chart depicting discontinuous variation: e.g.; Tongue rolling, ear
lobes, eye colour and one bar chart depicting continuous variation e.g. height, length
of finger, arm span, hand span
ICT opportunity: data collected on spread sheet and used to generate graphs
Higher Tier:
Pupils suggest and investigate correlations e.g. Do taller pupils have wider arm spans?
Pupils select and collect necessary data and then draw and interpret graphs.
ICT opportunity: data collected on spread sheet and used to generate graphs
Homework opportunity:
General Safety:
Plenary:
Pupils classify variables as continuous or discontinuous using show me boards or
traffic lights:
Finger length, Height, Foot length, Show size, Eye colour, Ear lobes, Arm span,
Tongue rolling
Lesson 7D Variation and classification lesson 2
Objectives
Should:
 Carry out an investigation to investigate the relationship between the length of
a holly leaf and the number of prickles
 Interpret graphs and draw conclusions from them
Could:



Select their own question to investigate using a range of stimuli: e.g. shells,
selection of leaves, flowers
Explain whether correlations are positive or negative and decide how
confident they are in their evidence
Describe the importance of sample size
Starter:
Pupils are given a selection of holly leaves to look at and have to record list of
observable differences
Main activities:
General tier:
Pupils investigate the relationship between the length of the holly leaf and the number
of prickles. Method brainstormed as class. Sample size discussed.
Pupils produce a report of their investigation and draw appropriate graphs.
Less able pupils provided with writing frame or sentence starters:
Higher Tier:
Pupils chose their own question to investigate and plan own method.
Pupils produce a report of their investigation and draw appropriate graphs.
Homework opportunity:
General Safety:
Wash hands after handling leaves / animals
Pupils plans must be checked for health and safety before practical work begins
Plenary:
Pupils summarise results of their findings in one sentence. Each group feeds back to
the rest of the class
Lesson: 7D Variation and Classification Lesson 3
Objectives
Should:
 Recognise that some characteristics are inherited, others environmental and
some a combination of both
Could:
Starter:
Share lesson objectives:
Show pupils pictures of famous sets of siblings. E.g. the Corrs. The Gallaghers, Prince
William and Prince Harry. Ask the pupils to identify differences between the siblings
and then suggest reasons for these differences
Main activities:
General and Higher Tier:
State that variations can be inherited, environmental or a combination of both
Reinforce with a range of examples:
Inherited: Eye colour, ability to roll tongues of identical twins
Environmental: pH of soil Hydrangea grown in, scar, low birth weight of babies
whose mothers smoke during pregnancy, ability to speak French
Both: weight, height,
Pupils complete question sheet: Variation “Nature or Nurture”
Extension work:
Homework opportunity:
Homework sheet 7.2 Amazing twin facts
General Safety:
Plenary:
Traffic light activity: red = false, green=true, amber=unsure statements
 Boys get all of their genetic information from their fathers F
 Variations between us are due to the genes we inherit from our parents T
 The ability to roll your tongue is inherited T




Your blood group is a consequence of your environment F
Your height is due to the environment you grow up in F
Your eye colour is inherited T
The length of a dogs ear is dependent upon the amount of pedigree chum they
eat F
Lesson: 7D Variation and Classification lesson 4
Objectives
Should:
 Sort organisms into groups according to common features
 Classify organisms as plants or animals and animals as invertebrates or
invertebrates
 Classify vertebrates as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians or fish
Could:
 Relate the features of each mammalian group
Starter:
Give pupils a list or pictures of 30 different animals. Ask the pupils to draw 5
different enclosures on a piece of paper and then place the animals into the enclosure,
explaining the rationale for their choice.
Main activities:
Ask pupils to report back on the rationale for their grouping and highlight different
groupings which emerge from this activity.
Help pupils to consider the advantages and disadvantages of different systems.
Present pupils with information on a new organism e.g. a photograph of a bee and ask
them to place into one of their existing groups. Ask different groups how they have
classified the bee.
Use this example to illustrate the importance of using a system of classification.
Explain the hierarchal nature of classification by introducing the notion that large
groups, e.g., animals can be divided into smaller sub groups e.g. invertebrates and
vertebrates
General tier
Sort pictures of vertebrates into mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians. Class
discussion to elicit features of vertebrate groups. Record details in tables.
Higher Tier:
Divide class into 10 groups. Give groups following vertebrate groups to research
using standard texts: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish. Ask each
group to find 3 examples and 3 characteristics (or more) for their group (2 groups for
each vertebrate group). Record details in table.
Homework opportunity:
Research work of Carl Linnaeus
General Safety:
Plenary:
General tier:
Give pupils details of unusual vertebrates, ask them to classify and explain rationale:
e.g. Duckbilled platypus, dolphin, kangaroo, emu
Higher Tier:
Each group feeds back information about their vertebrate group to the rest of the class.
Details recorded in table.
Lesson 7D Variation and Classification Lesson 5
Objectives
Should:
 Find and present information about one group of invertebrates
Could:
 Correctly classify invertebrates into their correct taxonomic group
Starter:
Share lesson objectives
Recap work from previous lesson by asking pupils to classify animals as mammals,
birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians or invertebrates.
Main activities:
General and Higher tier
Divide pupils into groups of 7. Give each pupil in a group a coloured card (7 different
colours). Explain they are currently in their rainbow group.
Separate pupils to work in colour groups. (all reds work together etc) (Colour groups
could be mixed ability or of ability grouping. If in ability groupings more able pupils
could work on harder groups such as myripods)
Each colour group collects information about one invertebrate group using standard
texts, internet etc and records information on table.
Pupils split back into rainbow groups. Each pupil feeds back information about the
invertebrate they have been studying. All pupils record details in table.
Homework opportunity:
General Safety:
Plenary:
Recap of characteristics of each invertebrate group with whole class.
Lesson 7D Variation and classification lesson 6 (optional)
Objectives
Should:
 Pupils work individually to produce an encyclopaedia entry about an animal of
their choice
Could:
 Pupils could work in groups and present groups research as a PowerPoint
presentation
Starter:
Pupils look at an example of an entry in a Childs encyclopaedia about an animal and
as class discuss what makes a good encyclopaedia entry
Main activities:
ICT Focus:
Pupils produce children’s encyclopaedia entry on animals of their choice using
Publisher or similar.
Pupils should be encouraged to use text books, reference books, CD ROMs and the
internet to gather information.
As part of this research pupils could study animals in the lab. E.g. earthworms, beetles
or woodlice
General Safety:
Plenary:
Lesson 7D Variation and Classification revision lesson
Objectives
Should:
 Complete a series of exercises to revise topic
 Identify strengths and weaknesses in topic using traffic light system
Could:
 Produce own revision notes for topic
Starter:
Traffic lights quiz module
 Invertebrates are animals without a backbone T
 Fish are types of vertebrates T
 Differences between humans are a result of the genes they inherit F
 A dolphin is a type of fish F
 Height is an example of continuous variation T
 The ability to run fast is inherited F
Main activities:
General and Higher tier
7D Variation and Classification Target Sheet
Choose from following revision exercises:

Show pupils partially completed Concept Map of Vertebrate Classification.
Pupils complete appropriately.

Pupils complete own Concept Map of Invertebrate Classification

Pupils produce own revision notes

Pupils write definitions for the following words: variation, inheritance,
discontinuous, continuous, classification, vertebrate, invertebrate, correlation

Pupils write a letter to an alien explaining how to distinguish between the
different vertebrate groups

Revision sheets, crosswords, word searches as appropriate

Classification snap

Variation and Classification loop game
Homework opportunity:
Revision
General Safety:
Plenary:
Pupils look at Variation and Classification Target sheet, and identify areas that need
further revision using traffic light system
7D Variation and Classification Target Sheet
Think back about the work you have covered in the last topic. Colour in the boxes as
follows:
Red: I’m unhappy with this. I need to revise this.
Amber: This is OK, but still needs revision
Green: I’m really happy with this part of the topic
Target
I can suggest ways in which different species, e.g.
humans and dogs differ from each other
I can out living things into groups
I can suggest some features of humans that may be
inherited
I can suggest reasons why natural brothers and
sisters look similar to each other
I can put living organisms into their correct groups
I can say if characteristics are usually inherited or
usually caused by the environment
I can gather data about the characteristics shown by
humans and present them in either a graph, chart or
table, whichever is best
I can classify a number of organisms into their
correct group with reasons
I can describe the features that living things have in
common with each other for a range of groups
I can say if an animal is an invertebrate or a
vertebrate and place it into the correct group
I can describe the features of the different vertebrate
groups
I can describe the features of the different
invertebrate groups
Traffic light
Key words
Variation and Classification
Variation
Classification
Inherited
Environmental
Gene
Continuous
Discontinuous
Species
Vertebrate
Invertebrate
Mammal
Bird
Reptile
Amphibian
Fish
Insect
Arachnid
Crustacean
Myriapod
Mollusc
Echinoderm
Annelid
7D Variation and Classification
Prior Learning:
This unit follows on from KS2 unit 1A Ourselves, unit 5B Life Cycles and unit 6A
Interdependence and Adaptation
Expectations
At the end of this unit
In terms of scientific enquiry
Most pupils will: use observation to identify questions to investigate about variation
between individuals; suggest data to collect to answer the questions; present and
analyse the data, identify associations or correlations in their data
Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: make suggestions
about data to be collected to answer questions about variation and, with help, present
data using ICT and identify patterns or associations
Some pupils will have progressed further and will: evaluate graphs and tables of
data in relation to sample size and describe how strongly any association or
correlation is supported
In terms of life processes and living things
Most pupils will: identify similarities and differences in organisms of the same
species and begin to attribute these to environmental or inherited factors; explain the
importance of classifying living things; identify some of the main taxonomic groups
of animals and describe some of these
Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: identify similarities
and differences between organisms of the same species and classify organisms into
plants and animals: identify a few taxonomic groups of animals
Some pupils will have progressed further and will: recognise that inherited and
environmental causes of variation cannot be completely separated; name some
organisms which are not readily classified as plant or animal