Taxonomy Unit
Sources:
Background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxonomy
Day 1 Activity: Originally developed by Judith Simmons. Reviewed and modified by Jared Renfro
Goals:
1.
Students will be able to classify an organism of their choice using conventional
classification system of scientists.
2. Students will be able to explain why scientists use a classification system.
3. Students will be able to identify the 7 nested layers of taxonomy identification.
4. Students will be able to organize information about their organism for other students to see
and learn.
Standards (6th grade to 8th grade)
Structure and Function: Systems function through interactions of component parts via mechanisms
with various levels of complexity.
8.1.LS.1 Explain how organisms from both the past and the present are classified based on their
genetics and their internal and external structures. Describe how scientists use classification systems
to show relationships among organisms.
Engineering Design: Engineering design is a process of identifying needs, defining problems, and
evaluating proposed solutions.
6.4.1 Define a problem that addresses a particular need and identify scientific principles that may be
related to possible solutions.
6.4.2 Design, construct, and test a possible solution to a defined problem using appropriate tools and
materials. Evaluate the proposed engineering design solutions to that problem.
Time Frame:
4 to 5 days depending on discussion length
Background:
Definition:
Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification. The word comes from the Greek
τάξις, taxis (meaning 'order', 'arrangement') and νόμος, nomos ('law' or 'science').
Taxonomies, or taxonomic schemes, are composed of taxonomic units known as
taxa (singular taxon), or kinds of things that are arranged frequently in a
hierarchical structure. Typically they are related by subtype-supertype
relationships, also called parent-child relationships. In such a subtype-supertype
relationship the subtype kind of thing has by definition the same constraints as
the supertype kind of thing plus one or more additional constraints. For example,
car is a subtype of vehicle. So any car is also a vehicle, but not every vehicle is a
car. Therefore, a thing needs to satisfy more constraints to be a car than to be a
vehicle.
Applications:
Originally the term taxonomy referred to the classifying of living organisms (now
known as alpha taxonomy); however, the term is now applied in a wider, more
general sense and now may refer to a classification of things, as well as to the
principles underlying such a classification.
Almost anything — animate objects, inanimate objects, places, concepts, events,
properties, and relationships — may be classified according to some taxonomic
scheme. Wikipedia categories illustrate a taxonomy schema.
The term taxonomy may also apply to relationship schemes other than parentchild hierarchies, such as network structures with other types of relationships.
Taxonomies may include single children with multi-parents, for example, "Car"
might appear with both parents "Vehicle" and "Steel Mechanisms"; to some
however, this merely means that 'car' is a part of several different taxonomies.
A taxonomy might also be a simple organization of kinds of things into groups, or
even an alphabetical list. However, the term vocabulary is more appropriate for
such a list. In current usage within "Knowledge Management", taxonomies are
seen as less broad than ontologies as ontologies apply a larger variety of relation
types.
Mathematically, a hierarchical taxonomy is a tree structure of classifications for a
given set of objects. It is also named Containment hierarchy. At the top of this
structure is a single classification, the root node, that applies to all objects. Nodes
below this root are more specific classifications that apply to subsets of the total
set of classified objects. So for instance, in common schemes of scientific
classification of organisms, the root is called "Organism" followed by nodes for
the taxonomic ranks: Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, etc. The progress of
reasoning proceeds from the general to the more specific. In scientific
taxonomies, a conflative term is always a polyseme.
In contrast, in a context of legal terminology, an open-ended contextual taxonomy
-- a taxonomy holding only with respect to a specific context. In scenarios taken
from the legal domain, a formal account of the open-texture of legal terms is
modeled, which suggests varying notions of the "core" and "penumbra" of the
meanings of a concept. The progress of reasoning proceeds from the specific to
the more general
Taxonomy and mental classification:
Some have argued that the adult human mind naturally organizes its knowledge
of the world into such systems. This view is often based on the epistemology of
Immanuel Kant. Anthropologists have observed that taxonomies are generally
embedded in local cultural and social systems, and serve various social
functions. Perhaps the most well-known and influential study of folk taxonomies
is Émile Durkheim's The Elementary Forms of Religious Life.
Various taxonomies:
Linnaean taxonomy is the system most familiar to non-taxonomists. It uses the
formal taxonomic ranks (in order) Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family,
Genus, Species. The lower ranks (superfamily to subspecies) are strictly
regulated, e.g. by the ICZN for animals, whereas taxonomy at higher ranks is a
result of consensus in the scientific community. How researchers arrive at their
taxa varies; depending on the available data and resources; methods vary from
simple qualitative comparisons for little-documented organisms to elaborate
cladistic analyses for well-known groups with abundant DNA sequence data.
(Various mnemonic devices have been used to help people remember the list of
Linnaean taxonomic ranks. See Zoology mnemonic.)
In phylogenetic taxonomy, cladistic taxonomy or cladism, organisms are
classified into "clades", which are discovered by grouping taxa using derived
traits. By using clades as the criteria for separation, cladistic taxonomy, using
cladograms, can categorize taxa into unranked groups. The taxonomy is
exclusively based on cladistic analysis.
In numerical taxonomy, phenetics or taximetrics, the taxonomy is exclusively
based on cluster analysis and neighbor joining to best-fit numerical equations
that characterize all measurable quantities of a number of organisms. This
method has been largely superseded by the superior cladistic analyses today,
except in cases when these are too computationally intensive (a single largescale cladistic analysis can take months to compute).
Non-scientific taxonomies:
Other taxonomies, such as those analyzed by Durkheim and Lévi-Strauss, are
sometimes called folk taxonomies to distinguish them from scientific taxonomies
that focus on evolutionary relationships rather than similarity in habitus and
habits. Though phenetics arguably places much emphasis on overall similarity, it
is a quantitative analysis that attempts to reproduce evolutionary relationships of
lineages and not similarities of form taxa.
The neologism folksonomy should not be confused with "folk taxonomy", though
it is obviously a portmanteau created from the two words. "Fauxonomy" (from
French faux, "false") is a pejorative neologism used to criticize folk taxonomies
for their lack of agreement with scientific findings. Baraminology is a taxonomy
used in creation science which in classifying form taxa resembles folk
taxonomies.
The phrase "enterprise taxonomy" is used in business to describe a very limited
form of taxonomy used only within one organization. An example would be a
certain method of classifying trees as "Type A", "Type B" and "Type C" used only
by a certain lumber company for categorising log shipments.
Lessons:
Day 1 Shoe Lab Activity
Time: 45mins to 1 hour depending on discussion
Purpose:
To introduce students to the concept of scientific classification. Students will be
using their shoes and classifying them into nested categories using their own
language. This can later be linked to the classification system used by scientists.
(Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and species.
Materials:
1. Shoes
2. Chalkboard
3. Handouts
Procedure:
Have each student take off their left shoe and put them in a pile in the
front of the room. You take on off as well. Be prepared for comments
about smells and giggles about how their feet look, reassure students that
everyone’s feet look funny and we all have stinky feet.
2. Tell the students that we are going to develop a classification system for all
the shoes we have in a pile in front of us. Ask students what they think a
good classification system should consist of?
3. Ask for two volunteers to help with the sorting of the shoes.
4. Hand out shoe activity worksheet and tell students they will need to track
their shoe and fill out the worksheet as we sort their shoes.
5. Ask students what will be the first level of classification. Write this on the
board. Have students decide on what the biggest difference is between
the shoes. It will be easiest for the students to divide the pile into two.
However, if your students want to allow them to use three piles.
(Especially if there are some odd looking shoes that do not easily fit into
either category)
6. Ask students what the next level of organization will be. Write this on the
board. Pick one of the piles and divide it into two groups based on a
common characteristic shared within the smaller group.
7. Continue step 5 until the shoes have been classified so each shoe has its
own classification system.
8. Ask students what they notice about the classification system they have
developed.
9. Students retrieve shoes
10. Have them hand in handout on their way out the door.
Day 2
1.
Time: 45 mins to 1 hour depending on discussion
Purpose:
Building on Day 1 activity students will learn about how scientists classify
organisms and the history of taxonomy.
Materials:
1. Note taking handout
2. PowerPoint slideshow either for notes or to present to students.
Procedure:
1. Finish any discussion from the previous day.
2. Run through PowerPoint Taxonomy slides.
Day 3 and Day 4
Time: 45 mins to 1 hour
Materials:
1. Organism Project Handout
2. Research Materials so students can research their organism. (Library trip
or Computer internet usage)
Purpose:
Students will classify and organism and learn some interesting facts about their
organism to put together in a packet to share with a fellow classmate.
Procedure:
1. Finish any discussion from the pervious day
2. Hand out Organism Project to students
3. Give them rest of the time to work on their organism research.
4. End of Day 4 students will need to hand in their Organism Project to you.
Before Day 5 you will need to pair each Organism Project with a feedback
sheet so each student will be able to evaluate another student’s project.
Day 5
Time: 45 mins
Materials:
1. Test to hand out
2. Organism Projects to hand out.
Procedure:
1. Hand out Organism Project and Review sheet to each student
2. Give them ½ the time to read and fill out the evaluation form.
3. Hand out the test and give them the rest of the time to take it on taxonomy.
Shoe Activity Worksheet
Name:
Classification Name
Characteristic Description
Taxonomy Note Sheet
Name:
1.
The Classification levels from broadest to narrowest are:
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2. One way to remember the classification system
3. The last two classification levels ________________ and _________________ have a
special characteristic what is this characteristic?
4. Scientists use classification systems to:
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Organism Project
Each of you will pick out a unique organism to research. The sign up sheet is up front if the organism
you want to choose is taken you will have to choose another. If you need any help in choosing an
organism ask your teacher for help. Your teacher along with a fellow student will be evaluating your
organism project.
Guidelines:
Use 8.5 by 11 pieces of paper
You can use up to 4 pieces of paper
Write legibly so someone else will be able to read it.
Organize your information so it makes sense and is easy to find on the paper.
Information to Include:
1. Your Name
2. Common name(s) of Organism
3. Scientific Name of Organism
4. Classification of Organism including categories
5. Where Organism is found
6. Description of Organism
a. Can be written or a picture or a drawing
7. Three interesting Facts about Organism
8. If an animal what does the organism eat, if a plant what is it used by humans for.
Organism Sign Up Sheet
Your Name
Name of Organism
Organism Evaluation Form
Your Name:
Name of Organism:
1.
How many pieces of paper were used?
2. List the Classification of the Organism including categories of classification used.
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3. Where is the Organism Found?
4. What does the organism eat or how is it used by humans?
5. Was the information easy to find?
6. What could the author have done to make the paper better (only positive comments here
please)
Taxonomy Test
Name:
1.
List the seven categories going from broadest to narrowest that scientists use when
classifying organisms?
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2. Why do scientists use a classification system? (give two reasons)
3. How should CANIUS FAMILIARIS be written? (hint This is the scientific name for pet dogs)
4. BONUS POINTS List as much of the classification of your organism you remember.
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