CLASSIFYING
ORGANISMS:
a web quest assignment
Why classify?
Say you have only 10 minutes to run into a supermarket to
get what you needed. Could you do it?
You would probably head straight to the area where the
items were located.
But what if you had to shop for the same items in a market
where things were randomly placed throughout the
store. Where would you begin? You would have to
search through a lot of things before you found what you
needed! You could be there for a long time!
Biologists have organized living things with similarities into
groups so that the organisms are easier to study. This
process is called classification.
ASSIGNMENT
In groups of three, you will research the main
distinguishing characteristics of the 6
kingdoms and those of animal and plant
groups, using the guidelines & activities
shown here and the internet.
Your task will be to prepare a powerpoint
presentation to be uploaded in the blog.
Your presentation must have all sources/references (web
site links, pages with images or videoclips) and the group
members.
WHAT TO SEARCH FOR
As you explore the web, keep the following questions in mind:
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Why do scientists classify?
What are the major levels of classification?
How are organisms classified?
What is binomial nomenclature?
What are the six different kingdoms of organisms
that are generally recognized by scientists today?
What are some examples of major animal and plant
phyla?
Classify Organisms Based on
Physical Features

How might you classify a
sunflower, a kingfisher, a
lizard, a ray, and a tree?
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Copy the table on paper
and fill in your answers
to include them in your
presentation.
Plants
Animals
Levels of Classification
most general
KINGDOM
PHYLUM / DIVISION
CLASS
ORDER
FAMILY
GENUS
SPECIES
least general
Understanding Classification

Imagine a room filled with people from the province of Buenos Aires.
(KINGDOM)
 There may be some people from the northern area.
(PHYLUM)
 There may be some people who live within 60 km from downtown.
(CLASS)
 There may be some people from your district, e.g. San Isidro.
(ORDER)
 There may be some people from your locality, e.g. Martínez
(FAMILY)
 There may be some people that live on your street.
(GENUS)
 You will be the only one that lives in your house.
(SPECIES)
The more levels you share with others, the more you have in common.
Use this link (or copy & paste it in your browser) to
complete this activity.
http://www.quia.com/pp/51115.html?AP_rand=463451
876
Return to this assignment when you are done.
NAMING ORGANISMS
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Carl von Linne (Linneus is his latinised name) devised a
system of naming organisms.
Linnaeus placed
organisms in groups based on their observable features.
Each organism has a unique, two-part scientific name.
This naming system is called binomial nomenclature
or binomial system.
Use the pictures below to find their scientific names in the
web. After you are done, save them to include them in
your presentation as examples.
KINGDOMS
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Any grouping of organisms into kingdoms is
based on several factors. Find out how the
kingdoms are sorted out.
Six different kingdoms of organisms are
generally recognized by scientists today
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Bacteria
Archaea
Protists
Fungi
Plants
Animals
MAJOR ANIMAL GROUPS
Go to the following websites and visit other sites to find out
what the main characteristics of these kingdoms are.
Complete a chart on paper to later include it in your
presentation.
http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science/sciber00/7th/classify/sciber/5king2.htm
http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit1/3domain/3domain.html
http://www.middleschoolscience.com/cniderians.htm
http://www.virted.org/Animals/Mollusks.html
http://www.virted.org/Animals/Earthworms.html
http://www.virted.org/Animals/Insect.html
http://www.virted.org/Animals/Starfish.html
http://www.virted.org/Animals/Chordate.html
MAJOR PLANT GROUPS
Go to the following web sites or visit your own to find out about the
main plant groups. Then fill in the blanks.
http://www.virted.org/Plants/Mosses.html
1. This plant division are found in .................................. areas and
do not grow vertically too high but can spread out to be a yard long.
http://www.backyardnature.net/conifers.htm
2. This plant division bears ............................., instead of real fruits.
http://www.virted.org/Plants/Ferns.html
3. This plant division can mostly be found in ....................................
http://www.virted.org/Plants/Flower.html
4. The four basic parts of this plant division are ..............................,
...................................., ......................... , and ................................
UNSCRAMBLE THESE WORDS!
smoses
ofrescni
woflrnige alpsnt
nrsfe