Curated OER
Taxonomy
Students complete a short quiz reviewing classification. In groups, they create their own family trees and discuss who is related to whom and are introduced to phylogenies in genetics. To end the lesson, they take notes on Taxonomy and...
Virginia Department of Education
A Dichotomous Key of Virginia’s Native Plants
Can your class correctly classify plant species? Individuals explore native plants of the local environment and correctly classify them into their respective categories. They investigate differences in the plants and discuss similarities...
ARKive
Species Discovery
How do you classify a newly discovered species? Learners view a presentation and complete research about biodiversity and the classification hierarchy. The lesson includes activities with dichotomous keys and work on classifying both...
Curated OER
Who Lives Here?
Students identify various aquatic wildlife species. In this biology lesson students collect clues about animals that live in wetland habitats. Students rotate through several stations displaying particular animal species to collect their...
Curated OER
Animals and Engineering
Students study animal classification and their interactions. In this animals and engineering lesson students study animal communities and how engineers use this knowledge to create new technologies.
Curated OER
Classified Information - Part 1: Shapes
Third graders investigate how and why scientists use classification. They discuss classification strategies using animals, and as a class fill in a flowchart with their responses. Next, in small groups they cut out a variety of shapes...
Curated OER
Classifying Plants and Insects
Art and science come together in a lesson based on Flower Still Life by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. Learners classify plants and insects in the painting by color, leaf shape, size, reproduction, and season of bloom.
Curated OER
Biological Relationships - Coral Reef Memory Game and Chain Game
Students familiarize themselves with the interconnectedness of species within an ecosystem, and to use this knowledge to evaluate how the removal or decimation of one species can have far reaching effects.
Curated OER
Diversity of Life
Students compare the different classifications and explore how organisms are grouped. In this classification instructional activity students study images of organisms and answer questions.
Curated OER
Species Diversity and Phylogeny
Students explore the classification system of organisms: taxonomy. They examine prepared slides of Protozoans and record information on a Taxonomy Recording Sheet. Two additional classifying activities are also included in this lesson.
Curated OER
Pyramid of Biomass
Young scholars interpret data to demonstrate biomass and number pyramids. They use information to draw conclusions and examine an example of biological magnification.
Curated OER
Classifying "Pastanimals"
Students explore biology by creating a poster presentation. In this animal classification lesson, students utilize a SMART board and practice organizing a group of animal shapes by placing them with similar animal families. Students...
Curated OER
In the Field with Salamanders
Pupils observe salamanders, take pictures of them, and classify them into an online format. In this animal classification lesson, students use collection materials and digital camera to photograph and observe salamanders. Pupils collect...
Curated OER
The Value of a Garden
Students will work cooperatively. In this environmental lesson plan, students will start by discussing an article and its questions prior to receiving a handout. There are two versions of the handout depending if your students are AP or...
Curated OER
Groups We Belong To
Students explore society by completing a class identification activity. In this student identification instructional activity, students participate in a classification activity in which students with a certain hair, eye or clothing color...
Curated OER
Classification of an Echinoderm
Students study starfish through dissection. In this biology lesson plan, students explore the lives of starfish as they view a slide show, observe parts of echinoderms, and compare the classification of the starfish with other...
Curated OER
Systematics: Classifying Organisms
Students describe the techniques biologists use to classify organisms. In this biology lesson plan, students create cladograms and phylogenetic trees. They list the levels of taxonomic hierarchy.
Curated OER
Animals
Students explore biology by participating in a science vocabulary activity. In this animal species lesson plan, students define a list of animal vocabulary terms as well as practice using them in sentences with the appropriate adjectives...
Alliance Theater
The Jungle Book Post-Show STEAM Lesson
An ecosystem is really just the flow of energy through many different living organisms. A study of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book leads to an environmental science activity in which learners study how various factors can affect...
Curated OER
Gallery Walk Questions about Energy and Material Cycles
Students state the physical, chemical or biological processes associated with these environments: Pelagic ocean zone, California coat Cave, Indiana Barrier island beach, North Carolina Sand dune, Dunes National Park, Colorado Wetland and...
Curated OER
Taxonomy Project
Students act as a taxonomist and, given a certain situation, classify existing organisms.
Curated OER
Pheed the World: Edible Phyla
High schoolers discuss the contributions of different organisms to our world. In this biology lesson, students research countries with limited food supply. They create an improvement plan for a fictitious country assigned to them.
Curated OER
Nuts & Bolts: is Classification, Arbitrary, Or Not?
Students, in groups, classify furniture, share their categories and rationales, then note how their different schemes vary, perfectly logical and useful, but completely arbitrary.
Curated OER
Species Diversity in Ecosystems with Different Techniques of Land Management
Learners visit numerous places to help in their understanding of Ecology. In this biology lesson plan, students will learn about characteristics and how to identify numerous plants and animals. This lesson allows for many field trip...