SORTING ALL SORTS

A web embedded lesson

Introduction
. Students are introduced to the concept of classification and its uses.  They learn how to make a simple branching key and the methods used by scientists to classify and name organisms both living and fossil. 

Subject: Science
Topic: Classification
Grade Level: Seventh 
Sorting all Sorts for students is here. http://ctap295.ctaponline.org/~emiranda/students

3. Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations.  As a basis for understanding this concept, students know: 

d. how to construct a simple branching diagram to classify living groups of organisms by shared derived characteristics, and expand the diagram to include fossil organisms. 

2. Given photos or accurate drawings of insects,  the students will construct a simple branching key and label the levels using the classification terms of kingdom, phylum, and class and order with 80 percent accuracy.

3. Given pictures of trees and a dichotomous key students will correctly identify each tree. 

4. Given drawings of imaginary creatures, students will construct branching and dichotomous keys and give each creature a scientific name. 

5. Students will take a multiple choice test and pass it with 70% accuracy. 

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At the onset of this lesson students will take a pre-test. Students will be introduced to the concept of classification, focusing on its importance to everyday life and to the world of science through the use of one or two engaging activities and journals. After the introductory lessons students will work on several activities to practice and apply classifying organisms.  They will view a  power point presentation and listen to a lecture on classification, kingdoms of livings things, and the constructing and use of keys. As a culminating activity, students will construct a branching key, classifying both living and fossil organisms. They will label the key with proper terminology and write an explanation of their work.  A post test will be administered as a final assessment. 
Introductory Activity
1. Pre-test

2. Journal entry

3.Tennis shoe classification activity or Fingerprinting activity

Enabling Activities
1. Video on classification and students take notes. 

2.  Essay on classification and complete a crossword puzzle. 

3. Shape Island lab from textbook, p. 592-593 

4.  Power point presentation on classification

5. Keying out trees hand out from Ranger Rick's Nature Scope "Trees"

6. Notes on textbook pages 232-239

7. Activity on classifying seeds  http://public.asu.edu/~furnier/papers/plantclass/index.html

8. Sorting all sorts activity: make a branching key, a dichotomous key, and give creatures scientific names. 

Culminating Activities

1. Complete a final project in groups of 3-4 students.  

2. Final test.  

 Look here for a  rubric for scoring labs and worksheets. Score

Look here for a rubric for scoring the student performance based final project. Performance based assessment. 

Introductory Activity

1. #1228.Biology: Classification of .......Shoes?  http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts//1228.html

2.Fingerprinting: A Lesson on Classification http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~coalitn/sciedoutreach/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/prints.html#backlink2

Enabling Activity

1. Taxonomy Intro Page 

http://library.thinkquest.org/11771/english/hi/biology/taxonomy.shtml

2. Taxonomy Crossword puzzle

3. Plant Classification (seeds) http://public.asu.edu/~furnier/papers/plantclass/index.html

4. Power point of classification of living things http://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/~johnson/teaching/classification/classification.htm

Culminating Activity
1. Final test 

2. Performance based assessment

 

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McCabe Union Elementary School
El Centro, Callifornia
Emily Miranda  emilyjanemiranda@Yahoo.com
Last Revised: 05/27/01