Classification of Living Organisms Including Infectious Agents

Classification Student Name: ______Activity Teacher: ______Date: ______Period: ______

Classifying Living Organisms

Purpose:

The students will be able to classify living organisms into Domains and Kingdoms based on their characteristics. Students will also practice grouping different living things into groups of their choosing.

Materials:

Pictures and descriptions of living organisms to be classified

Background Information:

Classification means the organization of items into groups based upon similarities and differences. Classification makes many tasks easier and quicker. Most things in our daily lives are classified in some manner. Scientists classify living organisms into groups based on their characteristics. The most basic groups that scientists use to classify living organisms are Domains and Kingdoms.

Part 1: Organizing Familiar Organisms

Organize the following living organisms into two different groups. Then, explain why you organized your groups the way you did.

© Partnership for Environmental Education and Rural Health at College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University Funding support from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health

1 List 1: horse, lizard, cat, dog, turtle, hamster, snake, cow, alligator, iguana

Group 1 Group 2

______

Explain why you grouped these living organisms this way. Is there any other way to organize these?

______

List 2: Rottweiler, Poodle, Pit Bull, German Shepherd, Chihuahua, Rat Terrier, Great Dane, Miniature Dachshund

Group 1 Group 2

______

Explain why you grouped these living organisms this way. Is there any other way to organize these? ______

2 ______

Part 2: Scientific Classification into Domains

Your teacher will give you pictures and descriptions of different living organisms. You will need to classify them according to their Domain. Write the names (or locations of the ones without names) of the organisms in the spaces provided below. Please use your notes on Domains to do this activity.

Domain Archae Domain Eubacteria Domain Eukaryota

______

Part 3: Scientific Classification into Kingdoms

Your teacher will give you pictures of organisms from the Domain Eukaryota. You will need to classify these organisms into the four Kingdoms from that Domain. Write the names of the organisms in the spaces provided below. Please use your notes on Kingdoms to do this activity.

Kingdom Protista Kingdom Fungi

______

Kingdom Plantae Kingdom Animalia

______

3 ______

Extension: Create your own living organism. It can be anything you want it to be. Give it a name. Draw and color that organism below. Then classify what Domain and Kingdom your organism would belong to.