National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Zion National Park

Classification Systems Introduction to Scientific Observation and Classification

NPS/CHRISTOPHER GEZON Contents

Introduction 2

Background 2

Activites Do You See What I See? 3 Divided in Two Classification Part 1 5 Canyon Creatures Classification Part 2 6

Glossary 7

References 7 Introduction

This guide contains background information about how observation and classification are important to scientists and directions for three activities that will help students better understand why organisms are classified in different ways. The activities are most beneficial to students when completed in order. This guide is specifically designed for seventh grade classrooms, but the activities can be modified for students at other levels.

Theme The first modern classification of the natural Observation and classification of living world was by Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus things allows scientists to understand the in 1735. Linnaeus, now known as the “Father relationships between a variety of organisms of ,” first categorized everything in and helps them to properly identify different the natural world as either , vegetable, species. or mineral, then further divided each category into different classes based on observable Focus differences. His system is the basis of the This guide will help students to understand taxonomy system used today by scientists to and learn how observations about organisms classify , plants, and microorganisms. and their structures are used to develop While much has been added and changed classification systems. to how Linnaeus classified living things, the structure remains similar, including the Activities use of Latin names by modern scientists. “Taxonomy” is now the name given to the Do You See What I See? science of grouping and naming organisms by Students will try to list or draw all items from their shared characteristics. memory of a part of the classroom or school, and then check their accuracy. Students will Even for people who are not familiar with the Activity Materials then find a way to classify what they are able taxonomic structure laid out by Linnaeus, to observe in an outdoor area of school. everyone uses some sort of classification Corresponding materials system, especially when they are out in nature. which may include images, All reference guides use different classification worksheets, and answer keys Divided in Two: Classification Part 1 are provided for each activity. Students will classify different animals that live systems to distinguish between different plants Materials can be downloaded in Zion National Park using a dichotomous and animals. For example, after narrowing from the lesson plan webpage, an animal down to a reptile, features such as found here. key and taxonomic worksheet. its size and color can help identify a specific animal. Core Connections Canyon Creatures: Classification Part 2 After the class uses shoes to model how Classification helps scientists understand the Utah Core Curriculum to create a classification system, students role of all plants, animals, and other living Seventh Grade Science will create their dichotomous key using a things in specific ecosystems. Based upon worksheet of mythical animals. Standard 5: Students will physical structure, classification systems can understand that structure is change over time as we learn more about the used to develop classification role and relationships of organisms. systems. Background

Objective 1: Classify based on All science is initially based on observations observable properties. of the world around us. The more we observe, the more our ability to gain knowledge can Objective 2: Use and develop a increase. Even the earliest scientists used simple classification system. direct observation to make sense of and

Objective 3: Classify organisms categorize and classify the world around them. using an orderly pattern based upon structure.

Zion National Park, April 2014 Classification 2 Do You See What I See? Observation skills are easily acquired but take practice. We can learn to be careful observers Duration by practicing—even when there does not 60 Minutes seem to be anything to observe—and by being aware of our surroundings, recognizing how Location different environments fit into a larger whole. Inside and outside Materials Key Vocabulary • Cloth sheet or large piece of paper classification, observation • Notepad or paper for each student

Objectives Suggested Procedure Students will be able to defend the importance 1. Before students arrive to class, cover a of observation and be able to demonstrate section of wall, chalkboard, or desk with a different ways to classify things. cloth sheet or large pieces of paper. Cover a surface the students likely see on a regular Method basis and therefore have some familiarity Students will try to list or draw from memory with. all items in a part of the classroom or school, 2. When students arrive, have them write and then check their accuracy. Students will down or draw everything they can then find a way to classify what they are able remember from the surface that was to observe in an outdoor area of school. covered. After two to three minutes or when students finish, remove the covering. Background People notice different details depending on 3. Have students share what they where they are and what they are looking for. remembered, what they forgot, and Students look at their classroom every day, but anything they may have added or gotten may not be able to recall specific details. They wrong. Discuss whether there were any may walk through their neighborhood every overall patterns of what was remembered day, but because they are focused on getting or not remembered, whether most or all somewhere, they may not notice details about students remembered or missed certain the plants, animals, or buildings around them. items, and why that might be so (were

NPS/JENNY EBERLEIN A praying feeds on an .

Zion National Park, April 2014 Classification3 certain things small or large, camouflaged, Extension had bright or dull colors, or were Have students observe an insect or small something that students really liked or animal if available. Pretend that no one has disliked?). ever seen this animal before and have students make a report to a scientist. Provide a detailed 4. Have students repeat the activity for a description. If they were reporting these specific outdoor area and have them write findings to the general public, would they down or draw as many details as they change any details they would describe? can remember. Choose a space outdoors that is easily accessible and all students Have students keep a journal of the local are familiar with (when students finish, phenology (seasonal biological phenomena the class will go outside together). Have such as when the first flowers bloom, when students include as much detail as possible animals migrate, when leaves change color such as whether parts of the area are hard etc.). or soft, what color or shape they are, and what they might smell or sound like. When students are finished, take the class outdoors to the area and again have them compare what they remembered relative to what is actually there.

5. Have the students pick a spot to sit outdoors. Each student should sit at least ten feet away from other students if possible so they have their own quiet space. Have them record in as much detail all they see, again focusing on features such as what color, shape, or size something is, what it smells like or sounds like, and what it might feel like. Students can choose to focus on a small area (one tree, one rock, etc.) or

the whole scene. Give students five to ten NPS/JENNY EBERLEIN minutes to observe and record. Tansy aster Machaeranthera spp.

6. Once students are finished recording their observations, have them group items from their observation into five categories. Students can classify their items in any way they choose using any similarities and differences of their items (i.e. plants, animals, sounds, colors, etc.). Give students five to ten minutes.

7. Bring the group back together (either outside or in the classroom) and discuss the importance of observing the world around them and how they classified the items they observed. Did students come up with similar or different categories? What about the sub-categories? How did students categorize what they saw (structure, size, color). Explain that there are many different ways to classify things, and observations are an essential park of science.

Zion National Park, April 2014 Classification 4 Divided in Two how organisms are related by their similar characteristics. One way scientists do this is Classification Part 1 by classifying the organisms.

Duration 2. Review or introduce the classification 60 Minutes system used today by scientists to classify organisms. The system flows from broad, Location general categories to specific: kingdom, Inside phylum, class, order, family, , and species. Write these on the board in a NPS/SARAH STIO Key Vocabulary column, starting with kingdom and ending classification, classification key, dichotomous with species. Explain and review that key, kingdom, organism, species, taxonomy all organisms are grouped into different kingdoms first–can the students name any Objectives of the kingdoms (animals, plants, fungi, Through discussion and practice, students will etc.)? Allow student discussion of the traits understand that organisms are classified based used for classification. Explain that as one on observable properties. moves through the taxonomic categories, the traits for organisms become more Method specific, and the group becomes smaller. NPS/MARC NEIDIG Students will classify different animals using a The genus and species, a two-word phrase dichotomous key and taxonomic worksheet. in Latin, is how scientists name a specific organism. To assist students to remember Background the order of the taxonomic levels, they The first modern taxonomy, or classification can use a mnemonic device such as, “King system, was written in 1735 by Swedish Phillip Came Over For Good Soup.” biologist Carl Linnaeus. He first grouped 3. Hand out one Divided in Two Worksheet all things as animal, vegetable, or mineral, and Key per student (keys can be shared). and then further divided them into different Display Animals of Zion National Park classes. Today, while scientists use different images on the board (or print out packets NPS/MARC NEIDIG groups, the idea of classification through for student groups). Explain that on the Coyote Canis latrans observation has remained the same. worksheet they will practice two types Western bluebird Salia mexicana of classification. Go over the worksheet, Taxonomies and some classification keys show Collard lizard using a turkey vulture to demonstrate the Crotaphytus collaris the relationship between organisms and their steps of the dichotomous key in order to commonalities. Dichotomous keys, on the classify each animal. After the example, give other hand, are only used for identification. students 20 to 25 minutes to complete the The keys identify a variety of objects by going worksheet. through a series of opposite choices (one “is” and the other “is not”) that lead to a correct 4. Allow students to share their answers from identification. Dichotomous means “divided the worksheet and discuss the different in two parts” and at each step of the key, the animals they classified. (Refer to animal group is divided into two distinct smaller images if desired and help determine the groups, then two groups again, and keeps correct response if students disagree.) dividing until one individual is left at the end. Ask students whether classification is an easy task or not. Explain that classifying Materials organisms is not easy for scientists and that • Divided in Two Worksheet, Dichotomous dichotomous keys were designed to help Key, and Answer Key the scientists classify organisms. • Animals of Zion National Park images Extension Suggested Procedure Have students brainstorm habitats these 1. Ask students whether all organisms are animals might live in (desert, cliffs, riparian, related to one another. Explain that forests, etc.). Students then write down how scientists have devised a way to show they would classify each habitat, animals paired with that habitat, and why.

Zion National Park, April 2014 Classification5 Canyon Creatures Suggested Procedure Classification Part 2 1. Have students gather their chairs to sit in a circle and ask about ten students to take off Duration one of their shoes to place in the center of 60 Minutes the group (try to get a variety of shoes).

Location 2. Looking at the shoes in the circle, have Inside students brainstorm similarities and differences in the individual shoes. Help NPS/JASON BURTON Key Vocabulary the students choose one characteristic by classification, classification key, dichotomous which to split the shoes into two similar key, kingdom, organism, species, taxonomy sized groups. Make sure the distinction between the groups is concrete (such Objectives as “has laces” vs. “does not have laces”) Students will understand that organisms instead of something general like “big” or can be classified by taxonomy and be able to “small.” Starting with one of the groups, successfully create a dichotomous key. continue dividing the shoes into more and more specific categories until individual Method shoes are categorized. Keep track of the NPS/JENNY EBERLEIN After the class uses shoes to model how keying-out process on the board through a Ranger and students discuss flow chart (see example in Answer Guide), classification of organisms. to create a classification system, students will create their dichotomous key using a signifying individual shoes by drawing a Echo Canyon, a slot canyon in box around the name of the shoe. Check Zion National Park, is home to worksheet of mythical animals. many living creatures. the accuracy of the dichotomous key by Background choosing one of the shoes to key out and Zion National Park is home to hundreds of see if it works. species of plants and animals. People must 3. Give each student a Canyon Creatures often reference field guides to identify what Worksheet. Tell the students they have they have seen in order to learn more about discovered a previously unknown slot it. Sometimes by focusing on categories, canyon in Zion National Park. In that such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, or canyon are ten brand new species of birds, naturalists can narrow down the field creatures that they will need to classify and of search. After narrowing a search down to name. They get to name all the creatures birds, for example, one can use the physical they found in the new canyon. Using these characteristics of color, size, or shape to mythical creatures, students will then create further identify what bird it is. their own dichotomous key, using the flow chart. On the worksheet, the beginning Dichotomous keys can help us identify a of the key has been started and they will specific plant or animal. When scientists need to continue adding lines (there are create a new dichotomous key, they have many possible outcomes, remind student to to use concrete measurements, rather than use pencil) until all species are identified. broader categorization such as “big” or Students should outline the names of the “small.” This type of identification system is creatures with a box. valuable when identifying common plants or birds found in a region. While classification 4. Once students complete their dichotomous schemes show the natural or evolutionary keys, have them switch with a partner to relationship between organisms, dichotomous see if someone else can follow their key. keys focus on observable physical structure and may only show artificial or contrived Extension relationships. Create an animal tracks field guide of animals in your area. Have students follow a key to Materials identify each track. They can later use the • Variety of shoes from students guide on a field trip to a local park. • Canyon Creatures Worksheet • Canyon Creatures Answer Guide Zion National Park, April 2014 Classification6 Glossary References

canine: a member of the Canidae, or dog, Council for Environmental Education. family, whether domesticated or wild. “Learning to Look, Looking to See” in Characterized by a snout, tail, and four large Project Wild: K-12 Curriculum & Activity pointed teeth. Guide. Council for Environmental Education, 2001. classification: the organizational system of grouping organisms by category or type. Griffing, Lawrence R. “Who Invented the Dichotomous Key? Richard Wall’s classification key: a chart or key used to Watercolors of the Herbs of Britain.” identify an organism by comparing one American Journal of Botany 98, no. 12 organism with another (e.g. dichotomous key). (December 2011): 1911-1923. http://www. amjbot.org/content/98/12/1911.full dichotomous key: a method of identifying an organism that only offers two choices at time. Louisiana Department of Education. The chart allows you to compare organisms “Focused Learning Lesson, Science: using observable principles such as size or Grades 10-12 LS-H-C4.” http://www.doe. structure. state.la.us/lde/uploads/5604.pdf

feline: a member of the Felidae, or cat, family, National Park Service: Grand Canyon whether domesticated or wild. Characterized National Park. “Lesson Plans: Grand by a round head and retractable claws. Canyon Natural History.” http://www. nps.gov/grca/forteachers/classrooms/ kingdom: the largest and most general group natural-history-lesson-plans.htm of organisms. Every organisms fits under one of the five kingdoms: plants, animals, fungi, Utah Education Network. Utah Core monera (bacteria), and protista. Standards: Science, 7th Grade Core.” http://www.uen.org/core/core. mammal: an animal in the class Mammalia. do?courseNum=3200 Mammals are endotherms (warm-blooded), give live birth, and are covered by hair. Includes deer, dogs, whales, bats, and humans.

organism: any living thing, large and small. All organisms need air, water, and energy and can grow and reproduce.

reptile: an animal in the class Reptilia. Reptiles are ecotherms (cold-blooded), lay eggs, and have bodies covered in scales. Includes snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and turtles.

species: the most specific classification of an organism. Species are the same type of plant, animal, or other organism that can mate and produce fertile offspring.

taxonomy: grouping and naming organisms by their shared characteristics.

vulture: a large bird with a featherless head who scavenges or feeds on carrion (dead animals).

Zion National Park, April 2014 Classification 7