<p>Name ______Date ______</p><p>Activity: Reading a Taxonomic Key (Frogs)</p><p>Goal: To identify a group of fictitious organisms using a taxonomic key. Background Information: Scientists classify when they group organisms together into divisions based on their traits or characteristics. A property is a trait or characteristic of an object. We use properties to identify and organize things in our everyday lives. Biologists use different tools to identify organisms. One tool is a field guide, a book with illustrations that highlights differences among similar-looking organisms. Another tool used to identify organisms is a dichotomous key. A dichotomous key includes a series of paired statements that describe physical characteristics of different organisms. A dichotomous key helps identify something by going through a series of choices that leads the user to the correct name of the item. Materials: a collection of six model frogs, a metric tape measure, dichotomous key for model frogs Procedure: 1. What I Know: Write one to two sentences about what you know about classification and/or taxonomic keys.</p><p>Rules for Using a Taxonomic (Dichotomous Key):  Read and consider both choices, even if the first one seems to be appropriate.  Be sure you understand the meaning of the words used in each choice.  When there are measurements given in the choices, use the appropriate measuring tools. Do not approximate and do not guess.</p><p>Part 1. Making Observations Observe the six frogs in your bag. These frogs are all members of the fictitious Genus Frogus. Answer the following questions.</p><p>1. What are three characteristics or features that are shared by all of the members of Genus Frogus?</p><p>2. What are three characteristics or features that are shared by some, but not all, of the members of Genus Frogus?</p><p>3. What are three characteristics or features that are unique to only one type of frog? Part 2. Using a Taxonomic Key</p><p>1. Observe the frog creatures labeled A- F at your table. You will use the taxonomic key provided to identify your frogs.</p><p>2. Select frog A. Beginning at Step 1 read the paired statements 1A and 1B. Choose the statement, 1A or IB, that applies to the observable physical characteristic for this frog. Follow the remaining steps in the taxonomic key until you have identified frog A by genus and species. </p><p>3. Continue this process for the remaining frogs B-F. Remember that the process is complete when you have identified each of the frogs by its genus and species. As you identify each of the frogs, record your information on the Identification Table that follows.</p><p>4. On the Identification Table below, include the route that you followed to identify the frog. Example: 1B-6A-7B-8A</p><p>Identification Table</p><p>Frog Label Route to classify frog Scientific Name (genus and species) A</p><p>B</p><p>C</p><p>D</p><p>E</p><p>F</p><p>5. What I Learned: Write a short summary describing what you learned about using a taxonomic key. 6. Questions: Use the Taxonomic Key for Fictitious Animals on the next page to answer the following questions.</p><p> a. Describe and draw what a quibb looks like.</p><p>Description: </p><p>Drawing </p><p> b. Compare and contrast a nessie and a marfwheezel using the Venn diagram below.</p><p>NESSIE MARFWHEEZEL</p>