Dallas Zoological Society Partnership : Middle School Lessons

Classifying Animal Life

WebLesson Sites
Introduction
Life is all around us. Your house is filled with living things- your family, your pets, and millions of living things you can’t even see that live on your skin, inside your body, even in your carpet! It is the task of biologists to study all life on the planet. And just like with people, it is much easier to describe and explain something or someone if it has a name.
Scenario
Taxonomy is the branch of biology that is concerned with classification of living things. Taxonomists study all different forms of life and look for similarities and differences in order to put them in groups. The groups start out large with many different organisms that have only a few things in common, and then the organisms are sorted into smaller and smaller groups until a single species has been identified and named. In today’s lesson, you will be learning more about the classification system biologists use and the different groups of life scientists have identified.
Lesson Pages
An Introduction to Life on Earth
http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/audesirk6/chapter1/deluxe.html
Biological Diversity: Classification
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookDivers_class.html
The Lower Taxa
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0857380.html
Cells
http://www.earthlife.net/cells.html
Levels of Organization
http://utahscience.oremjr.alpine.k12.ut.us/sciber00/7th/cells/sciber/levelorg.htm
The Animal Kingdom
http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/Science/Animals/Animals.htm
The Plant Kingdom
http://www.perspective.com/nature/plantae/index.html
What are Fungi?
http://www.alientravelguide.com/science/biology/life/fungi/main.htm
What is a Protist?
http://www.lanesville.k12.in.us/LCSYellowpages/Tickit/Carl/protists.html
Microorganisms: Prokaryotes
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/micro_prokaryote.html
Viral Infection
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~biotext/animations/viralinfection.html
Rich Media
Conclusion & Project
Conclusion
All life that has been currently identified and studied is placed into one of six kingdoms. Single-celled Eubacteria are found in every imaginable environment. Humans depend on bacteria, but are also affected by them with many diseases. Even older and smaller than Eubacteria are the Archaebacteria, primitive life forms living in only the most extreme environments on the planet. The primary difference between these two kingdoms and the other four is based upon cell structure. Plants, animals, fungi, and protists all have a nucleus in their cells, whereas bacteria do not. These life forms also tend to be more complex, with those that consist of more than one cell organizing themselves into tissues, organs, and organ systems. All of these kingdoms contain millions of species and represent the vast biodiversity of our planet.
Scenario
You are a scientist working at NASA. Your team has made contact with an alien life form. It is your job to explain to the alien what “life” is on planet Earth. Use the facts of the lesson to write a report on how life is defined and classified on Earth and describe the different types of life forms on the planet.
Glossary
mineral - compound occurring naturally in the earth's crust
stimulus - something that causes a response
amniotic egg - egg of reptiles and birds that contain amnion, a membranous sac that surrounds and protects the embryo
cladistics - classification system based on the order of evolutionary branching rather than on present similarities and differences
hierarchy - series of ordered groupings moving from broader general categories to narrow specific ones
inclusive - including much or everything
nucleus - part of the cell containing DNA
organelle - organized structure within a cell with a specific function
endocrine - system of the human body that releases hormones
integumentary - having to do with skin, hair, and nails
annelid - worms with bodies divided into cylindrical rings
marsupial - mammal that gives birth to under-developed young and rears them in a pouch
ovary - female reproductive organ that produces egg cells
spore - reproductive cell
chitin - carbohydrate that forms the exoskeletons of insects and other invertebrates
protoplasm - living substance of a cell
autotroph - organism that can make its own food (usually using sunlight)
heterotroph - organism that is not capable of making its own food
cell wall - outer layer of some bacteria that is exposed to the outside environment
hydrothermal vent - place on the ocean floor where hot, chemical-filled water flows up through cracks in the Earth's crust
binary fission - equal division of a single-celled organism into two organisms
RNA - chemical similar to DNA from which proteins are made
Dallas Zoological Society Partnership : Middle School Lessons

Classifying Animal Life

Introduction
Introduction
Life is all around us. Your house is filled with living things- your family, your pets, and millions of living things you can’t even see that live on your skin, inside your body, even in your carpet! It is the task of biologists to study all life on the planet. And just like with people, it is much easier to describe and explain something or someone if it has a name.

Lesson Plan

WebLesson Sites
Introduction
Life is all around us. Your house is filled with living things- your family, your pets, and millions of living things you can’t even see that live on your skin, inside your body, even in your carpet! It is the task of biologists to study all life on the planet. And just like with people, it is much easier to describe and explain something or someone if it has a name.
Scenario
Taxonomy is the branch of biology that is concerned with classification of living things. Taxonomists study all different forms of life and look for similarities and differences in order to put them in groups. The groups start out large with many different organisms that have only a few things in common, and then the organisms are sorted into smaller and smaller groups until a single species has been identified and named. In today’s lesson, you will be learning more about the classification system biologists use and the different groups of life scientists have identified.
Lesson Pages
An Introduction to Life on Earth
http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/audesirk6/chapter1/deluxe.html
Biological Diversity: Classification
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookDivers_class.html
The Lower Taxa
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0857380.html
Cells
http://www.earthlife.net/cells.html
Levels of Organization
http://utahscience.oremjr.alpine.k12.ut.us/sciber00/7th/cells/sciber/levelorg.htm
The Animal Kingdom
http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/Science/Animals/Animals.htm
The Plant Kingdom
http://www.perspective.com/nature/plantae/index.html
What are Fungi?
http://www.alientravelguide.com/science/biology/life/fungi/main.htm
What is a Protist?
http://www.lanesville.k12.in.us/LCSYellowpages/Tickit/Carl/protists.html
Microorganisms: Prokaryotes
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/micro_prokaryote.html
Viral Infection
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~biotext/animations/viralinfection.html
Rich Media
Conclusion & Project
Conclusion
All life that has been currently identified and studied is placed into one of six kingdoms. Single-celled Eubacteria are found in every imaginable environment. Humans depend on bacteria, but are also affected by them with many diseases. Even older and smaller than Eubacteria are the Archaebacteria, primitive life forms living in only the most extreme environments on the planet. The primary difference between these two kingdoms and the other four is based upon cell structure. Plants, animals, fungi, and protists all have a nucleus in their cells, whereas bacteria do not. These life forms also tend to be more complex, with those that consist of more than one cell organizing themselves into tissues, organs, and organ systems. All of these kingdoms contain millions of species and represent the vast biodiversity of our planet.
Scenario
You are a scientist working at NASA. Your team has made contact with an alien life form. It is your job to explain to the alien what “life” is on planet Earth. Use the facts of the lesson to write a report on how life is defined and classified on Earth and describe the different types of life forms on the planet.
Glossary
mineral - compound occurring naturally in the earth's crust
stimulus - something that causes a response
amniotic egg - egg of reptiles and birds that contain amnion, a membranous sac that surrounds and protects the embryo
cladistics - classification system based on the order of evolutionary branching rather than on present similarities and differences
hierarchy - series of ordered groupings moving from broader general categories to narrow specific ones
inclusive - including much or everything
nucleus - part of the cell containing DNA
organelle - organized structure within a cell with a specific function
endocrine - system of the human body that releases hormones
integumentary - having to do with skin, hair, and nails
annelid - worms with bodies divided into cylindrical rings
marsupial - mammal that gives birth to under-developed young and rears them in a pouch
ovary - female reproductive organ that produces egg cells
spore - reproductive cell
chitin - carbohydrate that forms the exoskeletons of insects and other invertebrates
protoplasm - living substance of a cell
autotroph - organism that can make its own food (usually using sunlight)
heterotroph - organism that is not capable of making its own food
cell wall - outer layer of some bacteria that is exposed to the outside environment
hydrothermal vent - place on the ocean floor where hot, chemical-filled water flows up through cracks in the Earth's crust
binary fission - equal division of a single-celled organism into two organisms
RNA - chemical similar to DNA from which proteins are made

Curriculum Standards

TEXAS
112.23. Science, Grade 7.

(12) Science concepts. The student knows that there is a relationship between organisms and the environment. The student is expected to:
(C) describe how different environments support different varieties of organisms.
NATIONAL
Science Content Standards: 5-8
Life Science
CONTENT STANDARD C:

STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN LIVING SYSTEMS

Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. Important levels of organization for structure and function include cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms, and ecosystems.

DIVERSITY AND ADAPTATIONS OF ORGANISMS

Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms becomes apparent from an analysis of internal structures, the similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence of common ancestry.

Questions & Answer Keys

Study Questions and Answer Keys
  1. You are about to make a sandwich for your lunch and discover the bread is moldy. Use as many of the characteristics as possible to explain why the mold is living.
    Answer: Mold is a living thing because 1) it has cells; 2) it reproduces and grows; 3) it obtains nutrients from or “eats” the bread.
  2. Which characteristic of life defines how organisms are made of cells?
    Answer: Living things are both complex and organized.
  3. Compare and contrast the kingdom system of taxonomy with cladistics.
    Answer: Both systems put organisms into smaller and smaller groups, until single species have been classified. Both systems are based on similarities between organisms. However, the kingdom system is based on similarities of structure, such as feathers or scales or backbones, whereas cladistics is based on evolutionary similarities and common ancestry.
  4. What is taxonomy?
    Answer: Taxonomy is a branch of science that helps to identify and name organisms.
  5. Put these taxonomic groups for a goldfish in the correct sequence from largest group to the smallest group: Genus: Carassius; Family: Cyprinidae; Kingdom: Animalia; Species: auratus; Order: Cypriniformes; Class: Actinopterygii; Phylum: Chordata. Then correctly write the scientific name of a goldfish.
    Answer: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Actinopterygii; Order: Cypriniformes; Family: Cyprinidae; Genus: Carassius; Species: auratus. Scientific name is Carassius auratus
  6. What is the most specific level of taxonomy?
    Answer: The species level is the lowest, most specific level.
  7. Compare and contrast prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
    Answer: Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus or organelles. The only organisms that are prokaryotes are archea and bacteria, which are the oldest life forms. All of these organisms are unicellular. Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus and organelles. These organisms can be uni- or multi-cellular, and include protists, fungi, plants, and animals.
  8. What are some organelles that cells have to contribute to their support and structure?
    Answer: Different types of cells may have cell membranes and/or cell walls.
  9. Discuss what advantages a multi-cellular organism might have over a unicellular organism. Then discuss the disadvantages of being multi-cellular.
    Answer: Answers will vary and should show thought based on cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.
  10. Bones are an example of which level of the body?
    Answer: Bones are an example of the tissue level of the body.
  11. Other than being in the same kingdom, list as many things as you can that you have in common with a butterfly and a dolphin.
    Answer: Answers will vary and should be accurate based on the facts of the page.
  12. How do vertebrates and invertebrates differ?
    Answer: Vertebrates have a backbone, whereas invertebrates do not.
  13. Humans and some plants, although not in the same kingdom, do have some structures in common. Discuss which group of plants has the most structural similarities to humans.
    Answer: Angiosperms have the most structural similarities to humans. Cells of angiosperms are eukaryotic, as are our cells. Angiosperms have cells arranged into tissues and organs. They have vascular tissue for carrying materials, similar to our veins and arteries. In reproduction, they keep the “baby” seed inside of a fruit, for protection, similar to how a human baby is inside the uterus. Flowering plants also have sex cells and organs.
  14. Why is it important not to classify plants based on their physiology?
    Answer: Just because plants look structurally similar does not mean they are related. For instance, a palm tree has more in common with grass than other trees.
  15. Upon first glance, one might think fungi are closely related to plants. However, scientist now place fungi as more closely related to animals. What fungi facts do you think that would be based on?
    Answer: Fungi, unlike plants, do not have roots or leaves, nor do they do photosynthesis. Like animals, fungi must obtain nutrients from an outside food source. Fungi also contain chitin, which is found in some animal cells.
  16. What is an example of a type of fungi?
    Answer: Mushrooms are types of fungi.
  17. Give at least one reason why all protists are not classified in either Kingdom Animalia, Plantae, or Fungi.
    Answer: Protists can not be put into Kingdom Animalia because some protists make their own food through photosynthesis and are unicellular. And although some protists do photosynthesis, not all members do, and protists do not have any types of tissues like plants do. Lastly, protists are not fungus because fungi do not do photosynthesis and do not move, whereas most protists are motile.
  18. Discuss three things you knew about bacteria, two things you learned and one thing you never want to forget. Be sure your answers are in your own words.
    Answer: Answers will vary. Check for comprehension.
  19. Your mom has a cold and says she needs to go to the doctor for an antibiotic. Give her as many reasons as you can why an antibiotic won't work on a viral infection.
    Answer: Antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria by interfering with their cellular processes. Viruses are not living, they do not have cells, nor do they reproduce on their own. Viruses reproduce by taking over the cells of their host, and antibiotics do not kill host cells.
Quiz Questions & Answers
  1. The difference between a fungus and a plant is
    Answer: C. fungi don’t make their own food
  2. Which level of taxonomy is more general than a genus, but less general than an order?
    Answer: B. family
  3. The science of classification is called
    Answer: C. taxonomy
  4. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Kingdom Animalia?
    Answer: B. photosynthesis
  5. A deer walking through the forest stops moving when they hear the cracking of branches and trees nearby. This is an example of which characteristic of living things?
    Answer: D. living things respond to stimuli
  6. Which of the following is the most specific, smallest branch of taxonomy?
    Answer: D. species
  7. Which of the following kingdoms is NOT composed of multicellular organisms?
    Answer: C. Bacteria
  8. Which of the following is NOT a required characteristic of living things?
    Answer: B. have tissues and organs
  9. Protists are similar to bacteria in that they
    Answer: D. cause diseases
  10. The most advantageous traits will be the ones most likely to survive and reproduce. This is an example of which characteristic of living things?
    Answer: C. living things evolve
  11. What is the main characteristic that distinguishes invertebrates from vertebrates?
    Answer: D. presence of a backbone
  12. Which of these is a correct reason why viruses are not considered living?
    Answer: A. viruses aren’t cells
  13. All orders of taxonomy fit into which level?
    Answer: D. kingdom
  14. Which answer choice sequences levels above the cell correctly?
    Answer: D. tissue, organ, organ system
  15. Which of the following about cells is NOT true?
    Answer: A. cells always have a nucleus
  16. Which fundamental unit composes all living organisms and is the basic unit of life?
    Answer: A. cell
  17. Which description best describes the role of taxonomy in science?
    Answer: C. to study and classify the genetic difference and similarities of organisms
  18. The human heart is an example of which level of body organization?
    Answer: C. organ
  19. A dog is classified in the genus canis and the species is familiaris. Which of the following scientific names for a dog is written correctly?
    Answer: D. Canis familiaris
  20. Archaebacteria are different than Eubacteria in that
    Answer: C. Archaebacteria live in extreme environments
Project
Scenario
You are a scientist working at NASA. Your team has made contact with an alien life form. It is your job to explain to the alien what “life” is on planet Earth. Use the facts of the lesson to write a report on how life is defined and classified on Earth and describe the different types of life forms on the planet.
Rubric
Excellent (30 – 20)
An excellent student response meets all the project requirements and demonstrates that the student absorbed key lesson concepts and gave them thoughtful consideration. The response shows original thinking, creativity, and a strong sense of purpose. Ideas are organized and clearly articulated according to the proper conventions of writing (at this grade level).
Satisfactory (20 – 10)
A satisfactory student response meets most of the project requirements but overlooks one or more important elements. It reflects a general understanding of the key lesson concepts but shows little depth. The response shows little creativity or originality. Ideas are somewhat disorganized and difficult to follow, and there are numerous grammatical and mechanical errors.
Needs Improvement (10 – 0)
The student response is perfunctory, showing little or no effort. It is unclear if the student thought about or even read any of the lesson content. Ideas are scattered or off-topic. If possible, ask the student to revisit the lesson with a peer or mentor and then rewrite his or her response.