TAXONOMIC TWISTERS
Written By: Mary K. Bechold
Freehold Boro High School, Freehold, NJ
Standards
National Science Standards:
NJ State Science Standards: 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.6, 5.7
Science Process Skills:
Communicating, presenting, observing, comparing, organizing, inferring, constructing, debating
Key Concept: Student Learning Objective
Taxonomy is the organization of living things into groups based on similar characteristics. The taxonomy system we use today has imperfections, however with more research scientists hope to gain more understanding on how best to separate living things into proper groupings.
Teaching Taxonomic Twisters:
Planning Ahead –
Background
Web Resources
Vocabulary
Materials
Print Student Worksheets
Into: Introduce the activity
Through: Main Lesson
Beyond: Extensions
Web Resources
General taxonomy of most organisms: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/
Fish: www.fishnet.com
Crustaceans: www.austmus.gov.au/invertebrates/cru/
Vocabulary:
(To be discussed through out the entire lesson)
Classifying, traits, Carolus Linnaeus, sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, external fertilization, compound eyes, simple eyes, warm-blooded, cold-blooded, endoskeleton, exoskeleton, gills, lungs
Materials:
Into the Activity
-garbage bag with various clothes
-6 bags with miscellaneous items
(all bags should have same items)
Through the Activity
-10 small paper bags with names of phylums/classes written on paper inside
-Copies of 2 sided worksheet “Taxonomic Twisters” 1 per student
-Copies of the Rubric (before construction begins)
-Pictures or preserved specimens of all the marine phyla/classes
-Materials if students are to construct animals in classroom
Beyond the Activity
-Biology or Marine Science Textbooks
