1. Classify living things

Lesson Starter: Explain why it is useful and sometimes necessary to sort things.

Explain why it is useful and sometimes necessary to sort things. Can children think of some examples where they may need to sort things into groups?

They can use the example of sorting books and games, and clothes. Ask them to explain why it is important structure and organise things.

Presentation - Starter Slide.

Answer questions and take part in activities during the presentation. Stop the presentation at the relevant slides: Talk Partners; AfLs; Songs. Take part in the Choral Response Questions activity (see Assessment section) after the Keywords/Rocket Words slide.

Key Concept:

During this unit, each lesson contains a key concept question housed in the '30 Second Challenge' slide. To help children master this content so the knowledge moves from their short term memory to their long term memory, at the beginning of the follow on lesson the question from the previous lesson is revisited. 

The questions covered during this unit include:

1. Explain how living things are classified.

2. What does the acronym MRS GREN stand for?

3. Why is the work of Carl Linnaeus important to scientists?

4. Name the different classes of vertebrates.

5. What makes a soil habitat unique?

6. Name different types of fungi.

Expert Film: Rainforest expert Emma Bush explains how plants can be classified.

Why do we organise things? Talk to pupils about trying to find things on a computer if it has not been organised properly.

How we deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks:

2 - Learning from career and labour market information:  Pop along to Developing Experts career’s zone to find out about jobs in your area.

4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers: This unit showcases careers that relate to living things and their habitats. Access our 360° virtual work tours.

7 - Encounters with Further and Higher Education: Pop along to Developing Experts career’s zone to find out about training providers in your area.

Presentation - Expert Film.

Create a Classification Key

Watch the Lesson Assignment film to help with this activity.

Encourage children to find out what a classification yes/no flowchart is.

Ask pupils how we can tell the difference between living things?  Talk about the difference between things that live in the sea and mammals as a comparison - ask what test we could devise to help classify the animal kingdom?

The flowchart is best planned backwards i.e. children think of 8 very different plants /animals, then work their way back to differentiate them as they go along. This can be quite challenging! It is best for them to place animals similar to each other next to one another at the bottom, as it means they can differentiate backwards to a starting point (which may be 'It is an animal?' (YES/NO)

Once completed children can challenge each other to think of an animal/plant off each other's flowcharts and test if they work by asking the questions from the top downwards.

Extend those who complete the main exercise to find out the size of these things that are being classified, they can search the internet for data, and they can measure pets and insects themselves.  

Create a Classification Key

Paper
Pens
Pencils
Books/Internet for research

Complete the handout to show an understanding of classification and the different groups.

Quiz
With their talk partners, the children are to go through the quiz at the end of the presentation and answer the questions.

Handout
Quiz in presentation