Big Idea 15: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms

In this Model Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will become familiar with the use of scientific names, Linnaeus' binomial nomenclature, and Classification of Living Things. At the same time students will be learning about periphyton in the Everglades, how it forms, its importance, and the factors that affect its development. They will engage in solving a problem situation in which they will have to select the best area to reinsert some fish species that depend on periphyton.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore various types of organisms, and collaborate with peers to create a system (model) of classifying those organisms. Students will use scientific models and tools to organize, classify, and identify organisms. Students will identify methods of classification used for living things by sorting and classifying everyday objects, exploring organisms through a digital scavenger hunt, creation of a graphic organizer, and through collaborative engagement. Students will understand that all organisms are classified based on shared characteristics.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will explore the classification system and investigate why organisms are classified together. Students will also gain an understanding of binomial nomenclature by creating a fictional organism and naming their new creature.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be given representative living organisms. They will classify the organisms based on any system they developed. They will have to justify their decisions during peer review.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students play the role as astronaut/biologist and are sent to an alien planet where they must identify and classify new species based on their external attributes. This is a creative and fun way to explain the Linnaean system after students create their own aliens, not knowing their purpose.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is designed to help students describe how and why living things are classified using the Linnaean system of classification. They will be able to observe similar characteristics of organisms to determine if they are related.

Type: Lesson Plan

This classification MEA provides students with a science problem in which they must create a dichotomous key and classify given organisms. The main focus of this MEA is the diversity of living organisms, as well as how they are classified.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be introduced to the taxonomy of living things created by Linnaeus. They will learn how to use binomial nomenclature to create and solve dichotomous keys.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be introduced to the classification system using domains and kingdoms. They will sort cards with pictures of organisms on them into different groups and then revise if necessary after learning about the characteristics of the kingdoms.

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn how and why plants, animals, and other organisms are classified as you complete this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This is a culminating activity for 8th grade review lessons on classification and evidence of evolution.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will be able to use a dichotomous key to identify shark and batoid families.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will investigate what killer whales are called in other countries. They will increase their awareness of geography by mapping the names. Finally students explore Greek and Latin root words to develop a scientific vocabulary.

Type: Teaching Idea

This is an activity where students create cladograms given a beginning point (species) and end point (species) using the Tree of Life website.

Type: Teaching Idea

This is a teaching idea where students develop a classification scheme for butterflies and moths based on observable traits. Through the development and discussion of classification schemes, students begin to make inferences about evolutionary relationships.

This activity was used in the BIOSCOPES Diversity and Ecology Institute.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students will research and evaluate ten primate species. The student will construct a dichotomous key to classify ten primate species into distinct categories.

Type: Teaching Idea

Students use software to create evolutionary trees by comparing and contrasting physical traits.

This activity demonstrates the complexity of creating evolutionary trees when multiple traits are being analyzed. The use of the software simplifies the analysis without compromising the learning objectives.

Type: Virtual Manipulative