Before Class Preparation Materials Time Teaching Sequence Engagement Explanation Elaboration Exchange Evaluation Authors Background Resources Student Materials Activity Review Overview These two activities introduce students to scientific taxonomy and using, as well as creating, dichotomous keys. The first activity models the dichotomous key by having the students determine the identity of polar species of the Order Pinnipedia. The second activity brings a bit of the background in how scientific naming is done and leads the students into creating penguin Families based on physical characteristics. Rationale Taxonomy and using a dichotomous key to classify organisms are two concepts that students need to understand in Biology. When asked to use scientific names, though, students are often intimidated since many names are long and strange sounding.
Penguins are a favorite topic of students.
There are only 18 species in the entire world, making them a manageable number to use. There is only one Family in the Order Sphenisciformes although there are 6 genera and there are at least three distinct body types. By using Latin and Greek root words to describe each new Family they create, students can see how scientific names usually relate to the animals being named. By creating a dichotomous key, the students can more readily understand how they work. Penguin pictures may be copied onto tag board for easier manipulation when grouping.