Classification Around Me

I teach Self Contained Earth Science and Biology to students with Learning and Emotional Disabilities. We take the same tests and I teach the same content that is required in a "typical" classroom.

Step 1: After being taught the basics of taxonomy, classification and binomial nomenclature students will be given a digital camera and asked to photograph 3 LIVING organisms in their environment. (To make it more interesting I will offer prizes for the hardest to find organisms and exceptionally interesting organisms. Or I might tell them that I will post these on the internet... They LOVE seeing their own work on the web... it's a great motivator!)

Step 2: Students will identify the common name of the organisms photographed. They will then use the internet to research the scientific name. Once they have identified the scientific name they will research the rest of the taxonomy (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genes, Species) for the organism. There are tons of sites to help you identify species. Here is one to get the students started http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt .

Step 3: Students will use word processing software to write the common and scientific names of each organism. They will then list the taxonomy of each organism underneath the picture. This could be presented as a slide show or as a web. Students are able to present this in the way that makes best sense to them. (Please see text example below.)

Firefly
Pyractomena borealis
-----Picture HERE-----

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum- Arthropod
Class- Insecta
Order- Coleoptera
Family- Lampyridae
Genes- Pyractomena
Species- borealis


(optional) KICK IT UP A NOTCH: Let students use photo editing software to add a fact about each organism directly to the picture. Students can also highlight features of organisms that might explain WHY the organism is named what it is named.

Step 4: Have students present their information using the LCD projector.