Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Worksheets and Labs

Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Unit - Worksheets and Activities

Be sure to check out our Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Unit!. I have added in some new material and this Animal Classification Unit is now over 100 pages!

Animal Kingdom - Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Unit with worksheets notebook pages and activitiesTaxonomy is the branch of science concerned with classification of organisms into Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus & Species.  With these activities, my kids have become pretty knowledgeable about many of these groups and they especially loved the labs!

Animal Classification CardsThis is the second time we’ve done this unit. The last time we did it, my youngest was 9 and she said she definitely needed to review this material again (she’s now 12). My 15 year old said she wanted to cover this material again… especially because we were going to be doing a number of labs once again.





<p>We have been doing a big unit on Scientific Classification and Taxonomy again. I have added in more than 50 pages of new materials as we've gone through this unit!</p>
<p>This is the second time we've done this unit. The last time we did it, my youngest was 9 and she said she definitely needed to review this material again. My 15 year old said she wanted to cover this material again... especially because we were going to be doing a number of labs once again.</p>
<p> </p>
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Scientific Names Worksheets: All living things have a two-part scientific name. We talked quite a bit about the naming process, both how this was established by Linnaeus and then we did a few worksheets to learn about  the scientific names for some animals

Scientific Names WorksheetsI made some new sorting cards and added them into the the Scientific Classification and Taxonomy packet.  I also added in some informational notebook pages that we went over as we did a couple of the labs.

Click here to save this for later on Pinterest

Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Unit - Animal ClassificationWe purchased live critters from Carolina.com (see the picture above!).  This time we purchased Hydra, Daphnia and Planaria.  I created some notebook pages about the Cnidarians (Hydra is in this phylum).  And, I also made notebook pages on Platyhelminthes (the flatworms Planaria are in this phylum) as well as on Nematodes and Annelids.

Scientific Classification - Taxonomy Worksheets on Cnidarian Platyhelminthes Nematodes AnnelidsMy girls also wanted to spend some time on Arthropods, so I added in nearly 25 pages on that phylum.  We are hatching brine shrimp (ie. sea monkeys), but don’t have any pictures of those yet!

For this section I made some sorting cards on the 5 sub-phyla as well as some of the classes that belong under each of those. There are also worksheets and notebook pages. The girls are doing research on a couple of the sub-phyla and will present that information to each other.

Arthropods Worksheets - Notebook PagesI also created some interactive notebook/lapbook pieces that cover the Arthropods as well.

Arthropods - Lapbook - Interactive NotebookBiological Classification is a complicated field and with new DNA studies come out, changes are being made all the time.  I also added in some material on the insect class.

We laughed at how challenging the class names were to pronounce (we used dictionary.com to figure out how to pronounce Phthiraptera – lice!!  Our goal was not to memorize all these different classes, but to explore a little deeper how challenging it is to organize and classify all the different organisms in existence!

Insect Worksheets - Scientific Classification and TaxonomyScientific Classification and Taxonomy Worksheets - Matching- Notebook Pages

My kids loved this unit because there were a lot of lab activities we could do at home… from watching live organisms under the microscope to some basic dissection activities.

Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Lab Activities for HomeschoolersLet me paste in some other pictures of what is included in the Scientific Classification & Taxonomy Unit.

It has an introductory activity about classification. As we started off this unit, we started off by talking about why we classify things. We learned about the dichotomous key and did a number of activities to understand how they work. We talked about why classification is useful and how we can do that in a way that is organized and logical.

Scientific Classification- Dichotomous Key Activities

Dichotomous-Key-Activity-Monsters

Dichotomous-Key-Activity-Groupings

History of Scientific Classification: From there we went on to talk about Linnaeus and how much the classification system has changed just in the last thirty years.  I told the kids that the groupings we learned about is very likely to change by the time they study classification in college because things have changed so much!

We also looked at a taxonomy chart (for domestic cats) and talked about the way organisms are named (by genus and species).  The reference sheet (below right) explains the human taxonomy chart and groupings.

History Scientific Classification - Linnaeus Notebook Pages

We talked extensively about the current Classification System and the different levels:

  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species

Then, we started diving into understanding the modern taxonomy chart.

You saw some of the new materials above, but here are some more pictures of what is included:

Taxonomy and Classification Activity - Domain Kingdom Phylum

Taxonomy-Worksheet-Phylum Matching Page

Activities: To review all of the Animal Phyla we played quite a number of review games (they loved that!)

Taxonomy-Scientific Classification-Activities

Major Phyla of the Kindom Animalia - Tic Tac Toe Game

 

I also provided a separate PDF of a sample day. In that, I explained with pictures, some of the activities we did to review and learn new material. On that particular day we did about 9 different activities.

Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Activity - Sample Day

Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Activities

What age is this unit for? My kids were 9, 12 and 14 when we did this unit the first time and my girls are 12 and 15 doing this unit the second time. I recommend this unit for middle school and early high school. If you want to cover basic scientific classification with your younger kids, I recommend the Animal Unit.  This includes vertebrate-invertebrate sorting cards, animal characteristics, feathers, fur, scales or skin, animal homes, and much more!

This packet is now more than 100 pages.

Our units are PDF digital downloads. Be sure to check your PayPal email address for the download link. If you have any questions or problems feel free to email me! You should get your automatic download link from SendOwl within a few minutes. If you don’t, be sure to email me if you need me to send the link to you again! Here are some answers to some Frequently Asked Questions. ~Liesl

Scientific Classification & Taxonomy Packet is $7.99.

Note: This packet is included in the Biology Bundle (see below).

Cost: $7.99

Remember to check your PayPal address for the download link.

It may take a few minutes, but you will get an automatic email from SendOwl with your download link. :)Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Unit

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$44.99  Biology BUNDLE of 7: 1) Biology Unit (Biomes, habitats, food chains/webs, feeding relationships) 2)  Scientific Classification & Taxonomy Packet 3) Ocean Unit & Layers of the Ocean/Ocean Zone Activities 4) Cells Unit 5) Botany Unit 6) Pathogens Unit – Bacteria, Protozoa, Fungi, Parasites/worms; Viruses and Prions 7) New! The Cell Cycle and Mitosis

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Biology BUNDLE of 7 Biology Cells Ocean Plant Kingdom Pathogens Mitosis and more

$8.99 Biology Unit: Biomes, habitats, ecosystem, biological interactions, feeding relationships (170 pages)

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$7.99 Botany Packet — (80 pages) Plant Classification, Life Cycle of the Moss, Fern, Conifer, Angiosperms, Parts of a Flower, Parts of a Seed, Seed & Fruit Development, Monocots vs Dicots – plus Carnivorous Plants Mini-Unit

$8.99 Ocean Unit – Layers of the Ocean/Ocean Zone: (100+ pages) Marine Habitats, Coral Reefs, Tide Pools, Water Form Words, Ocean navigation, Features of the ocean floor, salinity, ocean tides & currents, ocean life, bioluminescence & more!

$7.99 Scientific Classification and Taxonomy Packet (100 pages) dichotomous key activity, Linnaeus & the history of classification, learn the Animalia phyla (Annelids, Platyhelminthes, Nematodes, Cnidaria, Animalia, etc.)

$8.99 Pathogens Packet (100 pages) – This unit covers the six major living and nonliving pathogens: bacteria, protozoa, fungi and parasites/worms as well as viruses and prions. The large majority of this packet goes into detail about bacteria and viruses.

 $5.99  The Cell Cycle and Mitosis Packet (50+ pages) – This unit covers topics/terms such as cell division, cell death (apoptosis), nucleosomes, histones, binary fission, chromatin, chromosomes, centromere, sister chromatids, and the lifespan of human cells as well as the stages of the cell cycle including interphase (G1, S, G2) and mitosis (prophase, anaphase, metaphase, telophase, cytokinesis)

Biology Packet Ecosystems Biomes Habitats Food Chains Food Webs Symbiosis Population WorksheetsCell Unit - Plant and Animal Cell Worksheets and ActivitiesScientific Classification and Taxonomy Unit for Middle School and early High School Ocean Unit - Marine Habitats Coral Reefs Tide Pools Tides Features of the Ocean Floor Fish Shapes and more worksheetsPathogens Unit - Worksheets and Activities on Bacteria Virus Protozoa Parasites Fungi PrionsCell Cycle and Mitosis Worksheet PacketAgain, you can see the Biology BUNDLE Page for lots more pictures!

Biology BUNDLE of 7 - cells biology pathogens oceans taxonomy mitosis and moreBiology BUNDLE of 3 - Biology - Taxonomy - Ocean UnitDon’t forget to check your PayPal email address for the download link.Visit Our Store to see our other packets.

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Biology Unit: Ecosystems & Biomes and More

Biology Packet - Ecosystems Biomes Food Chains Food Web Trophic Levels PopulationsBiology Unit Ecology - Biomes-Ecosystem-Habitats- relationships between living organisms and their physical environmentFood Chain Food Web Food Pyramid Activties - Interactive Notebook PagesBotany Unit - Worksheets and Notebook Pages - Plant Kingdom Moss Ferns conifers angiosperms

Biology: Cell Unit

Cell Unit: (Now more than 150 pages) The Cells Unit covers cell theory, prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells, animal vs. plant cells, the organelles of the cell, and now goes into more detail about chloroplast anatomy, the layers of a leaf, photosynthesis, and more.

Cell Unit - Plant and Animal Cell Worksheets and Activities

Cell Packet - Cell Unit Homeschool CurriculumAnimalvsPlantCell Unit Worksheets

Plant Cell and Photosynthesis Worksheets

Photosynthesis Notebook Pages and Worksheets

Cell Biology - Organelles of the Cell worksheets activities

Biology: Botany Unit

Botany Packet — Plant Classification, Life Cycle of the Moss, Fern, Conifer, Angiosperms, Parts of a Flower, Parts of a Seed, Seed & Fruit Development, Monocots vs Dicots – plus Carnivorous Plants Mini-Unit 

Botany Unit - Parts of a Flower Parts of a Seed Carnivorous PlantsBotany Unit - Worksheets and Notebook Pages - Plant Kingdom Moss Ferns conifers angiosperms

Monocots or Dicots ActivityPlant Classification Worksheets - Ferns Mosses Conifers Plant life cyclesParts of a Flower Parts of a Seed Worksheets and Notebook PagesCarnivorous Plants Worksheets Notebook Pages Lapbook and More!Plant Classification Worksheets - Plant KingdomMoss Life Cycle WorksheetsLife Cycle of Ferns WorksheetsLife Cycle of Gymnosperms - Conifers WorksheetsBotany Unit - Worksheets and Notebook Pages - Plant Kingdom Moss Ferns conifers angiosperms

 

Biology: Ocean Unit

Ocean Unit:

This unit is a study of the hydrosphere — Earth’s oceans, tides, marine life (including bioluminescent critters, and more!)

Ocean Unit - Marine Habitats Coral Reefs Tide Pools Tides Currents Ocean Zones Bioluminescence Worksheets and more

In our ocean studies we explored

  • Marine Habitats
  • Coral Reefs
  • Tide Pools
  • Water Form Words (bay, estuary, lagoon, fjord, etc.)
  • Features of the Ocean Floor (trench, seamount, guyot, etc.)
  • Ocean Navigation (early navigation with astrolabes & the constellations, modern SONAR)
  • Salinity
  • Tides (and the phases of the moon)
  • Ocean Currents (Surface & Deep Sea Currents)
  • Ocean Life:
    • Special Body Features
    • Fish Body Shape and Movement
    • Biological Interactions: Mutualism and Commensalism in the Ocean
    • Deep Sea Life – Bioluminescence, Anglerfish

We also talked about the ocean zones and different layers of the ocean again (which we covered three or four years ago).

Marine-Habitat-Worksheets-Cards

Corals and Coral Reefs Worksheets - Notebook Pages and Lapbook Activity

Ocean Unit StudyFeatures-of-the-Ocean-Floor-WorksheetsFeatures of the Ocean Floor WorksheetsOcean Zones - Layers of the Ocean ActivityFish-Body-Shape-Features-WorksheetsBioluminescence-WorksheetsOcean-Unit-100 Pages Marine-Habitats-Ocean-Currents-Tides-Bioluminescence

Pathogens Packet

See more details at the Pathogens Unit Page.

Pathogens Worksheet Packet - bacteria viruses protozoa fungi parasites prionsPathogens Packet - bacteria viruses worksheets activities Bacteria Worksheets Viruses WorksheetsCell Cycle and Mitosis Cell Cycle Mitosis Notebook Pages - Worksheets Mitosis Worksheets - Prophase anaphase metaphase telophase cytokinesis


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