Part of Lesson Plan: Taxonomy "What do YOU call it?"

Activity Overview / Details

Materials Needed: PowerPoint or lecture notes on wipe board, candy samples (at least 5 different candies)

Introduce students to taxonomy with an overview of key terms (taxonomy, classification, organisms). You may elect to present key terms using PowerPoint or through a brief mini-lecture. To assist English Language Learners, post key terms in the classroom or encourage students to create a personal dictionary. Taxonomy is the term used to describe the discipline of classifying organisms and assigning each organism a universally accepted name. Classification refers to the process of organizing organisms into groups that are biologically similar. An organism refers to a living being or system.

How have scientists gone about the process of classification? Let?s take a look. This activity can be done individually, in collaborative working groups, or as a whole class demonstration. Provide students with a variety of candy samples (at least 5 different candies). Challenge students to sort these candies and classify them into groups that have similar characteristics. For example, assume you gave students a peppermint hard candy, a butterscotch candy, a mini Snickers, a peanut butter cup, and a piece of gum. Students may group the peppermint and butterscotch together as hard candies, the Snickers and peanut butter cup together as chocolates, and the gum as a separate group. Variation is acceptable in this activity, as it is meant to be a fun way to introduce students to the process of classification.