Worksheet 3: Classification of living creatures

Teaching aids:

worksheet

Procedure:

The teacher gives the following instructions: „Discuss with other students: What did you register in your table at „What‘s alive“? Can you assign these to different groups? Find names for your groups and write them down!“

This process can be divided into different periods:

Period 1: Teamwork, the teacher provides an overview and assists if it’s necessary

Period 2:  The teams depict their classifications, which are noted by the teacher.

It‘s important that the teacher appreciates the classifications of the students and tolerates that they can be different! There are no wrong classifications! Each classification mentioned by the students should be used as a basis for (class) discussion.

Possible solutions of the students: 

• Classification: big – small:

Which huge and which tiny plants do you know?

Which huge and which tiny animals do you know?

• Classification: can move – cannot move:

Which animals can move by themselves? Which animals can‘t do that?

Which plants can move by themselves? Which plants can‘t do that?

• Classification: I like it – I don‘t like it

Which plants do you like and why? Which plants don‘t you like?

Which animals do you like and why? Which animals don‘t you like?

• Classification: needs food – does not need food

Which animals need food? Which animals don’t need food?

Which plants need food? Which plants don’t need food?

Period 3: The teacher presents the scientific classification (at least plants and animals) to the class. If possible the explanation should be based on or reflect the suggestions given by the students. The teacher can hand out an additional info sheet.

Teaching aids:

Info sheet