Biologically Speaking: Classification of Living Organisms

Biologically Speaking: Classification of Living Organisms 

INTRODUCTION TO THE AIMS TEACHING MODULE (ATM) 

Rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 

Organization and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 

INTRODUCING Biologically Speaking: Classification of Living Organisms 

Jump Right In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 

Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

PREPARATION FOR VIEWING 

Introduction to the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Introduction to Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Discussion Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

AFTER VIEWING THE PROGRAM 

Suggested Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 

Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 

Checking Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 

Word Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 

True or False . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 

TEACHER’S NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

Thumbs Up for Survival! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 

Vocabulary Match-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 

Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 

ADDITIONAL AIMS MULTIMEDIA PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 

ANSWER KEYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 

© Copyright 2002 • AIMS Multimedia • Biologically Speaking: Classification of Living Organisms • #2606

Congratulations! 

You have chosen a learning program that will actively motivate your students and provide you with easily accessible and easily manageable 

instructional guidelines and tools designed to make your teaching role efficient and rewarding. 

The AIMS Teaching Module (ATM) provides you with a video program correlated to your classroom curriculum, instructions and guidelines for 

use, plus a comprehensive teaching program containing a wide range of activities and ideas for interaction between all content areas. Our 

authors, educators, and consultants have written and reviewed the AIMS Teaching Modules to align with the Educate America Act: Goals 2000. 

This ATM, with its clear definition of manageability, both in the classroom and beyond, allows you to tailor specific activities to meet all of your 

classroom needs. 

RATIONALE 

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT 

In today’s classrooms, educational pedagogy is often founded on 

Benjamin S. Bloom’s “Six Levels of Cognitive Complexity.” The 

practical application of Bloom’s Taxonomy is to evaluate students’ 

thinking skills on these levels, from the simple to the complex: 

1. Knowledge (rote memory skills), 

2. Comprehension (the ability to relate or retell), 

3. Application (the ability to apply knowledge outside its origin), 

4. Analysis (relating and differentiating parts of a whole), 

5. Synthesis (relating parts to a whole) 

6. Evaluation (making a judgment or formulating an opinion). 

To facilitate ease in classroom manageability, the AIMS Teaching 

Module is organized in three sections: 

I. Introducing this ATM 

will give you the specific information you need to integrate the 

program into your classroom curriculum. 

II. Preparation for Viewing 

provides suggestions and strategies for motivation, language 

preparedness, readiness, and focus prior to viewing the program 

with your students. 

The AIMS Teaching Module is designed to facilitate these intellectual 

capabilities, and to integrate classroom experiences and assimilation 

of learning with the students’ life experiences, realities, and 

expectations. AIMS’ learner verification studies prove that our AIMS 

Teaching Modules help students to absorb, retain, and to demonstrate 

ability to use new knowledge in their world. Our educational 

materials are written and designed for today’s classroom, which 

incorporates a wide range of intellectual, cultural, physical, and 

emotional diversities. 

III. After Viewing the Program 

provides suggestions for additional activities plus an assortment of 

consumable assessment and extended activities, designed to broaden 

comprehension of the topic and to make connections to other 

curriculum content areas. 

AIMS Teaching Module written by Pat Davies. 

© Copyright 2002 AIMS Multimedia 

All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without written permission of AIMS Multimedia with these exceptions: Persons or schools purchasing this 

AIMS Teaching Module may reproduce consumable ATM pages, identified in Section 4, for student or classroom use. 

AIMS Multimedia is a leading producer and distributor of educational programs serving schools and libraries since 1957. AIMS draws upon the most up-to-date knowledge, existing 

and emerging technologies, and all of the instructional and pedagogical resources available to develop and distribute educational programs in videocassette and CD-ROM. 

Persons or schools interested in obtaining additional copies of this AIMS Teaching Module, please contact: 

AIMS Multimedia at: 

Toll Free: 1-800-367-2467 

Fax: 818-341-6700 

Web: www.aimsmultimedia.com 

Email: info@aimsmultimedia.com 

2 


FEATURES 

INTRODUCING THE ATM 

Your AIMS Teaching Module is designed to 

accompany a video program written and 

produced by some of the world’s most 

credible and creative writers and producers 

of educational programming. To facilitate 

diversity and flexibility in your classroom 

and to provide assessment tools, your AIMS 

Teaching Module features these components: 

Themes 

This section tells how the AIMS Teaching 

Module is correlated to the curriculum. 

Themes offers suggestions for interaction 

with other curriculum content areas, 

enabling teachers to use the teaching 

module to incorporate the topic into a 

variety of learning areas. 

Overview 

The Overview provides a synopsis of content 

covered in the video program. Its purpose is 

to give you a summary of the subject matter 

and to enhance your introductory 

preparation. 

Objectives 

The ATM learning objectives provide 

guidelines for teachers to assess what 

learners can be expected to gain from each 

program. After completion of the AIMS 

Teaching Module, your students will be able 

to demonstrate dynamic and applied 

comprehension of”” the topic. 

Preparation for Viewing 

In preparation for viewing the video 

program, the AIMS Teaching Module offers 

activity and/or discussion ideas that you 

may use in any order or combination. 

Introduction To The Program 

Introduction to the Program is designed to 

enable students to recall or relate prior 

knowledge about the topic and to prepare 

them for what they are about to learn. 

Introduction To Vocabulary 

Introduction to Vocabulary is a review of 

language used in the program: words, 

phrases, and usage. This vocabulary 

introduction is designed to ensure that all 

learners, including limited English 

proficiency learners, will have full 

understanding of the language usage in the 

content of the program. 

Discussion Ideas 

Discussion Ideas are designed to help you 

assess students’ prior knowledge about the 

topic and to give students a preview of what 

they will learn. Active discussion stimulates 

interest in a subject and can motivate even 

the most reluctant learner. Listening, as well 

as speaking, is active participation. 

Encourage your students to participate at the 

rate they feel comfortable. Model sharing 

personal experiences when applicable, and 

model listening to students’ ideas and 

opinions. 

Focus 

Help learners set a purpose for watching the 

program with Focus, designed to give 

students a focal point for comprehension 

continuity. 

Jump Right In 

Jump Right In provides abbreviated 

instructions for quick management of the 

program. 

After Viewing the Program 

After your students have viewed the 

program, you may introduce any or all of 

these activities to interact with other 

curriculum content areas, provide 

reinforcement, assess comprehension skills, 

or provide hands-on and in-depth extended 

study of the topic. 

3 


SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

The Suggested Activities offer ideas for 

activities you can direct in the classroom or 

have your students complete independently, 

in pairs, or in small work groups after they 

have viewed the program. To accommodate 

your range of classroom needs, the activities 

are organized into skills categories. Their 

labels will tell you how to identify each 

activity and help you correlate it into your 

classroom curriculum. To help you schedule 

your classroom lesson time, the AIMS 

hourglass gives you an estimate of the time 

each activity should require. Some of the 

activities fall into these categories: 

Meeting Individual Needs 

These activities are designed 

to aid in classroom continuity. 

Reluctant learners and 

learners acquiring English 

will benefit from these 

activities geared to enhance comprehension 

of language in order to fully grasp content 

meaning. 

Curriculum Connections 

Many of the suggested 

activities are intended to 

ART 

integrate the content of the 

ATM program into other 

content areas of the 

classroom curriculum. These crossconnections 

turn the classroom teaching 

experience into a whole learning 

experience. 

Critical Thinking 

Critical Thinking activities are 

designed to stimulate 

learners’ own opinions and 

ideas. These activities require students to use 

the thinking process to discern fact from 

opinion, consider their own problems and 

formulate possible solutions, draw 

conclusions, discuss cause and effect, or 

combine what they already know with what 

they have learned to make inferences. 

Cultural Diversity 

Each AIMS Teaching Module 

has an activity called Cultural 

Awareness, Cultural Diversity, 

or Cultural Exchange that encourages 

students to share their backgrounds, 

cultures, heritage, or knowledge of other 

countries, customs, and language. 

Hands On 

These are experimental or 

tactile activities that relate 

directly to the material taught 

in the program. Your students 

will have opportunities to make discoveries 

and formulate ideas on their own, based on 

what they learn in this unit. 

Writing 

Every AIMS Teaching Module 

will contain an activity 

designed for students to use 

the writing process to express 

their ideas about what they have learned. 

The writing activity may also help them to 

make the connection between what they are 

learning in this unit and how it applies to 

other content areas. 

In The Newsroom 

Each AIMS Teaching Module 

contains a newsroom activity 

designed to help students make the 

relationship between what they learn in the 

classroom and how it applies in their world. 

The purpose of In The Newsroom is to 

actively involve each class member in a 

whole learning experience. Each student will 

have an opportunity to perform all of the 

tasks involved in production: writing, 

researching, producing, directing, and 

interviewing as they create their own 

classroom news program. 

Extended Activities 

These activities provide 

opportunities for students to 

work separately or together to 

conduct further research, 

explore answers to their own questions, or 

apply what they have learned to other 

media or content areas. 

Link to the World 

These activities offer ideas 

for connecting learners’ 

classroom activities to their 

community and the rest of the world. 

Culminating Activity 

To wrap up the unit, AIMS 

Teaching Modules offer 

suggestions for ways to 

reinforce what students have 

learned and how they can use their new 

knowledge to enhance their worldview. 

4 


ADDITIONAL ATM FEATURES 

Vocabulary 

Every ATM contains an activity that 

reinforces the meaning and usage of the 

vocabulary words introduced in the 

program content. Students will read or find 

the definition of each vocabulary word, then 

use the word in a written sentence. 

Checking Comprehension 

Checking Comprehension is designed to 

help you evaluate how well your students 

understand, retain, and recall the 

information presented in the AIMS Teaching 

Module. Depending on your students’ needs, 

you may direct this activity to the whole 

group yourself, or you may want to have 

students work on the activity page 

independently, in pairs, or in small groups. 

Students can verify their written answers 

through discussion or by viewing the video a 

second time. If you choose, you can 

reproduce the answers from your Answer 

Key or write the answer choices in a Word 

Bank for students to use. Students can use 

this completed activity as a study guide to 

prepare for the test. 

Reproducible Activities 

The AIMS Teaching Module provides a 

selection of reproducible activities, designed 

to specifically reinforce the content of this 

learning unit. Whenever applicable, they 

are arranged in order from low to high 

difficulty level, to allow a seamless 

facilitation of the learning process. You may 

choose to have students take these activities 

home or to work on them in the classroom 

independently, in pairs or in small groups. 

Checking Vocabulary 

The checking Vocabulary activity provides 

the opportunity for students to assess their 

knowledge of new vocabulary with this word 

game or puzzle. The format of this 

vocabulary activity allows students to use the 

related words and phrases in a different 

context. 

Test 

The AIMS Teaching Module Test permits you 

to assess students’ understanding of what 

they have learned. The test is formatted in 

one of several standard test formats to give 

your students a range of experiences in testtaking 

techniques. Be sure to read, or 

remind students to read, the directions 

carefully and to read each answer choice 

before making a selection. Use the Answer 

Key to check their answers. 

Additional AIMS Multimedia 

Programs 

After you have completed this AIMS 

Teaching Module you may be interested in 

more of the programs that AIMS offers. This 

list includes several related AIMS programs. 

Answer Key 

Reproduces tests and work pages with 

answers marked. 

JUMP RIGHT IN 

Preparation 

• Read Fire Fighters and Fire Safety for 

Kids Themes, Overview, and 

Objectives to become familiar with 

program content and expectations. 

• Use Preparation for Viewing 

suggestions to introduce the topic to 

students. 

Viewing 

• Set up viewing monitor so that all 

students have a clear view. 

• Depending on your classroom size and 

learning range, you may choose to 

have students view Fire Fighters and 

Fire Safety for Kids together or in small 

groups. 

• Some students may benefit from 

viewing the video more than one time. 

After Viewing 

• Select Suggested Activities that 

integrate into your classroom 

curriculum. If applicable, gather 

materials or resources. 

• Choose the best way for students to 

work on each activity. Some activities 

work best for the whole group. Other 

activities are designed for students to 

work independently, in pairs, or in 

small groups. Whenever possible, 

encourage students to share their work 

with the rest of the group. 

• Duplicate the appropriate number of 

Vocabulary, Checking Comprehension, 

and consumable activity pages for your 

students. 

• You may choose to have students take 

consumable activities home, or 

complete them in the classroom, 

independently, or in groups. 

• Administer the Test to assess students’ 

comprehension of what they have 

learned, and to provide them with 

practice in test-taking procedures. 

• Use the Culminating Activity as a forum 

for students to display, summarize, 

extend, or share what they have 

learned with each other, the rest of the 

school, or a local community 

organization. 

5 


Biologically Speaking: Classification of Living Organisms 

Themes 

Biologically Speaking: Classification of 

Living Organisms explores classification 

through the seven major levels, from broadest 

down to narrowest: kingdom, division 

(plants)/phylum (animals), class, order, family, 

genus and species. Organisms’ cell and 

body structure, how they manufacture or 

otherwise obtain their food, the ecosystems 

they inhabit, their methods of reproduction, 

and their methods of locomotion - if any - 

are also covered. Organisms’ adaptability 

and their almost infinite variety colorfully 

illustrate the living population of our world. 

Overview 

There are between two million and four and 

a half million different species of organisms 

living today on Earth. Thousands of other 

organisms were also alive in the past but are 

now extinct. To make it easier to study these 

millions of organisms, scientists have 

grouped them into categories in the organizing 

process called classification. 

Classification breaks all living organisms 

down into seven groups. The broadest group 

is that of the kingdom. Currently, most scientists 

recognize a total of five kingdoms, 

although some believe there may justifiably 

be a sixth. Below the kingdom level, the classification 

groupings become progressively 

narrower, leading to the most precise level, 

that of the species. Today’s classification system 

allows us to efficiently study organisms 

from the simplest one-celled beings through 

the most complicated of vertebrate animals - 

the mammals. 

Objectives 

• To explain the major kingdoms and 

how their members are classified 

• To illustrate the seven levels of 

classification 

• To examine examples from each of the 

seven classification levels 

• To discuss how various plants, animals 

and other organisms interact with their 

environments 

Introduction to the Program 

Biologically speaking, how are humans classified 

What is the correct classification for 

the gorilla The program guides students 

through the four (out of seven) classification 

levels that humans and the gorilla have in 

common - from the kingdom level down 

through order. The two species separate at 

the family level. Humans belong to the family 

Hominidae, while the gorilla is a member 

of the family Pongidae. The classification 

system can be visually described as an 

inverted pyramid. The Kingdoms, at the 

wide top of the inverted pyramid, are the 

broadest classification. The six following levels 

become progressively narrower and their 

members share more characteristics in common 

with one another. The program covers 

many of the characteristics that organisms at 

each level share, such as cell structure, body 

structure, food manufacture or procurement, 

reproduction, or locomotion. 

Introduction to Vocabulary 

Write the following words on the board and 

explain that they will be referenced in the 

video. Some students may be unfamiliar with 

the terms. If the meaning of any word is 

unclear to the group, ask volunteers to use 

an appropriate reference source to check the 

term and report their findings to the class. 

angiosperms, class, division, eukaryotic, 

family, genus, gymnosperms, Homo sapiens, 

invertebrate, kingdom, nonvascular plants, 

order, phylum, primate, prokaryotic, 

species, vascular plants, vertebrate 

Encourage students to note the context in 

which the words are used in the program, 

and to be prepared to discuss their meaning. 

Discussion Ideas 

Ask the class to name as many different classification 

groups as they can think of, along 

with different types of living organisms. 

Write their suggestions on the board. Have 

students arrange any organisms named into 

the appropriate group(s). How do the nominated 

organisms and groups relate to each 

other To which of the groups suggested do 

humans belong Which group(s) count the 

gorilla within their membership The process 

of organizing living organisms into their scientific 

classification groups involves finding 

common characteristics among the organisms 

- their cell structure, the structure and 

function of their different parts, their means 

of nourishment, their method(s) of reproduction 

or of locomotion. It can be a complicated 

business, and even scientists may 

disagree about how to classify certain 

organisms. This program covers classification 

into the five kingdoms of: Animalia, 

Plantae, Fungi, Monera and Protista. 

Focus 

Ask students to think for a moment about the 

importance of being able to organize information 

in a usable way. Tell them that the 

classification system involves the organizing 

of living organisms into different levels of 

“like” groups so that they can more easily be 

identified and studied. Tell them to keep 

these thoughts in mind as they view the program. 

Let them know you will discuss these 

and other aspects of classification following 

the screening. 

6 


SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 


Adaptation is often the “name of the game” in an organism’s survival. Many species of mammals, for example, 

have made significant physical and behavioral adaptations to survive and reproduce in their environments. Ask 

students to think carefully about the following mammalian adaptations and their functions: elephant’s trunk (allows 

elephant to reach leaves in tall trees, and to scoop up water for drinking and bathing), beaver’s flat tail (helps 

beaver steer when swimming, make noise as a warning, and is used as a stool for sitting), opposable thumb of 

some primates (helps primate grasp items and use tools), and leopard’s spots (camouflage that helps leopard blend 

in with its surroundings). Discuss why these adaptations may have occurred and how students think they benefit the 

animal. 

30 Minutes 

Connection to Health and Nutrition 

Ask each student to make a list of all the ways in which both bacteria and fungi are helpful to humans, and of the 

ways in which both are harmful. Have them list specific examples of each. (Make your own list as students make 

theirs.) Review the lists with the class and write the items on the board. Add your own answers to the board if the 

students had not also thought of them. 

HEALTH 

40 Minutes 

NUTRITION 


Remind students that in addition to the two to four and a half million species of organisms that currently inhabit the 

planet, several thousands of species that once existed are now extinct. Tell students that although many examples 

of extinction were caused by specific events or processes (such as humans hunting the passenger pigeon to extinction), 

most instances were caused by a failure to adapt to changes in environment. Some scientists and philosophers 

say that the “natural selection” process of evolution is truly “the survival of the fittest.” Discuss with students 

what they think the phrase means and how it relates to the survival of a species. 

15 Minutes 


Ask students to look carefully at home, at school, and in the surrounding neighborhoods for a variety of kinds of 

living organisms. Have them create lists of the organisms they find. Have them classify the organisms at the seven 

classification levels: kingdom, division (plants) or phylum (animal), class, order, family, genus and species. Allow 

time for students to share their classifications with the class. Discuss their findings and have students develop some 

generalizations about the biological community of your local ecosystem. 

Extended 

Connection to Geography/History 

Certain gymnosperms - various species of evergreen trees - are the largest, oldest plants on Earth. Have students 

work individually or in small groups to research such things as the geographic location in which the tallest gymnosperm 

trees grow, the height of the tallest recorded, the age and species of the oldest gymnosperm. Have them 

calculate the height ratio between the tallest tree and the tallest building in your community and illustrate it with a 

bar graph. Have them draw a timeline that includes the age of the oldest known gymnosperm along with historical 

events that surround the era in which that tree first sprouted. Ask each group to write a report consolidating 

their findings, illustrated with their height ratio bar graph, timeline, and a drawing or photo of the tree ring means 

of dating the age of a given tree. Ask for volunteers from each group to present their report to the class. 

Extended 

GEOGRAPHY 

HISTORY 

7 



Tropical rainforests cover less than five percent of the planet, yet they are home to more than half the world’s animal 

and plant species. In one square mile of South American rainforest, scientists have estimated there are as many 

as 1,500 species of flowering plants, nearly 1,000 species of trees, 1,200 species of butterflies, and over 1,000 

species of other animals. Have students work individually or in small groups to select a species of living organism 

common to tropical rainforests and investigate its current status in that ecosystem. Is it currently stable, increasing 

in numbers, decreasing in numbers, endangered Ask students to also research the current status of that particular 

ecosystem as a whole, and come up with suggestions for stabilizing or improving the viability of the tropical 

rainforest environment. Ask for volunteers to share their conclusions with the class. 

2 Hours 

Hands-on Activity 

As the video illustrates, members of the fungi kingdom can easily spoil fruits and bread. Have students work in 

small groups to conduct a simple experiment with fungi. Distribute moist slices of bread to half the group, and fresh 

slices of apple to the rest, with a petri dish or similar container for each. Have each group label their container 

and place it in an area of the room where it will be undisturbed. Encourage them to observe their containers once 

a day for a week. Does mold form on any of the bread slices On any of the pieces of apple If so, what nutrients 

do they think mold needs to survive Why When students are done, instruct them to dispose of the items properly, 

and wash their hands thoroughly. Five sessions, each lasting: 

15 Minutes 

Connection to Biology 

The opposable thumb differentiates humans and some primates from other animals, and is an example of a successful 

mutation. Have students work in small groups to research mammal evolution at the period during which 

opposable thumbs evolved in hominids (anthropoids) and some primates. How would this mutation have assisted 

human ancestors and primates in their survival What did it allow individuals to begin doing that they had not 

done previously What changes might this adaptation have allowed in various species filling their niches and interacting 

with their environments Ask for a volunteer from each group to share their conclusions with the class. 

Extended 

BIOLOGY 

Culminating Activity 

Have students work in small groups to create a multi-media presentation using information they’ve learned from 

the program. Brainstorm with the class the topics that should be covered, as well as the types of materials and 

media they would like to include in their presentation. Have each group present to the entire class; you may wish 

to set up a school-wide screening so that the class may show their presentations to the entire student population. 

Extended 

8 


Name 

VOCABULARY 

The following words and terms are from Biologically Speaking: Classification of Living Organisms. Read each definition. On the line next to 

the definition write the letter of the vocabulary word that matches the definition. Then use a separate piece of paper to write each word in a 

sentence. 

A) class 

B) division 

C) family 

D) genus 

E) invertebrate 

F) kingdom 

G) order 

H) phylum 

I) species 

J) vertebrate 

1. ________ the second most specific classification level 

2. ________ classification level that comes between class and family 

3. ________ an organism that has a segmented backbone 

4. ________ the broadest classification category into which organisms are grouped 

5. ________ a grouping of organisms that resemble each other and that are capable of reproducing to create fertile offspring 

6. ________ an animal that does not have a spine 

7. ________ the second highest and second broadest classification level for plants and fungi 

8. ________ the second broadest classification grouping for animals 

9. ________ organism grouping that falls between phylum or division and order 

10. ________ classification level between genus and order 

9 


Name 

CHECKING COMPREHENSION 

Answer the following questions. Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary. 

1. What are the seven major levels in the classification of living organisms 

2. What is the broadest level of classification 

3. What is the narrowest level of classification 

4. What are the genus and species names for human beings 

5. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that are described as _________________________. 

6. Because they contain chlorophyll, euglena are capable of making their own food through _________________________. 

7. Fungi are plant-like organisms which cannot make their own food because they do not have _________________________. 

8. Fungi get their food from _________________________ or from _________________________. 

9. Plants that have specialized cells that carry food and water throughout the organism are called _________________________. 

10. How do coelenterates obtain their prey 

11. About 75% of all animals belong to the phylum _________________________. 

12. What differentiates the two classes of fish from one another 

13. Amphibians are a class of vertebrates that can live in and out of _________________________. 

14. What feature shows the reptilian origins of birds 

15. The most advanced of the vertebrates are the class _________________________. Some features that distinguish the members of this class 

include _________________________. 

10 


Name 

WORD SEARCH 

Read each vocabulary definition below. On the line before each definition write the appropriate word, then find each in the word search. Look 

up, down, across, backwards and diagonally to find the words. 

Z X G C B X V D W Q M K S L S 

D I V I S I O N G W Q Z E V P 

C C N V W H J W Q P Y B T J E 

WORD BANK 

class 

division 

family 

genus 

Homo sapiens 

invertebrate 

kingdom 

order 

phylum 

primates 

species 

vertebrate 

K J M V L C T T B N X V A V C 

S M Y Y E W B V K H E J M K I 

W U W Z X R X Z V R K M I J E 

H L N H Z C T H T J R N R H S 

B Y W E W V R E S K G K P J J 

T H T V G W B W B D M M N R R 

W P W C H R V V O R D E R C W 

S X X Z A C H M K L A Q Q V K 

S L K T H H B D D R Z T K B L 

A Z E Z Y L I M A F W W E Q P 

L G C C X G S S K K C V G G Z 

C Z X H O M O S A P I E N S X 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

______________________ 

the order of mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys and prosimians 

an animal that does not have a spine 

the second most specific classification level 

an organism that has a segmented backbone 

the broadest classification category into which organisms are grouped 

our species: human beings 

classification level that comes between class and family 

a grouping of organisms that resemble each other and that are capable of reproducing to create fertile offspring 

classification level between genus and order 

the second highest and second broadest classification level for plants and fungi 

organism grouping that falls between phylum or division and order 

______________________ the second broadest classification grouping for animals 

11 


Name 

TRUE OR FALSE 

Place a T next to statements that are true and an F next to statements that are false. 

1. ________ The classification levels, from the narrowest to the broadest, are kingdom, class, family, order, division/phylum, genus, species. 

2. ________ Members of the Phylum Chordata have backbones. 

3. ________ Human beings have hair and produce milk for their young and are in the Class Mammalia. 

4. ________ The Plantae and Animalia kingdoms include large numbers of simple single-celled organisms. 

5. ________ Eukaryotic cells have a distinct nucleus and other distinct structures within their cell membrane. 

6. ________ Cyanobacteria are a major source of food and oxygen for animal life in lakes and ponds. 

7. ________ Pneumonia and tuberculosis are potentially fatal diseases caused by parasitic fungi. 

8. ________ Euglena move by extending their pseudopods. 

9. ________ The drug penicillin is derived from fungi. 

10. ________ Evergreen trees, such as pines, fir and spruce are Gymnosperms. 

12 


TEACHER’S NOTE 

The following exercise, THUMBS UP FOR SURVIVAL!, requires students to work in two-person teams using the following materials: 

MATERIALS LIST 

• 2 THUMBS UP FOR SURVIVAL! worksheets per team 

• Rolls of tape OR 2 large rubber bands per team 

• 1 magazine per team - or circulate 1 magazine amongst the teams 

• 1 plastic bottle OR paper cup per student 

• 1 box of tissues - distribute 1 tissue per student 

• 1 WRAPPED cookie OR WRAPPED piece of candy per student 

IN ADDITION, TEAMS WILL REQUIRE 

Access to computer or typewriter 

1 comb OR hairbrush per student (students’ own items) 

If any of the above items are unavailable, that aspect of the exercise may be eliminated, or substitute a similar task of the students’ choosing. 

Students’ results on this exercise should spark a discussion on the influence that mutations can have on a species’ survival and its ability to 

thrive. 

13 


Name 

THUMBS UP FOR SURVIVAL! 

Humans and some primates have opposable thumbs. This was a very successful mutation that helped individual primates, and early humans, 

to survive and thrive. It was passed down to succeeding generations. Having always had thumbs, it’s difficult for us as individuals to think how 

we might cope without this useful digit. To understand how important your thumbs are in everyday life, team up with a classmate to complete 

this exercise. 

Have your classmate use tape or large rubber bands to loosely fasten your thumbs to the side of your hands by your index finger. Then read 

over the tasks listed in the table below. Do your best to accomplish each task with your “thumbless” hands. Your partner can make notes as to 

how you do on each one. When you have finished, trade places and make notes as to how your classmate does on the tasks. 

Tasks Can’t Do Extremely Difficult Moderately Difficult Simple 

Pick up a magazine 

Write the word “thumb” 

Drink from a plastic bottle 

or paper cup 

Draw a picture 

Type 2 sentences at the 

computer 

Brush or comb you hair 

Unwrap a cookie or candy 

(provided by your teacher) 

Tie or untie your shoe 

Use a tissue and PRETEND 

to blow your nose 

14 


Name 

VOCABULARY MATCH UP 

Draw a line from the vocabulary words on the left to their correct definitions on the right. 

A) angiosperms 

1. our species: human beings 

B) eukaryote 

2. the group of seed-bearing plants whose seeds grow inside of cones; representatives of this group 

include evergreen tress such a pine, fir and spruce 

C) gymnosperms 

3. the order of mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys and prosimians 

D) Homo sapiens 

4. plants that do not have water-and-food conducting tissues 

E) nonvascular plants 

5. cell or single-celled organism that has nuclear material but does not have a distinct nucleus or other 

distinct subcellular structures 

F) primates 

6. one of the two major types of seed-bearing plants; these have flowers 

G) prokaryote 

7. plants that have tissues that carry water and food to all parts of the organism 

H) vascular plants 

8. cell with a distinct nucleus and other distinct structures within the cell membrane 

15 


Name 

TEST 

Circle the letter of the correct answer for multiple-choice questions. Write a one-sentence answer for questions that are not multiple choice. 

1. The process scientists have used to group categories of living organisms is called (insert blank). 

A) nomenclature 

B) classification 

C) taxation 

2. Human beings are in the Kingdom (insert blank). 

A) Chordata 

B) Animalia 

C) Plantae 

3. Animals that have backbones are in the Phylum (insert blanks). 

A) Invertebrata 

B) Mammalia 

C) Chordata 

4. In what two ways do euglena get food 

5. One type of fungi gets its nourishment from other living organisms. What is this type of fungi known as 

6. Name the two broad categories of plants. 

7. Ferns have a life cycle known as the “alternation of generations.” To what does this phrase refer 

8. What types of seed plants are discussed in the program 

9. What one body structure characterizes all members of Phylum Arthropoda 

10. To produce their offspring, various species of reptiles (insert blank) 

A) lay eggs on land 

B) lay eggs in water 

C) give birth to live young 

D) A and C 

16 


Name 

TEST (CONTINUED) 

11. A major adaptation that separates birds from their reptilian ancestors is that most of their scales modified into (insert blank). 

A) gills 

B) fur 

C) feathers 

12. An animal that is warm-blooded, covered with hair or fur, and that has mammary glands that produce milk is a/an (insert blank). 

A) amphibian 

B) mammal 

C) parasite 

13. The first vertebrates were (insert blank). 

A) dinosaurs 

B) amphibians 

C) fish 

14. Young amphibians hatch (insert blank) and breathe (insert blank). 

A) in water; through gills 

B) at night; through lungs 

C) twice; occasionally 

15. Almost all mammals (insert blank). 

A) can fly 

B) give birth to live young 

C) are hairless 

17 


ADDITIONAL AIMS MULTIMEDIA PROGRAMS 

You and your students might also enjoy these other AIMS Multimedia programs: 

9080-EN-VID: Classification: Bringing Order to Diversity 

2601 Biologically Speaking: Genetics and Heredity 

2605 Biologically Speaking: Living Cells 

18 


ANSWER KEY for page 9 

VOCABULARY 

The following words and terms are from Biologically Speaking: Classification of Living Organisms. Read each definition. On the line next to 

the definition write the letter of the vocabulary word that matches the definition. Then use a separate piece of paper to write each word in a 

sentence. 

A) class 

B) division 

C) family 

D) genus 

E) invertebrate 

F) kingdom 

G) order 

H) phylum 

I) species 

J) vertebrate 

1. ________ D the second most specific classification level 

2. ________ G classification level that comes between class and family 

3. ________ J an organism that has a segmented backbone 

4. ________ F the broadest classification category into which organisms are grouped 

5. ________ I a grouping of organisms that resemble each other and that are capable of reproducing to create fertile offspring 

6. ________ E an animal that does not have a spine 

7. ________ B the second highest and second broadest classification level for plants and fungi 

8. ________ H the second broadest classification grouping for animals 

9. ________ A organism grouping that falls between phylum or division and order 

10. ________ C classification level between genus and order 

19 



CHECKING COMPREHENSION 

Answer the following questions. Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary. 

1. What are the seven major levels in the classification of living organisms (kingdom, phylum (animals) or division (plants, fungi), class, order, 

family, genus and species) 

2. What is the broadest level of classification (kingdom) 

3. What is the narrowest level of classification (species) 

4. What are the genus and species names for human beings (genus: Homo; species: sapiens) 

5. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that are described as (prokaryotic). 

6. Because they contain chlorophyll, euglena are capable of making their own food through (photosynthesis). 

7. Fungi are plant-like organisms which cannot make their own food because they do not have (chlorophyll). 

8. Fungi get their food from (dead organic matter) or from (other living organisms). 

9. Plants that have specialized cells that carry food and water throughout the organism are called (vascular plants). 

10. How do coelenterates obtain their prey (They use stinging tentacles to capture and immobilize their prey.) 

11. About 75% of all animals belong to the phylum (Arthropoda). 

12. What differentiates the two classes of fish from one another (The bony fishes have skeletons made of bones; the other class of fish have 

skeletons made of cartilage, such as sharks or rays.) 

13. Amphibians are a class of vertebrates that can live in and out of (water). 

14. What feature shows the reptilian origins of birds (the scales that cover their legs) 

15. The most advanced of the vertebrates are the class (Mammalia). Some features that distinguish the members of this class include (They are 

warm-blooded, have four-chambered hearts, are covered with fur or hair, and have mammary glands that produce milk for their young. 

Almost all mammals give birth to live young; some mammals like kangaroos have protective pouches in which offspring mature until they 

can survive on their own). 

20 



WORD SEARCH 

Read each vocabulary definition below. On the line before each definition write the appropriate word, then find each in the word search. Look 

up, down, across, backwards and diagonally to find the words. 

Z X G C B X V D W Q M K S L S 

D I V I S I O N G W Q Z E V P 

C C N V W H J W Q P Y B T J E 

WORD BANK 

class 

division 

family 

genus 

Homo sapiens 

invertebrate 

kingdom 

order 

phylum 

primates 

species 

vertebrate 

K J M V L C T T B N X V A V C 

S M Y Y E W B V K H E J M K I 

W U W Z X R X Z V R K M I J E 

H L N H Z C T H T J R N R H S 

B Y W E W V R E S K G K P J J 

T H T V G W B W B D M M N R R 

W P W C H R V V O R D E R C W 

S X X Z A C H M K L A Q Q V K 

S L K T H H B D D R Z T K B L 

A Z E Z Y L I M A F W W E Q P 

L G C C X G S S K K C V G G Z 

C Z X H O M O S A P I E N S X 

primates 

______________________ 

invertebrate 

______________________ 

genus 

______________________ 

vertebrate 

______________________ 

kingdom 

______________________ 

Homo sapiens 

______________________ 

order 

______________________ 

species 

______________________ 

family 

______________________ 

division 

______________________ 

class 

______________________ 

phylum 

______________________ 

the order of mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys and prosimians 

an animal that does not have a spine 

the second most specific classification level 

an organism that has a segmented backbone 

the broadest classification category into which organisms are grouped 

our species: human beings 

classification level that comes between class and family 

a grouping of organisms that resemble each other and that are capable of reproducing to create fertile offspring 

classification level between genus and order 

the second highest and second broadest classification level for plants and fungi 

organism grouping that falls between phylum or division and order 

the second broadest classification grouping for animals 

21 



TRUE OR FALSE 

Place a T next to statements that are true and an F next to statements that are false. 

1. ________ F The classification levels, from the narrowest to the broadest, are kingdom, class, family, order, division/phylum, genus, species. 

2. ________ T Members of the Phylum Chordata have backbones. 

3. ________ T Human beings have hair and produce milk for their young and are in the Class Mammalia. 

4. ________ F The Plantae and Animalia kingdoms include large numbers of simple single-celled organisms. 

5. ________ T Eukaryotic cells have a distinct nucleus and other distinct structures within their cell membrane. 

6. ________ T Cyanobacteria are a major source of food and oxygen for animal life in lakes and ponds. 

7. ________ F Pneumonia and tuberculosis are potentially fatal diseases caused by parasitic fungi. 

8. ________ F Euglena move by extending their pseudopods. 

9. ________ T The drug penicillin is derived from fungi. 

10. ________ T Evergreen trees, such as pines, fir and spruce are Gymnosperms. 

22 



THUMBS UP FOR SURVIVAL! 

Humans and some primates have opposable thumbs. This was a very successful mutation that helped individual primates, and early humans, 

to survive and thrive. It was passed down to succeeding generations. Having always had thumbs, it’s difficult for us as individuals to think how 

we might cope without this useful digit. To understand how important your thumbs are in everyday life, team up with a classmate to complete 

this exercise. 

Have your classmate use tape or large rubber bands to loosely fasten your thumbs to the side of your hands by your index finger. Then read 

over the tasks listed in the table below. Do your best to accomplish each task with your “thumbless” hands. Your partner can make notes as to 

how you do on each one. When you have finished, trade places and make notes as to how your classmate does on the tasks. 

Students’ results will vary. When the members of all teams have finished, use their results as the basis for a group discussion. 

Tasks Can’t Do Extremely Difficult Moderately Difficult Simple 

Pick up a magazine 

Write the word “thumb” 

Drink from a plastic bottle 

or paper cup 

Draw a picture 

Type 2 sentences at the 

computer 

Brush or comb you hair 

Unwrap a cookie or candy 

(provided by your teacher) 

Tie or untie your shoe 

Use a tissue and PRETEND 

to blow your nose 

23 



VOCABULARY MATCH UP 

Draw a line from the vocabulary words on the left to their correct definitions on the right. 

A) angiosperms 

1. our species: human beings 

B) eukaryote 

2. the group of seed-bearing plants whose seeds grow inside of cones; representatives of this group 

include evergreen tress such a pine, fir and spruce 

C) gymnosperms 

3. the order of mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys and prosimians 

D) Homo sapiens 

4. plants that do not have water-and-food conducting tissues 

E) nonvascular plants 

5. cell or single-celled organism that has nuclear material but does not have a distinct nucleus or other 

distinct subcellular structures 

F) primates 

6. one of the two major types of seed-bearing plants; these have flowers 

G) prokaryote 

7. plants that have tissues that carry water and food to all parts of the organism 

H) vascular plants 

8. cell with a distinct nucleus and other distinct structures within the cell membrane 

24 



TEST 

Circle the letter of the correct answer for multiple-choice questions. Write a one-sentence answer for questions that are not multiple choice. 

1. The process scientists have used to group categories of living organisms is called (insert blank). 

A) nomenclature 

B) classification 

C) taxation 

2. Human beings are in the Kingdom (insert blank). 

A) Chordata 

B) Animalia 

C) Plantae 

3. Animals that have backbones are in the Phylum (insert blanks). 

A) Invertebrata 

B) Mammalia 

C) Chordata 

4. In what two ways do euglena get food 

They can produce food through photosynthesis and can also absorb food from the environment. 

5. One type of fungi gets its nourishment from other living organisms. What is this type of fungi known as 

This type of fungi is a parasite. 

6. Name the two broad categories of plants. 

vascular plants and nonvascular plants 

7. Ferns have a life cycle known as the “alternation of generations.” To what does this phrase refer 

This refers to ferns’ two stage method of reproduction - a sexual stage and an asexual stage. 

8. What types of seed plants are discussed in the program 

gymnosperms and angiosperms 

9. What one body structure characterizes all members of Phylum Arthropoda 

their exoskeleton 

10. To produce their offspring, various species of reptiles (insert blank) 

A) lay eggs on land 

B) lay eggs in water 

C) give birth to live young 

D) A and C 

25 



TEST (CONTINUED) 

11. A major adaptation that separates birds from their reptilian ancestors is that most of their scales modified into (insert blank). 

A) gills 

B) fur 

C) feathers 

12. An animal that is warm-blooded, covered with hair or fur, and that has mammary glands that produce milk is a/an (insert blank). 

A) amphibian 

B) mammal 

C) parasite 

13. The first vertebrates were (insert blank). 

A) dinosaurs 

B) amphibians 

C) fish 

14. Young amphibians hatch (insert blank) and breathe (insert blank). 

A) in water; through gills 

B) at night; through lungs 

C) twice; occasionally 

15. Almost all mammals (insert blank). 

A) can fly 

B) give birth to live young 

C) are hairless 

26

Biologically Speaking: Classification of Living Organisms

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