Sorting Life: Classifying Organisms into Kingdoms Using Cell Evidence
Lesson Plan · Grade 7 · Science · ngss
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Grade
7
Method
five_e
Phases
Name: Engage
Minutes: 13
Purpose: Surface students' initial ideas about what makes something a plant, animal, or fungus before any formal vocabulary is introduced. A discrepant organism, euglena, is green like a plant yet swims and eats like an animal, so students' everyday categories break down. This creates a need for better sorting criteria (cell type, cell number, food source), which they will investigate in Explore. It also seeds the second objective, explaining why some eukaryotes like euglena fit none of the three familiar kingdoms.
Materials
Subject
Standards
Objectives
Method Note
Method Label
Teacher Notes
Differentiation
Duration Minutes
Materials Summary
Exit Ticket Suggestion
Q1. Mystery Organism A: has a nucleus, is made of many cells, has cell walls, and absorbs food from rotting logs. Which kingdom is it in? Justify using all three questions.
Q2. Mystery Organism B: has no nucleus, is a single cell, and lives in hot springs. Which kingdom is it in, and which question decided it?
Check For Understanding
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