This document provides instructions for an activity where students will classify animals into groups based on observable features. The activity involves students sorting plastic animals from two bags into groups based on characteristics like appearance, habitat, and behavior. The document defines key terms like classification, species, vertebrates and invertebrates. It explains that animals can be classified in multiple ways, such as by color, size, or as mammals. Students are asked to observe the animals, list features, determine the number of different types, and sort them into two initial groups. They then add animals from a second bag to the appropriate groups, explaining their reasoning. Finally, students are asked to consider if living things can be grouped in more ways than one and if

1. Sweet Success With Classifying By Danielle Stucki

2. Standard 4- The Living Environment Indicator- 3.4.1 Demonstrate that a great variety of living things can be sorted into groups in many ways using various features, such as how they look, where they live, and how they act, to decide which things belong to which group. This activity was taken from the DOE website. I have modified the activity. http://www.indianastandardsresources.org/files/sci/sci_3_4_1.pdf

3. Definitions Binary Classification : Organizing things into two groups. Observe : To be or become aware of, especially through careful and directed attention; notice. Species : A class of individuals having common attributes and designated by a common name Classify : To organize objects according to how they are alike and different. Vertebrates : Animals that have a spine or backbone. Invertebrates : Animals that do not have a spine or a backbone.

4. Background Information To classify is to observe different things and see what features they have. You will look for features that are alike and different in each item. When you classify things you put them into groups. Animals can be separated into groups in several different ways. You could separate animals based on color or size, if they are mammals, or if they are vertebrates or invertebrates. How will you classify the animals in the bags?

5. Open bag #1 and observe the “critters” in your bag. List the features that you see for each thing. Make sure you write down what the critter is next to its features. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How many different types of “critters” are there? Write your reasons for the different types in the box on the left. How different do things have to be in order to be considered different species? Write this answer in the box on the right. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Sorting and Classifying Sort the animals and plants from bag #1 into two groups, by looking at the features you wrote down on the previous slide. Group 2 Draw or write the animals from bag #1 here. Group 1

8. Binary Classification is organizing things into two groups. Look at the two groups you made on the previous slide. Open Bag #2. Take the items and place them in the group you think they belong.

9. Write the reasons you put the items from bag #2 in each group. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Assessment Can you group living things in more than one way? How? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Have you ever classified or sorted objects of your own? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________