Classiciation: Silly Science

If the Doodads and Gismos classification activity is a bit too much for your students, you might want to start them with this Silly Science dichotomous key from The Science Spot. 

It uses equally common objects, but not quite as many and the key itself is simpler than the other version. 

The objects used are:

• Sharpened pencil
• Unsharpened pencil
• White marble
• Colored marble
• White Chalk
• Wooden Splint
• Die
• Eraser
• Small paperclip
• Large paperclip

I had plenty of these objects around my classroom, so I was able to create bags of objects that I could store and reuse each year.  A little work the first year, but from then on you just need to pull out the box the day you need it and away you go.

Classification: Doodads and Gismos

A selection of everyday objects have been given silly names and your students need to use a dichotomous key to determine which name belongs with which object. 

The objects you'll need are (and you don't even need all of them, use the ones you already have around):

• Snap wooden clothespin
• Sharpened pencil
• Unsharpened pencil
• Wire coat hanger
• Metal fork
• Metal knife
• Metal spoon
• Bolt
• Nickel
• Penny
• Small paperclip
• Jumbo paperclip
• Paper fastener
• White shirt button
• White paper plate
• White piece of chalk
• Whilte plastic fork
• White plastic knife
• White plastic spoon
• White candle
• White soap

You can access the complete dichotomous key here. 

There are a couple of ways you can use this activity:
~Provide each group of students with a set of objects and have each student identify the name of every object (or a specified number of objects).
~Provide each student with one object and have them each identify the name of that one object.  This works well as a quick assessment tool.

There are a few things I really like about this particular activity:
~There's some similarities between the objects (lots of utensils, lots of white objects, etc.), which means students need to work through the key carefully.
~The dichotomous key includes extra names, which means students really have to work their way through the key for each object; they can't rely on the process of elimination.

Classification: A "Handy" Guide to the Kingdoms

This one falls into the category of "I wish I thought of that" - such a clever way to help your students remember the kingdoms. 

The original article appeared in the February 2007 NSTA Science Scope journal. 

I can't really do the article justice, so you'll probably best be served to read it yourself, but I'll try to sum up:

Students trace their left on hand on their paper. 

If you have a green thumb, you're good with PLANTS

When you hold up your index finger while at a sporting event, you're saying ""We're number one".  Make the connection between one and mono and MONERA (bacteria).  (You'll have to combine the two kingdoms of bacteria into the one finger).

Pinky is for PROTISTS.  A small finger for small organisms.  The pinky has three segments, and there are three types of protists. 

The ring finger - if you don't wear a ring, you're not married, so you must be a fun guy.... a FUNGI (...pause for a collective groan...)

And finally, the finger the students have all be waiting for, curious to see how you're going to handle it.... Hold up your whole hand - which finger is the largest?  So that finger will be used for the kingdom with the largest variety of organisms and the largest individual organisms - the ANIMAL kingdom.  And if said finger is used inappropriately, it's called 'the bird'....

Classification: Scavenger Hunt

Provide students with a list of questions, such as:
*What is the common name for Felidae domesticus?
*What is the red squirrel’s order?
*What is the scientific name for the giant panda?

Students use the internet to find the answers to as many as possible.

Turn it into an assignment, a contest, extra credit, etc.

Classification: Pasta Dichotomous Key

Collect a large variety of different pasta shapes. Place one of each shape in a bag. Provide each student/pair/group with a bag of pasta shapes. Students then create a dichotomous key to identify each pasta shape. After completing the dichotomous key, groups can exchange keys to test them.