Teaching Tools--What's In A Name?: Classifying Organisms and Animal Phylogenetic Tree





What's In A Name?: Classifying Organisms and Animal Phylogenetic Tree The three lessons on this page expand the concepts in two of the museum's exhibits, What's In A Name?: Classifying Organisms and Animal Phylogenetic Tree.
Groupings		This lesson helps younger students to group items according to observable characteristics.
Use and Construction of a Dichotomous Key		Students use a dichotomous key to identify plastic models of lizards.
Dichotomous Key: Skulls		This lesson combines the use of dichotomous keys with the observation of characteristics of predator and prey skulls.
Please see the Modifying Our Home: Organisms and the Environment Teaching Tools page for related activities.

*Groupings*

Grade Level		K-3
Theme		Grouping of items according to similar characteristics
Activity Description		This lesson includes two activities that use plastic insects. The first activity asks students to observe specified characteristics and group the insects accordingly, ultimately ending up with very similar insects in the last group. The second activity asks students to decide which characteristics they would use to group their insects.
Materials Needed	One insect pack per group of 2-3 students, each pack containing the same mix of 8 different plastic insects* Paper marked into four sections One new insect per group (For Insect Grouping II) *Insects can be bought at www.ustoy.com or borrowed from the Hefner Zoology Museum.
Teacher's Guide		Groupings.pdf PDF files require Acrobat Reader.

*Use and Construction of a Dichotomous Key*

Grade Level		3-6
Theme		Classification, use and construction of dichotomous keys
Activity Description		This lesson includes two activities. In the first activity, students use a dichotomous key to identify plastic lizards. In the second activity, students create a dichotomous key based on the characteristics of the lizards. An example with instructions for making a key is included in the materials listed below. To enrich the lesson, Johnny's Wise Use of A Dichotomous Key, an original story, may be read to the class.
Materials Needed	Per group: 6 plastic lizards* Lizard Dichotomous Key Field Guide to Plastic Lizards Paper Pencils		Optional (see Teacher's Guide): Johnny’s Wise Use of A Dichotomous Key
		*Lizards can be bought at www.ustoy.com or borrowed from the Hefner Zooology Museum.
Teacher's Guide		Use and Construction of a Dichotomous Key.pdf PDF files require Acrobat Reader. Construction of a Dichotomous Key.pdf Download the entire teaching packet: Use and Construction of a Dichotomous Key.zip

*Dichotomous Key: Skulls*

Grade Level		5-8
Theme		Use of dichotomous keys
Activity Description		Students use a dichotomous key to identify skulls of mammals commonly found in Ohio. Students also observe characteristics that can help them discern the animals' eating habits.
Materials Needed	We Can Tell What Animals Eat by Looking at Their Teeth by Chris Betrus Mammal skulls* (or pictures of them) Skull key *Skull kits can be borrowed from the Hefner Zoology Museum.
Teacher's Guide		Dichotomous Key: Skulls.pdf PDF files require Acrobat Reader. Download entire teaching packet: Dichotomous Key: Skulls.zip