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Classification Keys
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Despite the fact that 99.9% of all living organisms, that ever existed, are now extinct there is still a large variety on Earth today.
Hence it is important to be able to classify organisms in order to be able to find out their names. Also classification helps scientists to be able to understand the relationships between organisms and to investigate the theory of evolution.
Now we will try a simple sorting activity to organize some dogs into groups according to their similarities...
Keys
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Divide the dogs into two groups
Group A Group B
We divide the dogs into groups by asking a question to which there is a yes or no answer...
Is the dog large (above 65cm)?
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Large Dogs Small Dogs
We can now divide each group down into further sub divisions...
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white and grey coats brown and black coats
What question could be used to divide the large dogs down into further groups?
Does the dog have a brown and black coat?
No Yes
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Finally the groups can be divided down into individual dogs to which we can then give the names.
What question has been used to separate these two dogs?
Does the dog have curly hair?
Airedale Terrier Rotweiller
yes no
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By asking questions that divide the dogs we can produce a key. To save space biologists list the questions and give instructions at the end as to which question to go to next.
1. Is the dog over 65cm tall?
If yes go to question 2
If no go to question 5
2. Does the dog have a brown and black coat?If yes go to question 3
If no go to question 4
3. Does the dog have a wooly coat?
Yes… Airedale Terrier
No…Rotweiller
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1. Is the dog over 65cm tall?
If yes go to question 2
If no go to question 5
2. Does the dog have a
brown and black coat?
If yes go to question 3
If no go to question 4
3. Does the dog have a wooly coat?
Yes… Airedale Terrier
No…Rotweiller
Copy down the key and then complete it to classify the rest of the large dogs.
Hint: you will write question 4
Question: What will question 5 be about?
Answer> The small dogs.
Activity
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Example Answer
Does the tail curl upwards?
Question 4
Yes No
Akita Old English sheepdog
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Activity
Now complete the key, starting with question 5, for the small dogs. You can make your own questions up.
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Does the dog have a snub nose?
Yes No
Question 5
Go to question 6 Go to question 7
Example Answer
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Does the dog have long hair?
Question 6
Yes No
Pekinese Bulldog
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Question 7
Does the dog have very long ears?
Yes No
Basset hound Dachsund
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Extension/Homework:
Collect worksheet 1 – 4Complete for homework
Using Keys