14th Sept 2011
Living and Changing
LO: I can list features
that can be used to
classify the five groups
of vertebrates
Why do we classify organisms?
• There are millions of species on our planet. It
would be difficult if we just tried to describe
and name each one individually. Although
species can be very different from each
other, many of them have similar features
that allow us to put them into groups.
• Putting different species into different
groups according to their features is
called classification.
Classification
Look at the organisms on the next page.
Notice the similarities that they have to each
other. From these similarities see if you can
group them into four different groups. How you
group them is completely up to you. However,
you must be able to tell other people why you
grouped each of the organisms together.
How did you group yourselves?
How
Howdid
did you groupyour
you group yourselves?
organisms?
One way that a scientist might have grouped
them is to put them into the following four
groups:
1. Plants
2. Birds
3. Mammals
4. Reptiles
You may have heard some of these words before.
They come from a scientific way of classifying
organisms.
The Classification System
Scientists across the world all
use and recognise the same
classification system.
In this classification system
they start off using very big
groups that include a lot of
animals, and then move down to
smaller groups that do not
include as many animals.
The biggest groups are called
the KINGDOMS. All living
things are classified into five
different kingdoms.
Jellyfish, worms, arthropods, molluscs,
Animals echinoderms, amphibians, fish,
reptiles, birds and mammals.
Seed bearing plants and non-seed
Plants
bearing plants
Organisms Prokaryotes Bacteria and primitive algae
Protists Single-celled organisms
Fungi Moulds, mushrooms and toadstools
Animals
Vertebrates
Invertebrates
These animals have a
These animals do not have a
backbone.
backbone.
They have a firmer
They have soft inner bodies
body because of the
which are held in shape by a
muscles that connect
flexible covering of outer
to their skeleton.
cells or by a hard covering
called an exoskeleton.
Animals
Vertebrates Invertebrates
These animals have a
These animals do not have a
backbone.
backbone.
They have a firmer
They have soft inner bodies
body because of the
which are held in shape by a
muscles that connect
flexible covering of outer cells
to their skeleton.
or by a hard covering called an
exoskeleton.
Mammals
Mammals
•Have body hair or fur
•Have mammary glands that produce milk
•Warm blooded
Fish
•Live in water
•Breathe with gills
•Streamlined bodies
•Have cartilage or bony skeleton
•Cold blooded
•Mostly lay eggs
Reptiles
Reptiles
•Have dry, scaly skins
•Egg laying
•Breathe with lungs
•Cold blooded
Amphibians
Amphibians
•Moist skin
•Lay their eggs in water
•Larvae have gills and live in water
•Adults have lungs and live on land
•Cold blooded
Birds
Birds
•Have feathers and wings
•Lay eggs with hard shells
•Breathe with lungs
•Warm blooded
Animals
Invertebrates
These animals do not have a
backbone.
They have soft inner bodies
which are held in shape by a
flexible covering of outer
cells or by a hard covering
called an exoskeleton.
Cnidarians Invertebrates
•Hollow bodied
•Mouth is the only body opening
and is surrounded by tentacles
•Uses sting cells to paralyse prey
Flatworms Invertebrates
•Flat thin bodies
•Digestive system has only
one opening
•Animals are both male and
females
•Mostly parasites
True worms Invertebrates
•Rounded bodied
•Bodies made of segments
Molluscs Invertebrates
•Not segmented
•Body in three continuous parts
with head, body and foot
•Have one or two shells
Echinoderms Invertebrates
•Spiny skinned
•Body in five parts
•Central mouth with gills
Arthropods Invertebrates
•Hard exo-skeleton on outside of body
•Has eyes and mouth
•Body divided into more than one segment
Centipedes
Crustaceans Arachnids Insects &
Millipedes
Animals
Vertebrates Invertebrates
Cnidarians
Mammals
Flatworms
Fish
True worms
Reptiles
Molluscs
Amphibians Echinoderms
Birds Arthropods
Your Task
Your Task
• Complete worksheet and stick it into
your book
• Then grab a whiteboard and pen from
my desk
The Odd One Out
Look at the names of the organisms below.
In terms of classification which of these is the odd one out and why.
tuna sprat
whale seahorse
shark trout
salmon
perch
sturgeon flounder
The whale is the odd one out.
All of the rest are fish, a whale is a mammal.
The
The Odd One Out Odd One Out
Look at the names of the organisms below.
In terms of classification which of these is the odd one out and why.
penguin kiwi raven
owl
duck robin
pigeon
platypus
swan eagle
The platypus is the odd one out.
All of the rest are birds, a platypus is a mammal.
The Odd One Out
The Odd One Out
Look at the names of the organisms below.
In terms of classification which of these is the odd one out and why.
ladybird horse fly
caterpillar cicada
moth
scorpion lice
ant
cockroach
silverfish
The scorpion is the odd one out. All of the rest
are insects, a scorpion is an arachnid.
