Classification of

Organisms
Grade 7
 Create Your Own
Species!
• Imagine you are a scientist who has just discovered a new species in a
remote part of the world. Your task is to classify and name this species
based on its physical characteristics.
• Step 1: Describe the appearance of your species. What does it look like?
What are its distinctive features (size, color, shape, special traits)
• Step 2: Classify it into groups. Is it an animal, plant, or fungi? What family
or group do you think it belongs to (for example, mammals, birds, or trees)?
• Suggest how you would name it. Think about the creature’s traits, habitat,
or unique qualities. What kind of name might reflect these features? Will it
be a Latin or something inspired by its appearance or behavior?

Share your ideas with the class!

 Learning
outcomes:
• I can define taxonomy as the system of classification for
living organisms.
• I can explain how taxonomy helps scientists organize and
identify species based on observable traits.
• I can outline the major contributions of Carl Linnaeus.
• I can describe the modern three-domain system of
classification, which divides life into three domains:
Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya.
• I can distinguish between the six kingdoms of life.
What is Classific
ation?
• Classification is the grouping of living organisms
based on similarities

• Classification is an important step in:

❖Understanding the present diversity and past
evolutionary history of life on Earth
❖Standard way to refer to a species
❖Organizing the diversity of living organisms
Classify the organisms into different
groups, classify the groups into
smaller groups.
Taxonomy

• The science of classifying organisms is called taxonomy.

• Taxonomists are biologists who specialize in identifying and

classifying life on our planet.

State the importance of taxonomy

Linnaean
Taxonomy
• It was developed by Swedish botanist Carolus
Linnaeus in the 1700s.
- The father of taxonomy

• He grouped together organisms that shared

obvious physical traits, such as number of legs
or shape of leaves.

• The Linnaean system of classification consists of a

hierarchy of groupings (levels and orders),
called taxa (singular, taxon).
- Taxon is a category in a biological classification
system, such as the kingdom or species.
 Linnaean Taxonomy
• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species
Think, pair,
share
As you move down the levels of classification,

What happens to the:

• number of organisms in each group?

• number of groups?

• similarities between the organisms?

 Linnaean Taxonomy
• Linnaeus’ classification system has seven
levels.

• Each level is included in the level above it.

• Levels get increasingly specific from kingdom

to species.

• The kingdom is the largest, most general and most

inclusive grouping. It consists of organisms that share
just a few basic similarities. Examples are the plant
and animal kingdoms.

• The species is the smallest, most specific and most

exclusive grouping. It consists of organisms that are
similar enough to produce fertile offspring together.
• Kingdom: Taxon below the domain in modern biological
classification that consists of one or more phyla.
• Phylum (phyla, plural): Taxon below the kingdom in biological
classification that consists of one or more classes.
• Class: Taxon below the phylum in biological classification that
consists of one or more orders.
• Order: Taxon below the class in biological classification that
consists of one or more families.
• Family: Taxon below the order in biological classification that
consists of one or more genera.
• Genus (genera, plural): Taxon below the family in biological
classification that consists of one or more species.
• Species (singular and plural): Narrowest taxon in biological
classification that consists only of organisms that can breed and
produce fertile offspring with each other but not with members of
other such groups.
 Scientific Names- Binomial
Nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a two-part scientific naming system.
• uses Latin words
• Genus is always written first; species is always written second
• The genus is capitalized; the species is written in lowercase
• Scientific names of organisms are always italicized or underlined
• E.g. Homo sapiens (humans), Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed
deer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqxomJIBGcY
Scientific
Names
• Scientific names help scientists to communicate.
• The names indicate relationship of a species with others present in the
same genus.
• Accurately & uniformly name organisms using same language
• The names are of universal application for all countries and the language.
• Prevents misnomers such as starfish & jellyfish that aren't really fish
Analyze the table to answer the
questions.
1. What is common between the
three organisms?
2. What type of animal is Musca
domestica?
3. From the table, which 2 animals
are most closely related?
4. At what classification level do
cats and wolves become
different?
5. At what classification level do
cats and fly become different?
6. What is the scientific name of
cats?
 UAE and SDG link
Each student or group will select one native
organism from the UAE to classify, some
examples include:
• Fauna: Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx),
Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata),
Arabian Sand Cat (Felis margarita).
• Flora: Ghaf Tree (Prosopis cineraria), Desert
Hyacinth (Cistanche tubulosa)
• Marine Life: Dugong
Students can compare their UAE species to a
non-native species
• Link the activity to SDGs like Life on Land
(SDG 15) or Life Below Water (SDG 14),
emphasizing global biodiversity conservation.
https://www.purposegames.com/game/domains-and-kingdoms
Classify those organisms into groups group
with simple cells, complex cells, or ancient-
like cells?
 Modern Three Domain System
Classification
3 Domains and 6 Kingdoms

The 3 domains:
1. Bacteria
• Prokaryotes
2. Archaea
• Prokaryotes
• Live in extreme
environments
3. Eukarya
• Eukaryotes
The Three Domains of
Life
Eukarya
1 Eukaryotes have complex cells with a nucleus
and other organelles.

Bacteria
2
Prokaryotes with simple cells, lacking
a nucleus.

Archaea
3 Prokaryotes with unique biochemistry
and adaptations to extreme
environments.
Think-Pair-
Share
Archaea Bacteria Eukarya

Multicellular

Nucleus
(Membrane
bound DNA)
Membrane
bound
organelles
Unicellular
Exit ticket -1-
G-classroom
 The Six Kingdoms of Classification

Kingdom Archaea Kingdom Bacteria

Archaea are single- Bacteria are

celled organisms prokaryotes, single-

that thrive in celled organisms

extreme with simple

Kingdom Fungi
environments, like Kingdom Protista structures, found in
Fungi are
hot springs and salt Protists are a diverse habitats. heterotrophic
lakes. diverse group of
eukaryotes, mostly
mostly single-celled
multicellular, with a
eukaryotes,
diverse range of
including algae and
Animalia Plantae Fungi Protista Bacteria Archaebacteria
-Multicellular -Multicellular -Multicellular -Most are -Unicellular -unicellular
-Eukaryotic -Eukaryotic unicellular -Prokaryotic -prokaryotes
-Eukaryotic
cells cells cells -Eukaryotic cell -Have cell wall
-No cell wall, -Heterotrophs cells -Have cell wall -Either autotroph or
-Have cell wall
no chloroplast -some are heterotroph
-Have -Most are
-Heterotrophs autotrophs heterotrophs -Live in harsh
chloroplast and some environments
-Autotrophs heterotrophs
 Characteristics of Archaea

• Archaea are known to • Archaea are thought

survive in extreme
to be among the
conditions like hot
earliest life forms on
springs, salt lakes, and
acidic environments.
Earth, evolving
independently from
bacteria.
 Characteristics of Bacteria

Prokaryotic Cells Diverse Shapes

Bacteria are single-celled Bacteria come in

organisms with a simple various shapes,
structure, lacking a including spheres,
nucleus or membrane- rods, and spirals.
bound organelles.

Ubiquitou
s
Bacteria are found in
virtually every
environment on Earth,
from the soil to the
human gut.
Characteristics of Protista

1 Protists are eukaryotic, meaning they have cells with a nucleus and other
membrane-bound organelles.

2 Protista come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from single-celled

organisms to multicellular algae.

3 Protista inhabit a variety of environments, including aquatic

ecosystems, soil, and even within other organisms.
Characteristics of Protista
Characteristics of
Fungi
Heterotrophic
Multicellular
Fungi obtain
Most fungi are
nutrients by
multicellular,
absorbing organic
forming extensive
matter from their
networks of hyphae,
surroundings, often
which are thread-like
acting as
structures.
decomposers.

Essential Roles
Fungi play crucial roles in ecosystems,
decomposing organic matter and forming
symbiotic relationships with plants.
 Characteristics of
Plants
Autotrophic
1.

Plants are autotrophic, meaning they

produce their own food through
photosynthesis.
Multicellular
2.

Plants are multicellular organisms with

specialized tissues and organs.

Essential for Life

3.

Plants are the foundation of most ecosystems,

providing food, oxygen, and habitats for other
organisms.
Characteristics of
Animals 1
Heterotrophic
Animals obtain their nutrients by consuming other
organisms,
playing a vital role in food webs.
2
Multicellula
r organisms with
Animals are multicellular
complex tissues,
organs, and organ systems.
3
Mobility
Most animals exhibit some degree of movement,
allowing them to explore their environment and
find food.
• https://scichamp.com/animal-kingdom-classification-game/

• https://www.labxchange.org/library/items/lb:LabXchange:4286c9c0:l
x_simulation:1
Exit ticket -2-
G-classroom