Essential idea: 

Species are named and classified using an internationally agreed system.

 

Nature of science: 

Cooperation and collaboration between groups of scientists—scientists use the binomial system to identify a species rather than the many different local names.

 

Understandings:

5.3.U1 The binomial system of names for species is universal among biologists and has been agreed and developed at a series of congresses.

5.3.U2 When species are discovered they are given scientific names using the binomial system.

5.3.U3 Taxonomists classify species using a hierarchy of taxa.

5.3.U4 All organisms are classified into three domains.

5.3.U5 The principal taxa for classifying eukaryotes are kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.

5.3.U6 In a natural classification, the genus and accompanying higher taxa consist of all the species that have evolved from one common ancestral species.

5.3.U7 Taxonomists sometimes reclassify groups of species when new evidence shows that a previous taxon contains species that have evolved from different ancestral species.

5.3.U8 Natural classifications help in identification of species and allow the prediction of characteristics shared by species within a group.

 

Applications and skills:

5.3.A1 Classification of one plant and one animal species from domain to species level.

5.3.A2 Recognition features of bryophyta, filicinophyta, coniferophyta and angiospermophyta.

5.3.A3 Recognition features of porifera, cnidaria, platyhelminthes, annelida, mollusca, arthropoda and chordata.

5.3.A4 Recognition of features of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish.

5.3.S1 Construction of dichotomous keys for use in identifying specimens.