Classification keys
A key is a set of questions about the characteristics of living things. The answer to the first question gives you another question to answer and so on. As you answer more questions you narrow down your living thing until eventually the last question tells you what it is.
Watch: Classifying for two amphibian football teams
Let's separate these amphibians into two football teams.
Well we're just about to have a frog vs toad football match.
Hang on鈥ou two!
Which teams are you supposed to be playing for?
What, you don't know if you're toads or frogs?
Hmmm.
You do look quite similar.
Well we're going to have to use classification keys to tell which is which鈥
No! I don't mean an actual key.
Classification keys are questions that let us find out which groups living things belong to.
Like this鈥s your nose pointy or blunt?
Pointy鈥ell you might well be a frog.
Blunt鈥ou might well be a toad.
Let's use another question.
Do you like jumping, or walking?
Well now I'm almost sure you're a frog.
What about you?
And I'm almost sure you're a toad.
What about your skin?
Is it bumpy and dry?
Good! Well you're playing for Toad United!
And is your skin smooth and a bit wet?
You're playing for Frogchester then!
Off you go!
Watch: Using a classification key
Find out the how to identify and classify this mystery creature using a classification key.
Narrator: You鈥檝e discovered a frog Molly.
But any aspiring scientist should know what type of animal it is.
Molly: Open classification key.
Narrator: You鈥檙e on the case.
These simple yes/no questions should help us out.
Is it a vertebrate?
So, does it have a back bone?
Does it have fur?
Feathers?
Dry skin?
Scales?
There we go then, it鈥檚 an amphibian!
Kid: Look! A flying frog!
Narrator: What?!
Activity 1: Frog or toad?
Activity 2: Classifying
Activity 3: Quiz
Activity 4: Create a classification key
Can you create your own classification key?
- Choose something that interests you like your favourite films, pop groups, shoes or toys and see if you can make a classification key to sort them out.
- Ask yourself a question to narrow down your choice to one and leave all the others in a group.
- Ask yourself a second question to narrow down your choice to another one.
- Keep on doing this until you only have one choice left.
Then to test that it has worked, give your key to your friend or member of your family to see if they can do it!
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