CLASSIFYING ORGANISMS

Classification is the process of grouping things based on their similarities. (What

they have in common or the same)

Taxonomy is the scientific study of how living things are classified. This is useful because once they are grouped scientists know a lot about the organism based on

their group.

CLASSIFICATION AND TAXONOMY

Carl Linnaeus developed a naming system for all living

things in 1753. It is still being used today!

LINNAEUS

Binomial nomenclature is the formal system of naming

living things.

It was created so there would be no confusion when talking

about an organism.

BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU KNOW WHAT THESE BIRDS ARE CALLED.

However, one is the European Robin and the other is the American Robin.

So when scientists talk about “the robin” …they may get confused as to which one

they are talking about. European robin = Erithacus rubeculaAmerican robin = Turdus migratorius

COMMONLY CALLED THE ROBIN

The scientific name is always:Two word name

In italicsFirst letter of the first word is CAPITAL

First letter of the second word is lower case

First word is the genus nameSecond word is the species name (specific

epithet)

HOW IT LOOKS

Grey squirrelGenus: sciurus

Species: carolinensisHow to write it?

Sciurus carolinensis

LET’S PRACTICE

Striped skunkSpecies: mephitisGenus: mephitisHow to write it?

Mephitis mephitis

LET’S PRACTICE

MallardSpecies: platyrhynchos

Genus: anasHow to write it?

Anas platyrhynchos

LET’S PRACTICE

You will need to choose a living thing (that you can

draw)

You will be making a mini-poster of your organism,

showing the common AND scientific name.

YOUR JOB!

You will be completing the following:

•Drawing a picture of your living organism

•Writing the common name (what we call it)

•Writing the scientific name (CORRECTLY)

•This will need to be colored and done neatly!

YOUR JOB!

As homework:Please come to class tomorrow with

what you have chosen!!

Write it down in your purple direction sheet so you don’t forget.

This needs to be a very specific organism…it can’t be a frog,

what type of frog?

YOUR JOB!