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Book Chapter | October 2011
A desire to sort and group objects that have similar characteristics is innate to humans. In science, the process of grouping and organizing items and ideas into categories in accordance with specific rules is known as…
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Diversity, Classification, and Taxonomy
Book Chapter | January 2006
This chapter places fossils in the contexts of their distribution on the globe and how we name them and quantify their communities. The activities analyze how diversity is measured, how dinosaurs are classified, and…
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Classification of Changes in Matter
Book Chapter | November 2014
The purpose of this lab is to allow students to apply their understanding of chemical and physical changes to different scenarios to determine ”Which Changes Are Examples of a Chemical Change, and Which Are Examples of…
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Phylogenetic Trees and the Classification of Fossils
Book Chapter | July 2015
The purpose of this lab is for students to apply what they have learned about phylogenetic trees and phylogenetic classification to determine ”How Should Biologists Classify the Seymouria?” The Teacher Notes provide the…
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Journal Article | December 2013
The authors use historical case studies and the Linnaean classification system to help students learn about patterns and classification.
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Journal Article | March 2009
This article describes the experience of a group of first-grade teachers as they tackled the science process of classification, a targeted learning objective for the first grade. While the two-year process was not easy…
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Rubric for Content Classification
Journal Article | November 2002
Are teaching strategies such as collaborative learning, student-centered classrooms, and guided inquiry always appropriate? How do we decide what topics to teach? The Rubric for Content Classification is a taxonomy of…
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Journal Article | March 2009
On a recent autumn afternoon at Harmony Leland Elementary in Mableton, Georgia, students in a fifth-grade science class investigated the essential process of classification—the act of putting things into groups…
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Journal Article | November 2001
Teachers can engage their students in lively presentations that demonstrate their understanding of biological classification. Using a cooperative learning approach, student groups research and apply their knowledge of…
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Classification and the Dichotomous Key
Journal Article | March 2009
Classification is a vital science-process skill for all students to master. Understanding dichotomous keys as a means of classification enables students to better comprehend large amounts of information and understand…
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Editor’s Note: Classification Matters
Journal Article | March 2009
Classification skills, so foundational to science, must be taught. While children have a passion and drive to organize and categorize their experiences, sometimes the way they organize them doesn’t lead to a worthwhile…
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Science Sampler: Using seashells to teach classification
Journal Article | February 2009
Everyone loves the beach. Unfortunately, most schools don’t have access to beachfront property. So, why not bring the beach to the classroom? This seashell lab investigation is great because students enjoy it, they…
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Science Sampler: A “handy” way to teach classification
Journal Article | February 2007
When teaching the five kingdoms to middle school students, use this “handy” mnemonic device that helps students recall kingdom names, as well as a fact or two about each one. Simple and obvious analogies are used to…
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A Universal Idea: Teaching planet classification using the learning cycle
Journal Article | May 2002
Learning cycle investigations allow science students to model the activities of real scientists. Using the Internet in this learning cycle-based activity allows students to collect accurate and current data about the…
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Science Sampler: Using the Pokemon alphabet to teach classification and phylogeny
Journal Article | January 2006
Did you ever think you'd see the day when Pokemon would make an appearance in the classroom, and actually be allowed to stay? The activity described here teaches classification, phylogeny, and dichotomy using a set of…