Classification and the logistics behind the rules of classification is always a difficult concept to grasp for middle school students. In this graphing activity, middle school students will use InspireData to analyze data and meet standards in data interpretation about the classification of organisms. Instruct students to create a plot to answer each question: 1. Which Kingdom has the largest representation in this database? Does chromosome number increase between simple and more complex organisms? 2. Which organisms are from the Class-Aves? Name them. 3. How many organisms are from the Phylum-Magnoliophyta? 4. Using the Phylum-Magnoliophyta, and create a Venn plot that will show the organisms that share a classification similarity through Order-Solanales. Name them. (Research project can be assigned to groups or pairs of students to investigate particular organisms that share similar classification.) Use the slide show as an exemplar for the classification activity.
This activity was created using InspireData 1.5, which must be installed to open the file(s). Download a 30-day free trial at www.inspiration.com/freetrial or if you have InspireData 1.0, download a complemintary upgrade.