Taxonomy: Skills for organising a complex world

Ever come across a Maratus dysodes lasios or perhaps a Littoria hybos hirsutus? Chances are your students might during this program!

Using practical, hands-on activities, students apply the techniques and scientific language of the taxonomist as they delve into the intriguing world of taxonomy, including a foray into the world of the Linnaeum system of binomial nomenclature.

Student experience

Students will

• Solve a series of classification challenges
• Explore why common names are not a reliable way to name species
• Investigate how DNA analysis helps in the identification species 
• Use binomial nomenclature to create and name a new species

Skills development

This program links to the following strands of the Western Australian Curriculum:

Year 7

Science

• Biological sciences: Classification helps organise the diverse group of organisms (ACSSU111)
• Nature and development of science: Scientific knowledge has changed peoples’ understanding of the world and is refined as new evidence becomes available (ACSHE119)
• Nature and development of science: Science knowledge can develop through collaboration across the disciplines of science and the contributions of people from a range of cultures (ACSHE223)
• Evaluating: Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims based on evidence (ACSIS132)