Carl Von Linné (1707-1778) was a Swedish academic who devised what the international, scientific community continue to use today as a way of sorting and categorizing the plant and animal kingdoms.
This ‘taxonomy’ created a standard way to name and order everything in the natural world according to their characteristics and relationships with one another. Using a ‘binomial’ system of two latin names for ‘genus’ and ‘species’, each life form could be labeled with a family name and individual name much like people. This allowed us to categorize everything into related species and evolutionary trees in a way which helps us understand modern ‘organisms’ and common ancestors.
The basic first division would be the of plants and animals:
‘Plantae’ - ‘Animalia’
Within the Animalia grouping, the next division would be those with and without backbones, Vertebrate and Invertebrate, or:
‘Non-Chordates’ - ‘Chordata’
Continuing to then divide Chordata (those with backbones), we then have the distinct groups of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, or:
‘Pisces’ - ‘Amphibia’ - ‘Reptilia’ - ‘Aves’ - ‘Mammalia’
This is how one of our Siamese cats would be scientifically ‘categorized’, an unintentional but convenient pun:
KINGDOM - Animalia
PHYLUM - Chordata
CLASS - Mammalia
ORDER - Carnivora
FAMILY - Felidae
GENUS - Felis
SPECIES - Felis Catus
SUB-SPECIES - Felis Catus Siamensis
During this Elliott Homeschool study unit, we will be making a set of Montessori animal classification cards with which to practice and a wall display.
Begin by working together to create a comprehensive map of the animal Phylum with picture examples and descriptions.
Some useful links:
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