Natural Sciences
Grade 7
Term 1: Life and Living
Biodiversity
(PPT 1)
Topic 2
Biodiversity
Classification of Living Organisms
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Classification systems
• We classify objects when we group them
with similar objects.
• This makes it easier for us to make sense
of the world around us.
• We group things all the time:
for example, kitchen utensils are grouped
into cutlery, plates, bowls and pots.
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Classification of Living Organisms
• Biologists sort living organisms into groups
to make it easier to study them.
• Grouping of living organisms is called
biological classification.
• Living organisms are divided into five main
groups called KINGDOMS.
• These are the bacteria, protists, fungi,
plants and animals.
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Biodiversity on Earth
Each Kingdom is very large and it contains
many different types of organisms.
4000
Bacteria
66000
Fungi 150000
Protists
290000
Plants
1200000
Animals
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Meet Carl Linnaeus
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Who was he?
• Famous for his work in Taxonomy:
the science of identifying, naming
and classifying organisms (plants,
animals, bacteria, fungi, etc.).
• He was born in 1707 in Råshult,
Sweden.
• He was the eldest of five children.
• His father, Nils, was a minister and
a keen gardener.
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Seven Level Classification System
He used seven groups or taxonomic levels
Kingdom The broadest level
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
The most specific level
Species
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Each Kingdom can be divided into smaller
groups.
Kingdom
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Each Kingdom can be divided into smaller
groups.
Kingdom
Phylum Phylum
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Each Kingdom can be divided into smaller
groups.
Kingdom
Phylum Phylum
Class Class Class Class
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Each Kingdom can be divided into smaller
groups
Kingdom
Phylum Phylum
Class Class
Class Class
Family Family Family Family
Family Family Family Family
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Each Family can further be divided into
smaller groups
Family
Order Order
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Each Family can further be divided into smaller
groups
Family
Order Order
Genus Genus
Genus Genus
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Each Family can further be divided into
smaller groups
Family
Order Order
Genus Genus
Genus Genus
Species Species Species Species
Species Species Species Species
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Classification
of the cats
and dogs
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Classification
of the cats
and dogs
Gr 7 Natural Sciences - Term 1, Topic 2
Class
Notes
1:
Linnae
an
Classification
I. Classification
A. Organisms can be classified based on physical
similarities.
B. Linnaeus developed the scientific
naming system still used today.
1. Taxonomy is the science of naming and
classifying organisms.
White oak:
Quercus alba
2. A taxon is a group of organisms in a classification system.
C. Binomial nomenclature is a two-part scientific
naming system.
1. uses Latin words
2. scientific names always written in italics
3. two parts are the genus name and species descriptor
D. A genus includes one or more physically similar species.
1. Species in the same genus are thought to be closely
related.
2. Genus name is always capitalized.
E. A species descriptor is the second part of a scientific name.
1. always lowercase
2. always follows genus
name; never written alone
Tyto alba
II. Linnaeus’ classification system has
A. Kingdom,
seven levels.
phylum,
class, order,
family,getgenus,
B. Levels
species.
increasingly
specific from
kingdom to
species.
C. System is limited
because it is based
only on physical
similarities.
toad
SOL 3.4
By Ms. Weinberg
Have you ever wondered how
animals are able to survive in the
wild?
Animals have certain
adaptations that help
them to survive.
Think about the way you dress in
the winter.
You don’t wear your shorts and bathing suit
when it’s snowing outside!
You wear warm clothes,
and maybe even a hat
and mittens to protect
yourself from the
weather.
And what if you are having a snowball
fight?
You probably run away from
the person throwing at you,
and maybe even try to
sneak up on that person and
throw some snowballs!
The way you dress in the winter, as well
as the way that you run and hide from
someone throwing snow at you are kinds
of …
Adaptations.
We can separate adaptations into
two categories:
A
D
A Physical
P
T
A
AND
T
I
O
Behavioral
N
S
Physical
adaptations
are body structures
that allow an animal
to find and consume
Hey! I’m a
food, defend itself,
walking
stick. I look and to reproduce its
just like a species.
stick you’d
find on the Physical
ground.
adaptations
help an animal
survive in its
© A. Weinberg environment.
Physical adaptation
Camouflage (use of color in a
surrounding)
The chameleon can change its color to match its
surroundings. Can you do that?
Physical adaptation
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living
organism)
The Viceroy butterfly uses mimicry to look like
the Monarch butterfly. Can you tell them apart?
I’m the
Viceroy!
Not poisonous
Poisonous
I’m the
Monarch!
Physical adaptation
Chemical defenses (like venom,
ink, sprays)
Physical adaptations
Body coverings & parts (claws, beaks,
feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)
The elephant’s trunk is a physical adaptation
that helps it to clean itself, eat, drink, and to pick
things up.
Now let’s learn about
Behavioral
Adaptations…
Behavioral Adaptations
allow animals to respond to
life needs.
Behavioral Adaptations
are animals’ actions.
Remember that Physical
Adaptations are body
structures.
Each organism has unique
methods of adapting to its
environment by means of
different actions.
We can divide Behavioral
Adaptations into two groups:
Instinctive Learned
These behaviors
happen naturally
& don’t have to These behaviors
be learned. must be taught.
Instinctive
behaviors happen
= naturally &
don’t need to
be learned
Methods of
Defending Hibernating
gathering &
storing food oneself
Finding shelter Raising young Migrating
Learned Obtained by
behaviors = interacting with
the environment
and cannot be
passed on to the
next generation
except by
teaching.
In this lesson, we have learned about
animal adaptations.
There are 2 ways to describe adaptations:
Physical and Behavioral
Physical adaptations are body structures.
Some examples of physical adaptations are:
Camouflage
Mimicry
Chemical defenses
Body coverings & parts
Behavioral Adaptations are animals’ actions.
Behavioral Adaptations can be
Instinctive or Learned.
