Scientists hundreds of years ago faced challenges classifying the diversity of life without modern tools. They would look for similarities to group organisms like flies, fish, dogs, earthworms, apple trees, mushrooms, butterflies, lobsters, rose bushes, birds, algae, bats, snails, octopuses and moss. The document asks the reader to imagine how biologists may have initially grouped these organisms.

1. Answer the following question in your science journal. Remember to use the CSRQ method!
Try to imagine the problems faced by biologists of several hundred years ago as they tried to
find patterns in the vast diversity of life: What are some similarities that you might use to try to
put the following organisms into groups: a fly, a fish, a dog, an earthworm, an apple tree, a
mushroom, a butterfly, a lobster, a rose-bush, a bird, one-celled algae, a bat, a snail, an
octopus, moss?
During the video:
1. Name the five kingdoms of living things, describing some characteristics of each, and
give an example of an organism from each kingdom.
Kingdom Characteristics Examples
2. Name, in descending order, the basic steps of classification from
the most general to the most specific.