Science.7.14.A

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The student is expected to describe the taxonomic system that categorizes organisms based on similarities and differences shared among groups; and
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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Organisms and environments. The student knows how the taxonomic system is used to describe relationships between organisms.

The further explanation is designed to be a resource for educators that helps them better understand the topic their students are learning. Further explanations may be written at a more complex level than would be expected for students at the grade level.

Diagram showing the order of classification. Each category is below the other in a tower of nine. From the top down, Life, Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Peter Halasz. (User:Pengo), Biological classification L Pengo vflip, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

Notes:

Image Source: File:Biological classification L Pengo vflip.svg - Wikimedia Commons

Glossary terms and definitions are consistent across kindergarten through high school in the TEKS Guide. The definitions are intended to give educators a common understanding of the terms regardless of what grade level they teach. Glossary definitions are not intended for use with students.

an individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, protist, or fungus; a body made up of organs, organelles, or other parts that work together to carry on the various processes of life

an international system used to classify organisms into increasingly more inclusive groupings; from broadest to most specific: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species

Research

Robertson, Bill. “Science 101.” Science and Children 47, no. 5 (2010):60–63. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43174707

Summary: In, "Science 101: What's behind the biological classification system in use today?," an activity on sorting coins is used to help students recognize that a classification system is based on certain charateristics shared within a group and is used to connect students to the classification of organisms used today.