Teacher
resource pack:
Classification
Using this pack
This Classification Pack was designed to help your students learn
about classification and prepare them for a trip to Dartmoor
Zoo. This workbook starts with some background information on
classification to help provide support for your sessions. Included
in the pack is a map of the zoo that will help you plan your day,
and some worksheets for your students to work through. The
rest of the pack is broken into: pre-trip, at the zoo, and posttrip ideas. We recommend all teachers read through this, and
give copies to adult helpers attending your school trip.
Teachers can pick and choose which they want to use since all the
activities/ worksheets can be used independently. The activities
and worksheets included in this pack are for KS2 and KS3
students.
If you would like any more guidance, or have any questions about
any of the information contained within this pack, please contact
our education department at education@[email protected]
For feed and encounter times please head to our website.
Classification Workshop
Here at Dartmoor Zoological Park we always strive to provide
students with the best educational experiences from all of our
workshops.
Come along and discover what makes an animal a mammal, reptile or bird in
this interactive session where our scaly friends help us put animals into
groups.
By the end of the session the students should be able to:




Name at least 1 animal from each of the following classes: mammal,
reptile, bird.
Use appropriate terminology to describe how animals differ from one
another.
Separate animals into categories using a range of methods of
observation.
Explain why animals are classified into different categories.
The Basics
What is Classification?
Classification is the process where all the millions of living things on our
planet are organized into categories; where organisms showing similar
features and characteristics are grouped together. The first big division of
living things is in the classification system is sorting them into the five
kingdoms:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Animals (all multicellular animals)
Plants (all green plants)
Fungi (moulds, mushrooms, yeast)
Prokaryotes (bacteria, algae)
Protoctists (Amoeba, Chlorella and Plasmodium)
Keys are then used to classify and identify organisms further; these will
usually ask questions based on a particular feature. For example, this key
helps to determine types of insect:
VERTEBRAT
E
FUR
NO FUR
FEATHERS
MAMMA
L
NO
FEATHERS
DRY SKIN
MOIST
SKIN
BIRD
SCALES
NO SCALES
REPTILE
FISH
AMPHIBIAN
Pre-visit ideas

Introduce students to the basics of classification, and teach them some
of the key words they may hear on their visit to the zoo e.g.
Word
Classification
Biodiversity
Organism
Species





Meaning
The arrangement of animals and plants in taxonomic groups according to
their observed similarities.
The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a
high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable.
An individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.
A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of
exchanging genes or interbreeding.
Use your chosen keywords to play classification bingo! A few examples
are on the following page. Be sure to have lots of variations! Can be used
as it is, or have students tick every word they have relating to birds,
mammals or reptiles.
Discuss classification with students – talk about pets they may have at
home, and have students classify them into groups. Students can then
make tally sheets/graphs presenting this information.
To help students understand that animals are grouped based on physical
attributes; challenge them to ‘classify’ themselves. Have students sort
themselves based on height, hair colour, eye colour etc. One group to
stand on the left of the room, one in the middle and the third group to
stand on the right side of the room.
Have students write a list of animals, then have them mark with 3
different colours mammals, birds and reptiles. This should help students
associate certain characteristics with a whole group of animals.
Students are each given an animal from one of the three groups. They
are then required to find other members of their group by walking around
the classroom and asking these three questions:
 What habitat do you live in?

How do you produce offspring?

What do you have covering your body?
Once the students are all in the correct group, they should be able to
understand how similar attributes class them all as birds, reptiles or
mammals.
Pre-visit activity
Anything can be classified! How many ways can your students classify
one selection of things? Use the examples below, or create your own!
In this example students could classify things by colour, size, whether
they are living or not, extinct animals etc.
Pre-visit activity
This is a game that can be played multiple times, with each student having
a different BINGO card. It should help the students to begin grouping
animals into birds, mammals or reptiles. You can also adapt this game to fit
any other useful keywords into.
BIRD
COLDBLOODED
MILK
HARD
SHELL
FUR
WARMBLOODED
SCALES
DRY
SKIN
EGGS
OSTRICH
BIRD
MILK
MAMMAL
FEATHER
SOFT
SHELL
SCALES
BEAK
REPTILE
FUR
BIRD
DRY
SKIN
HAIR
SNAKE
EGGS
WARMBLOODED
DOG
REPTILE
BEAK
MAMMAL
BIRD
FEATHER
HARD
SHELL
MILK
SCALES
COLDBLOODED
SOFT
SHELL
**We recommend choosing one specific area and having students tick off all words on their
cards that link to that area. E.G teacher chooses REPTILES; the students will then tick off
words such as ‘cold-blooded, scales, dry skin, soft shells, eggs etc. You will then choose
another word. The winning student will then explain how each word ticked off links to the
chosen subject**
At the Zoo ideas!
These activities are all optional and by no means compulsory for
your visit. These are designed to keep your students busy and
entertained during their time here. The activities suggested in
this pack are particularly useful on rainy days!






Use the worksheets in this pack.
Have the students choose an animal around the zoo and
have them explain to a partner or group what kind of
animal it is (bird, mammal, reptile etc.) and what
attributes the animal has that tells them this.
Draw the animals at Dartmoor Zoo! Once the drawings are
complete, compile them into different groups and have
students study them to see that similar looking animals are
often classified into the same groups. This can go further
by classifying different groups of mammals, dogs, cats
etc.
Go to the animal talks and feeds, these are the times you
can really observe animal behaviours as they would be in
the wild! After the talks are finished, there is always
someone to ask any questions your students may have.
Have the students make lists of animals they think may be
classified together in the same groups. Compare and
discuss these when you get back to school.
Visit ‘Close Encounters’ and get up close and personal with
some real live reptiles! Have your students determining
which animals are vertebrates and which are invertebrates.
(Please note our Close Encounters room is not large, so
small groups at a time please!)
At the Zoo activity!
While you are exploring the zoo, look out for the animals that could be
classified differently and draw them in the appropriate boxes below!
At the Zoo activity!
F
I
S
H
Q
A
S
B
X
O
P
S
D
F
W
Z
X
W
O
N
R
M
A
M
M
A
L
M
P
A
F
B
C
L
E
R
P
M
L
I
G
H
V
J
R
T
L
O
K
B
T
J
B
H
T
C
E
S
N
I
B
I
N
S
A
I
S
W
J
H
I
U
D
D
S
O
W
O
M
P
R
K
R
E
P
T
I
L
E
M
D
O
A
H
B
Y
U
T
C
A
Carl Linnaeus is known
as the father of
classification. Can you help
him complete the word
search and find his missing
words?
Reptile, Mammal,
Bird, Amphibian, Fish,
Insect.
At the Zoo activity!
Work your way around the zoo looking for the animals below. Once you have found
them answer the questions in the table to help you determine how to classify them.
HINT: if you’re not sure, ask a member of zoo staff to help with the answers!
Does it
have a
backbone?
How does
it produce
offspring?
What
covers its
body?
How does
it
breathe?
Where
does it
live?
How does
it eat?
What type
of animal
is it?
How are
other
animals in
this group
the same?
How are
other
animals in
this group
different?
Post-visit ideas







Invent a new animal and have students classify it as a
bird, mammal or reptile. Students can also create their
own species and write a scientific fact file about what
makes it a bird, mammal or reptile.
Have students create their own classification keys based
on any animal. This could be to help determine what type
of dog they have, what kind of insects they find in the
garden, what kind of trees they can see in the
playground etc.
Have students recall the ways they classified themselves
as part of the class before the trip to the zoo. Students
can make classification keys for their classmates!
Have students choose their favourite animal from the zoo
and try to classify it from species all the way up to
kingdom.
Using some ‘odd’ species, have students classify them.
Create a fact file about animals such as the axolotl,
echidna, platypus, lungfish, jellyfish, fungi, slowworm
etc.
Play classification match it! Print the squares on the
following pages (preferably on card) or make up your own
– there should be four of each family. Have students
match one family member to another by turning cards
over two at a time. Some are tricky! This example has
only used mammals; you can use any number of
combinations!
Move on from animal classification to minibeast or plant
classification. Make classification keys for trees (or use
the one provided for minibeasts) and head outside with
your students to identify the wildlife around you!
Post-visit activity!
Post-visit activity!
We hope you enjoyed
learning about
classification on your
trip to Dartmoor Zoo!