Biological Classification Mrs. Bondia’s Virtual Field Trip and WebQuest Middle School Science Brown Street Education Center Vine Grove, KY August 2008

Virtual Field Trip: Where are we going? Today we will be visiting two famous people who used biological classification to sort and organize their discoveries. We will also be going around the world to learn more about the 5 kingdoms: monera (bacteria), protista, fungi, plantae, and animalia.

WebQuest: What is our task? At each stop on our virtual field trip, you will be asked questions about what you are seeing. You will answer the questions using this format: 1. Open a blank document in Microsoft Word. 2. Create a header with these 3 items: oYour name oBiological Classification WebQuest oToday’s date 3. Type your answers to the questions in numerical order on the Word document. 4. When you reach the end of the field trip, print out your results to turn in to Mrs. Bondia. Good luck and have fun!

Meet George Washington Carver, a famous American scientist and inventor. Question 1: What kingdom did Mr. Carver study? Question 2: What other kingdom might have been important to Mr. Carver as a botanist? Why? Click on the picture of Mr. Carver to find out what he studied. Type your answers on your Word document.

Meet Jane Goodall. She never went to college, but she’s a world-renowned biologist. Question 3: What kingdom most fascinates Ms.Goodall? Question 4: On page 2 of her story, in the last paragraph, Ms. Goodall talks about how humans and chimpanzees are similar. List the similarities Ms. Goodall names and explain why she thinks the similarities are important. Explain why you agree or disagree. Click on the picture of Ms. Goodall to answer the questions and learn more about her research.

Kingdom Monera/Bacteria Your next stop on your journey of discovery will be the tiny parasitic decomposers known as bacteria. You will find they can be found in many, many places. Click on the green bacteria to get started! Question 5: List the other kingdoms that are mentioned in this information about bacteria. Question 6: Explain why bacteria is important to life forms in two other kingdoms.

Kingdom Protista What exactly is a “protista?” On this stop in our virtual field trip, you will find out what they are and what they are made of. Click on Plankton to answer these questions. Question 7: Write the definition of a “protista.” What does eukaryotic mean? Question 8: In your own words, list and explain three parts of a protist. Question 9: Why exactly is Plankton on this stop in our field trip? Why is Spongebob not in the same kingdom as Plankton?

Kingdom Fungi You may think this kingdom is all about mushrooms used illegally for drugs or legally for cooking purposes. But this kingdom is SO much more, and some of this fungi you would NEVER want to eat. Click on the baby to find out why. Question 10: Name and describe three fungi found on people. Question 11: How is the picture of a baby’s tongue related to fungi?

Kingdom Plantae For most people, the word “plant” probably means a houseplant like the pony tail palm in the picture above (that’s Mrs. Bondia’s favorite kind of houseplant, by the way). But the plant kingdom is important to people in ways besides looking pretty and smelling nice. Click on the bouquet of flowers to answer the next question. Question 12: Describe 4 ways that plants help people.

Kingdom Animalia The variety of animals in this kingdom is really quite amazing. What for example, does the baby puffer fish in this picture have in common with the human who is holding it? We will go to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology for the answer. Question 13: How are you like every other member of the animal kingdom? When you are finished typing your responses, ask for assistance to print your work. Then proceed to the last slide for a fun follow-up activity!

Congratulations! You have completed the WebQuest. If you have turned in your work, please take advantage of this opportunity to explore any of the following interactive games and activities at the link below: Thank you for taking this virtual field trip, see you next time!

HYPERLINKS IN ORDER OF SLIDE SHOW PRESENTATION George Washington Carver Jane Goodall Bacteria Protists Fungi Plants Animals Interactive Games and Activities