Identifying fish and shellfish

Identifying fish and shellfish

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
This task is about using a classification key to identify animals.
 
 
 
a)
 
 
 
 
Use the chart above to identify this fish.
 
 
The fish shown is a ...
(A)   trout.
(B)   kōkopu.
(C)   perch.
(D)   carp.
 
 
 
 
 
b)
[NOT DRAWN TO SCALE]
 
 
These molluscs belong to three different groups: A, B, and C.
 
  i)
What feature do all these animals have in common? _______________________
 
 
  ii)
Complete the spaces i) to vii) so that someone would be able to identify these five animals.
 
 
   

 

Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Communicating in science, Living World
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
evolution, classification, fish, molluscs, keys, classification keys
Description of task: 
Task: use a key to identify a fish, then complete a key to identify shellfish. Assessment focus: Interpreting representations - classification keys.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Interpret representations
This resource provides opportunities to discuss the purposes of identification keys and how to read them.
 

Capability: Gather and Interpret Data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss different features that are important to notice when classifying animals.
Science capability: Gather and Interpret data
Science capabilities: 
Gather and interpret data, Interpret representations
Making Better Sense: 
Molluscs
Answers/responses: 
 

Y8 (06/1998)
a)   (A) Trout very easy
b) i)ii)
Shell/muscular foot.
i)     1 shell
ii)    Pointed end of shell
iii)   One shell flat and/one shell rounded*
iv)   Both shells rounded*   
v)    Chiton
vi)   Top shell
vii)  Ostrich foot

*or other visible differences
easy
moderate
moderate
difficult
difficult
easy
easy
easy

 

Next steps: 

To support students, the Marine Metre Squared (mm2.net.nz) citizen science website has teaching and learning resources including photographic classification guides for the North and South Islands in the NZ Rocky Shore Guides

To extend students, Science Learning Hub activity Develop a classification system has students work in small groups to come up with their own classification system for a number of marine organisms.