Skills Worksheet Directed Reading B Section: Sorting It All Out 1. What is the name for placing things into groups based on similar characteristics? a. grouping b. classification c. studying d. listing WHY CLASSIFY? 2. What do scientists learn by classifying living things? a. which living thing is strongest b. the characteristics of different species c. which species has the most members d. how species get along HOW DO SCIENTISTS CLASSIFY ORGANISMS? 3. What two groups did scientists divide living things into long ago? a. living and nonliving b. large and small c. hairy and hairless d. plants and animals 4. What do taxonomists do? a. only take photographs of animals b. only name and photograph living things c. describe, classify, and name living things d. only take photographs of plants Holt science and Technology 9 Classification
Classification Today 5. How many levels of classification do scientists use today? a. eight b. seven c. six d. five 6. What do closely related living things share? a. size only b. shape only c. many characteristics d. color and size only 7. What characteristics do platypuses, brown bears, lions, and house cats all share? a. They give birth to live young. b. They have retractable claws. c. They all roar. d. They have hair and mammary glands. Branching Diagrams 8. What do lions and house cats have that brown bears don t have? a. ability to roar b. retractable claws c. hair and mammary glands d. giving birth to live young Holt science and Technology 10 Classification
9. Which of the following pairs of animals are the most closely related? a. lions and house cats b. lions and platypuses c. house cats and platypuses d. house cats and brown bears 10. What characteristic is shared by bears, lions, and cats but not platypuses? a. hooves b. giving birth to live young c. hair, mammary glands d. mane and tail LEVELS OF CLASSIFICATION Read the words in the box. Read the sentences. Fill in each blank with the word that best completes the sentence. kingdoms families classes species 11. All living things in a domain are sorted into 12. Kingdoms are sorted into phyla, and phyla into 13. Each class is separated into orders, which are then separated into 14. Families are sorted into genera, and genera are sorted into Holt science and Technology 11 Classification
SCIENTIFIC NAMES 15. What kind of name is specific to each living thing? a. common name b. nickname c. scientific name d. last name Two-Part Names 16. What is the first part of a scientific name? a. the order name b. the genus name c. the kingdom name d. the species name 17. What is the second part of a scientific name? a. the order name b. the genus name c. the kingdom name d. the species name 18. What is the scientific name for the Asian elephant? a. Felis domesticus b. Elephas maximus c. Tyrannosaurus rex d. Canis lupus Holt science and Technology 12 Classification
DICHOTOMOUS KEYS 19. Why do scientists use dichotomous keys? a. to name organisms b. to identify organisms c. to count organisms d. to catch organisms 20. What do dichotomous keys use to identify organisms? a. pairs of questions b. pairs of arrows c. pairs of statements d. pairs of illustrations A GROWING SYSTEM 21. How do scientists classify living things that do not fit into an existing category? a. leave the living thing alone b. try to change the living thing c. destroy the living thing d. create a new category 22. Which living thing did not fit in any category? a. Symbion pandora b. Felis domesticus c. Elephas maximus d. Tyrannosaurus rex Holt science and Technology 13 Classification