Subjects/Science/Classifying Living Things
ScienceLiving Things and Their Habitats

Classifying Living Things

Group animals and plants by their characteristics

12 minIncludes video

Learning Objective

Classify living things into groups based on observable features

Two Main Groups

  • Plants: Make their own food, usually have roots, stems, leaves
  • Animals: Cannot make food, must eat other organisms

Classifying Animals

  • Vertebrates: Have a backbone (fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians)
  • Invertebrates: No backbone (insects, spiders, worms)

Examples from Nigeria

Mammals: Elephant, Lion | Birds: Crowned Crane | Reptiles: Crocodile

Video: Khan Academy (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)