Understanding Cladistics
Contributed By
- Original Source:American Museum of Natural History
Conditions of Use:None Specified
Description
In this classroom activity, middle school students explore cladistics by creating a cladogram. The activity opens with background information for teachers about cladistics. After discussing the relationship of some familiar mammals, students learn about how scientists use cladistics to determine evolutionary relationships among animals. Working in pairs, students complete a worksheet that directs them to examine coins and create a cladogram based on their shared characteristics. Then, small groups of students examine dinosaur illustrations, identify their shared features, and those features to classify the dinosaurs. Less
Learning Registry Activity
Bookmarks
Topics and Grades
Grade: TK/K to 9
Topics: Science, Earth & Space Science, Life Sciences, Professional Development, Evolution and Adaptation, Earth's Resources
Resource Pedagogy
Resource Type/Classification:
- Teacher Materials
- Source Materials
Tool for: Teachers