Class.. Plants and Fungi Guide - GVLIBRARIES.ORG 5 Classifying Plants and Fungi ... animals, and microorganisms ... Discuss the criteria they might use to group plants such as size,

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Editors:Brian A. Jerome, Ph.D.Stephanie Zak Jerome

Assistant Editors:Louise Marrier

Graphics:Dean Ladago

Fred Thodal

Teacher’s GuideMiddle School

Classifying Plants and Fungi

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Classifying Plants and FungiClassifying Plants and Fungi

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Use and Copyright

The purchase of this video program entitles the user the right to reproduce or duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the blackline master handouts for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video, Classifying Plants and Fungi. The right is restricted only for use with this video program. Any reproduction or duplication, in whole or in part, of this guide and student masters for any purpose other than for use with this video program is prohibited.

The video and this teacher’s guide are the exclusive property of the copyright holder. Copying, transmitting or reproducing in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission from the copyright holder is prohibited (Title 17, U.S. Code Sections 501 and 506).

Copyright © 2006

ISBN 978-1-59234-139-X

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Table of ContentsPage

A Message From Our Company

National Standards Correlations

Student Learning Objectives

Assessment

Introducing the Video

Video Viewing Suggestions

Video Script

Student Assessments and Activities

Answers to Student Assessments

Answers to Student Activities

Assessment and Student Activity Masters

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Viewing Clearances

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Dear Educator:

Thank you for your interest in the educational videos produced by the Visual Learning Company. We are a Vermont-based, family owned and operated business specializing in the production of quality educational science videos and materials.

We have a long family tradition of education. Our grandmothers graduated from normal school in the 1920’s to become teachers. Brian’s mother was an elementary teacher and guidance counselor, and his father was a high school teacher and superintendent. This family tradition inspired Brian to become a science teacher, and to earn a Ph.D. in education, and led Stephanie to work on science educational programs at NASA.

In developing this video, accompanying teacher’s guide, and student activities, our goal is to provide educators with the highest quality materials, thus enabling students to be successful. In this era of more demanding standards and assessment requirements, supplementary materials need to be curricular and standards based - this is what we do!

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National Standards CorrelationsNational Science Education Standards (Content standards: 5-8, National Academy of Sciences, c. 1996)

Benchmarks for Science Literacy (Project 2061 – AAAS, c. 1993)

Life Science (Content Standard C) - Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms - Grades 5-8

• Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms becomes apparent from an analysis of internal structures, the similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence of common ancestry.

Biological Evolution• The millions of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms that live on earth today are related by descent from common ancestors.• Biological classifi cations are based on how organisms are related. Organisms are classifi ed into a hierarchy of groups and subgroups based on similarities which refl ect their evolutionary relationships. Species is the most fundamental unit of classifi cation.

Diversity of Life 5ABy the end of the 8th grade, students should know that:• One of the most general distinctions among organisms is between plants,

which use sunlight to make their own food, and animals, which consume energy-rich foods. Some kinds of organisms, many of them microscopic,

cannot be neatly classifi ed as either plants or animals.• Similarities among organisms are found in internal anatomical features,

which can be used to infer the degree of relatedness among organisms. In classifying organisms, biologists consider details of internal and external structures to be more important than behavior or general appearance.

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Student Learning ObjectivesUpon viewing the video and completing the enclosed student activities, students will be able to do the following:

• Understand that prokaryotic cells do not possess a nucleus as well as other features found in more advanced cells including plant cells. State that plant cells are eukaryotic cells.

• Differentiate between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells.

• Briefl y describe the origin of multicellular plants.

• Compare and contrast the features of nonvascular plants and vascular plants.

• Provide examples of nonvascular plants such as mosses, liverworts and hornworts.

• Describe some of the characteristics of seedless vascular plants.

• Cite examples of seedless vascular plants such as ferns, horsetails, club mosses, and whisk ferns.

• Explain some of the characteristics of gymnosperms.

• Provide some examples of the major categories of gymnosperms such as conifers, cycads, ginkgos, and gnetophytes.

• Describe some of the major characteristics of angiosperms - the fl owering plants.

• Compare and contrast some of the most signifi cant characteristics of plants and fungi.

• Cite some of the major characteristics of fungi.

• List some examples of fungi.



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Assessment

Preliminary Assessment:The Preliminary Assessment, provided in the Student Masters section, is an assessment tool designed to gain an understanding of students’ pre-existing knowledge. It can also be used as a benchmark upon which to assess student progress based on the objectives stated on the previous pages.

Video Review:The Video Review, provided in the Student Masters section, can be used as an assessment tool or as a student activity. There are two main parts. The fi rst part contains questions that can be answered during the video. The second series of ten questions consists of a video quiz to be answered at the conclusion of the video.

Post Assessment:The Post Assessment, provided in the Student Masters section, can be utilized as an assessment tool following completion of the video and student activities. The results of the Post Assessment can be compared against the results of the Preliminary Assessment to evaluate student progress.

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Introducing the Video

Video Viewing SuggestionsThe student Master “Video Review” is provided for distribution to students. You may choose to have your students complete this Master while viewing the program or to do so upon its conclusion.

The program is approximately twenty minutes in length and includes a ten question video quiz. Answers are not provided to the Video Quiz on the video, but are included in this teacher’s guide. You may choose to grade student quizzes as an assessment tool or to review the answers in class.

The video is content-rich with numerous vocabulary words. For this reason you may want to periodically stop the video to review and discuss new terminology and concepts.

Before showing the video program to your students, ask them to name a few of the different kinds of plants which grow around the school. Write the names of the plants on the board. Next, have students describe and name different plants they have noticed growing around their home and in their community. Also write this list of plants on the board. Now, have students provide examples of plants which they have seen when they have travelled to other places, seen on television, or read about in books or magazines. In making the list of plants, remind students about smaller plants such as mosses and ferns. Ask students how the list of plants on the board can be placed into like categories. Discuss the criteria they might use to group plants such as size, shape, location, environment, and reproductive processes.

Tell students that the following video also discusses another kingdom of living things - fungi. Explain to students that fungi are quite different from plants. While plants are autotrophs, producing their own food via the process of photosynthesis, fungi are heterotrophic. Ask students to list some examples of fungi. Tell students to pay close attention to the video to learn more about the classifi cation of plants and fungi.



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Video Script: Classifying Plants and Fungi 1. If you take a minute to look around your school or home, chances are you see

many different kinds of plants. 2. If you look close enough you may also see an example of living things called fungi. 3. What is the difference between this plant called a pine tree,... 4. ...and this maple tree? 5. What is the difference between this fern,... 6. ...and these fl owers called daylillies. 7. Looking at fungi, what is the difference between this mushroom,... 8. ...and this shelf fungus growing on this log? 9. There are probably millions of different kinds of plants and fungi on the planet.10. During the next few minutes we are going to take a look at some of the

characteristics of plants and fungi, and explore how they are classifi ed.11. Let us fi rst take a brief look at how plants and fungi have evolved and changed over

time.12. Graphic Transition - Development of Plants and Fungi 13. Scientists estimate that the fi rst life on Earth appeared about 3.5 billion years

ago,...14. ...in the form of simple, single cellular bacteria, perhaps not unlike modern day

bacteria.15. These early cells are called prokaryotic cells. Prokaryotic cells do not have a

nucleus and some other structures found in more advanced cells. 16. Early bacteria left fossil formations called stromatolites, which are... 17. ...thought to be layers of bacterial mats.18. Approximately one billion years later, or about 2.5 billion years ago, simple cells

developed the ability to use energy from the sun in a process...19. ...similar to photosynthesis which we see in modern-day plants. 20. As you probably already know, photosynthesis is the process by which plants

and other plant-like organisms take in carbon dioxide and water and convert energy from the sun into simple sugars which they use for energy.

21. A by-product of the process of photosynthesis is oxygen.22. Prior to 2.5 billion years ago, Earth had little free oxygen.23. Gradually, simple microscopic photosynthetic organisms changed Earth’s

atmosphere from being oxygen poor to oxygen rich. 24. About 1.5 billion years ago, a very important jump occurred in the history of life, the

formation of eukaryotic cells.

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Script Cont.25. Eukaryotic cells possess many important specialized components, such as a

nucleus, not found in simpler types of cells. 26. Modern-day plants as well as fungi are made up of eukaryotic cells. 27. You Decide! Where did the fi rst modern-day plants originate? 28. The fi rst multicellular plant-like organisms are believed to have originated in ancient

seas. 29. Organisms similar to algae, such as this marine green algae, are thought to have

given rise to land plants. 30. A little over 400 million years ago plants fi rst colonized land. 31. Some of the fi rst plants to have adapted to life on land are thought to be mosses

and other similar organisms.32. These types of plants are referred to as being nonvascular because they do not

contain vascular tissues consisting of a series of tubes to conduct water and other materials.

33. Ferns were among the fi rst widespread vascular land plants.34. Gymnosperms, more advanced vascular plants, eventually appeared.35. Gymnosperms are plants that produce pollen and naked seeds which are so called

because they are not encased in fruit-like bodies.36. By about 250 million years ago gymnosperms were the dominant form of plant life.37. Flowering plants fi rst appear in the fossil record about 120 million years ago.38. By the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago, angiosperms or

fl owering plants were quite widespread.39. Most plants with which you are familiar are likely to be angiosperms or fl owering

plants.40. In fact, over 95% of the vascular plants today are fl owering plants. 41. When we talk about fungi, however, the fossil record does not provide much

information about that organism’s origins. 42. Scientists hypothesize that fungi evolved at least 400 million years ago, most likely

from an algae-like ancestor. 43. Graphic Transition- Taxonomy of Plants44. Imagine the task of having to name, categorize, and describe over 300,000

different kinds of living things. 45. This is the job plant and fungi taxonomists have been faced with over the past

several hundred years.46. In an effort to classify living things, scientists have developed different categories,

also called taxa.



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Script Cont.47. Going from the broadest taxan, to the most specifi c taxan, the categories include

kingdom, division, class, order, family, genus, and species. 48. In a few minutes we will discuss some of these divisions.49. As you know, each type of living thing has a scientifi c name which consists of two

separate names. This two-name system is referred to as binomial nomenclature.50. This white pine tree for example has the scientifi c name Pinus strobus. 51. Pinus is the genus name and strobus is the species name. 52. Before we take a look at the different plant divisions, it should be mentioned that

plants are often described as either being vascular plants or nonvascular plants.53. Vascular plants have leaves, stems, and roots which contain vascular tissue.54. Vascular tissue is made up of tube-like structures that carry water, nutrients, and

other substances throughout the plant. 55. You Decide! What are nonvascular plants? 56. Nonvascular plants are plants which do not possess tube-like structures used in

conducting materials throughout the plant.57. Let us now take a closer look at nonvascular plants. 58. Graphic Transition - Nonvascular Plants 59. As we previously stated, the fi rst land plants were probably short nonvascular

plants60. Mosses, liverworts, and hornworts are in the division Bryophyta.61. These organisms have several things in common. They are all relatively short.62. They do not have true leaves or roots. 63. And, they obtain most of their water through the plant body. 64. You have probably seen mosses, such as this one growing on the bases of trees,...65. ...or on rocks near a stream.66. Liverworts have fl attened leaf-like bodies.67. Hornworts are similar to liverworts but their life cycle is somewhat different. 68. Let us now turn our attention to some of the categories of vascular plants. 69. Graphic Transition - Seedless Vascular Plants 70. There are nine different divisions of vascular plants. Some of these divisions have

seeds and others do not. 71. This is a seedless vascular plant. 72. You Decide! What kind of a plant is this? 73. That is right, this is a fern, and it is in the division Pterophyta. 74. Ferns have a long history on earth, and were the dominant form of plants 300

million years ago.

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Script Cont.75. There are three other divisions of seedless vascular plants with the common names

whisk ferns, horsetails, and club mosses. 76. Seedless vascular plants usually live in moist environments, and they reproduce

via spores. Spores are contained in round structures seen on the underside of this leaf.

77. Through a complex process of alternating generations these plants reproduce without true seeds.

78. Graphic Transition - Gymnosperms 79. These giant redwood trees are among the largest living things on the planet.80. This particular tree, for example, rises over 100 meters into the air. 81. Redwoods belong to an ancient group of plants generally referred to as

gymnosperms.82. Gymnosperms lack fl owers and produce seeds contained in cones. 83. Unlike plants such as apples where the seeds are enclosed in fruits,...84. ...the seeds of gymnosperms are naked. 85. There are four divisions of gymnosperms.86. We just mentioned giant redwoods, these are members of the conifer division.87. Pine trees, fi r trees, and juniper trees are conifers you may see near your home.88. These trees produce cones which contain seeds, and they also possess needle-

like or scale-like leaves.89. Conifers are among the oldest living things on earth with some, like the bristlecone

pines, exceeding 1,500 years in age!90. Cycads are another division of gymnosperms. They are tropical plants that look

similar to pine trees.91. Ginkgos, another division, while fairly common during the time of the dinosaurs,

have only one remaining species. 92. The fourth, and fi nal division of gymnosperms are the gnetophytes. These plants

include tropical vines, and bushes with jointed branches to name just a couple of examples.

93. Let us now take a look at the largest category of plants in the world- the angiosperms.

94. Graphic Transition - Angiosperms 95. Spring brings warmer weather, 96. ...and the blossoming of fl owers. 97. Flowers add much color to parks, our homes, and,... 98. ...to nature’s landscape. 99. A great number of plants with which you are probably familiar are fl owering plants.



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Script Cont.100. We eat fl owers such as broccoli. 101. And bees produce honey from the nectar of fl owers. 102. Angiosperms, also referred to as fl owering plants, make up the largest division

of plants, with over 230,000 known species. 103. Angiosperms are found widely, from warm, lush rainforests,... 104. ...to prairies,... 105. ...to hot deserts,... 106. ...to cold arctic environments. 107. Flowers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. 108. Some, such as the venus fl ytrap, are even capable of digesting insects. 109. But, fl owers serve a more important function than simply adding color to the

landscape. 110. Flowers contain the reproductive organs of angiosperms. 111. A variety of reproductive structures working together, ultimately results in the

formation of one or more fertilized eggs we commonly call seeds. 112. Seeds contain the necessary genetic information to form new offspring. 113. You Compare! How are the seeds produced by gymnosperms different than

those produced by angiosperms? 114. That is right, gymnosperms have naked seeds that are not encased within a fruit.115. Whereas the seeds of most angiosperms are found within a fruit. 116. Graphic Transition – Fungi Kingdom 117. While at fi rst glance you may think that fungi are plants,... 118. ...they are actually quite different from plants and are classifi ed in an entirely

separate kingdom - the fungi kingdom. 119. Unlike plants which produce their own food from the sun’s energy,... 120. ...fungi are heterotrophs. Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot make their own

food. 121. Fungi obtain the energy they need by growing on a source of food such as a dead

tree. 122. Fungi also possess several other characteristics that make them different from

plants.123. Some fungi, such as yeast used in baking bread, are unicellular,... 124. ...while most fungi are multicellular. 125. Fungi, however, do not reach great sizes as do many plants. 126. There are over 100,000 known species of organisms in the fungi kingdom. 127. And, within this kingdom there are four major divisions of fungi.

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Script Cont.128. While some fungi are responsible for causing diseases in humans, 129. ...many fungi perform very important functions such as decomposing dead plants

and animals. 130. Some fungi are also very useful in the creation of life-saving medicines. 131. Graphic Transition – Summing Up 132. During the past few minutes we have explored some of the characteristics of

plants and fungi,... 133. ...taking a closer look at the taxonomy of these fascinating organisms. 134. We discussed the many major divisions in the Plant Kingdom. 135. And, we saw how scientists differentiate plants as being vascular and nonvascular.136. We also discussed some of the evolutionary development of plants over time.137. The general characteristics of fungi were discussed, 138. ...as well as the major division of fungi. 139. So, the next time you wonder what makes one type of plant or fungi different from

another,... 140. ...think about some of the things we discussed during the past few minutes.141. You just might think about plants and fungi a little differently. 142. Graphic Transition- Video Quiz

Fill in the correct word to complete the sentence. Good luck, and let us get started.1. _______ is believed to have given rise to plants. 2. _________ plants contain tube-like structures to conduct materials. 3. Mosses and liverworts are members of the division ___________. 4. ________ are believed to have been the fi rst vascular plants.5. Whisk ferns and club mosses reproduce via structures called ______.6. _____________ are plants which lack fruits and fl owers.7. ____________ make up the largest division of plants.8. The presence of _______ is a common characteristic of angiosperms. 9. Mushrooms and yeasts are members of the _______ kingdom.10. Fungi are __________ in that they depend on other plants and animals for energy.



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• Plant and Fungi Classifi cation

• Plant and Fungi Scavenger Hunt

• Plant Taxonomy

• Vocabulary of Classifying Plants and Fungi• Vocabulary of Classifying Plants and Fungi• Vocabulary of

Student Assessments and Activities

Assessment Masters:

• Preliminary Assessment

• Video Review

• Post Assessment

Student Activity Masters:

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Answers to Student AssessmentsPreliminary Assessment (pgs. 20-21)

1. algae 2. vascular 3. bryophyta 4. ferns 5. spores 6. gymnosperms 7. angiosperms 8. fl owers 9. fungi10. heterotrophs

Video Review (pg. 22)

Post Assessment (pgs. 23-24)

Video Quiz (p. 22)

1. eukaryotic 2. photosynthesis 3. nonvascular 4. moss 5. spores 6. gymnosperm 7. fl owers 8. fl owering 9. fungi10. heterotrophs11. true12. false13. true14. true15. false16. true17. true18. true19. false20. false

1. fl owers 2. moss 3. heterotrophs 4. gymnosperm 5. fl owering 6. nonvascular 7. fungi 8. photosynthesis 9. eukaryotic10. spores11. false12. false13. true14. true15. false16. false17. true18. true19. true20. true

1. The fi rst multicellular plant-like organisms are believed to have originated in ancient seas.2. Nonvascular plants are plants which do not possess tube-like structures used in conducting materials throughout the plant.3. This plant is a fern and is in the division Pterophyta.4. Gymnosperms have naked seeds that are not encased within a fruit. Whereas the seeds of most angiosperms are found within a fruit.



Answers to Student Activities

Vocabulary of Classifying Plants and Fungi (p. 30)

1. g - binomial nomenclature 2. j - photosynthesis 3. a - eukaryotic cells 4. h - nonvascular plants 5. b - vascular plants 6. d - ferns 7. f - gymnosperms 8. c - angiosperms 9. e - fl ower10. i - fungi

Plant and Fungi Classifi cation (p. 25)

Plant and Fungi Scavenger Hunt (pgs. 26-27)

Plant Taxonomy (pgs. 28-29)

Species: Acer rubrum

Red Maple

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Anthophyta

Family: Aceraceae

Class: Dicotyledones

Order: Sapindales

Genus: Acer Genus: Acer Genus: Acer

Class: Dicotyledones Class: Dicotyledones

Species: Quercus rubra

Red Oak

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Anthophyta

Family: Fagacea

Class: Dicotyledones

Order: Fagales

Genus: Quercus

Species: Pinus strobus

White Pine (eastern)

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Coniferophyta

Family: Pinaceae

Class: Pinopsida

Order: Pinales

Genus: Pinus

Student drawings will vary. Examples of living organisms students may fi nd are a pine tree, moss, a dandelion or daisy, mushroom, fern, apple tree, peach tree, and blackberry bush.

Kingdom: FungiDivision: BasidiomycotaExamples: mushrooms, toadstools, puffballsGeneral Form: can be unicellular or multicellular, fungi are usually short and do not reach great sizes as do plants.Reproduction: spores (basidiospores)

Kingdom: Plantae Division: GymnospermaExamples: pine trees, fi r trees, and junipersGeneral Form: usually green with needle-like or scale-like leaves, and produce seeds contained in cones.Reproduction: seeds which are contained in cones.

Kingdom: PlantaeDivision: BryophytaExamples: mosses, liverworts, and hornwortsGeneral Form: relatively short, and do not have true leaves or roots. Reproduction: sporophytes and gametophytes, alternating generations.

Kingdom: PlantaeDivision: PterophytaExamples: whisk fern, horsetailsGeneral Form: a seedless vascular plant that commonly lives in moist environments.Reproduction: sporophytes and gametophytes, alternating generations.

Kingdom: PlantaeDivision: AngiospermExamples: fl owering plants such as dandelions, venus fl y trap, and lily.General Form: a vascular plant which has leaves, stems, roots, and a fl ower.Reproduction: a variety of reproductive structures contained in a fl ower work together resulting in the formation of one or more fertilized eggs we commonly call seeds.

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Assessment and Student

Activity Masters

20©2006

NameClassifying Plants and Fungi

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Preliminary AssessmentDirections: Fill in the blank with the correct word. A list of possible answers is provided at the bottom of the page.

1. Plants and fungi are made up of ________________ cells.

2. _________________ is the process by which plants produce food from the sun’s

light energy.

3. The fi rst land plants were most likely ___________________ plants.

4. _________ is an example of a nonvascular plant.

5. Seedless vascular plants reproduce via ____________.

6. A pine tree is an example of a __________________.

7. Gymnosperms lack ______________ and produce naked seeds.

8. Over 95% of plants are _______________ plants.

9. Mushrooms and yeasts are in the _____________ kingdom.

10. Fungi cannot produce their own food and are called ___________________.

fl owersmossgymnospermeukaryoticspores

fungifl oweringnonvascularheterotrophsphotosynthesis

20 21©2006


T F

Preliminary AssessmentDirections: Decide whether the statement is true (T) or false (F).

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

11. The fi rst multicellular plant-like organisms are believed to have originated in ancient seas.

12. Flowering plants are thought to be the fi rst land plants.

13. The division bryophyta includes nonvascular plants such as hornworts and mosses.

14. Mosses obtain most of their water through the plant body.

15. Ferns are vascular plants which contain seeds.

16. Giant redwood trees are examples of gymnosperms.

17. Conifers lack fl owers and produce seeds contained in cones.

18. Broccoli and caulifl ower are examples of fl owers we eat.

19. Angiosperms are the least abundant plants on earth.

20. Fungi produce their own food from the sun’s light energy.

22©2006


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Video ReviewDirections: During the course of the program, answer the questions as they are presented in the video. At the end of the video, answer the Video Quiz questions.

You Decide! 1. Where did the fi rst modern-day plants originate?

You Decide! 2. What are nonvascular plants?

You Decide! 3. What kind of a plant is this?

You Compare! 4. How are the seeds produced by gymnosperms different than those produced by angiosperms?

Video Quiz:

1. __________ is believed to have given rise to plants.

2. ________________ plants contain tube-like structures to conduct materials.

3. Mosses and liverworts are members of the division ___________________.

4. ____________ are believed to have been the fi rst vascular plants.

5. Whisk ferns and club mosses reproduce via structures called ___________.

6. ____________________ are plants which lack fruits and fl owers.

7. _____________________ make up the largest division of plants.

8. The presence of _______________ is a common characteristic of angiosperms.

9. Mushrooms and yeasts are members of the ___________ kingdom.

10. Fungi are _________________ in that they depend on other plants and animals for

energy.

22 23©2006


Post AssessmentDirections: Fill in the blank with the correct word. A list of possible answers is provided at the bottom of the page.

1. Gymnosperms lack ______________ and produce naked seeds.

2. _________ is an example of a nonvascular plant.

3. Fungi cannot produce their own food and are called ___________________.

4. A pine tree is an example of a __________________.

5. Over 95% of plants are _______________ plants.

6. The fi rst land plants were most likely ___________________ plants.

7. Mushrooms and yeasts are in the _____________ kingdom.

8. _________________ is the process by which plants produce food from the sun’s

light energy.

9. Plants and fungi are made up of ________________ cells.

10. Seedless vascular plants reproduce via ____________.

nonvascularheterotrophsmosseukaryoticspores

photosynthesisgymnospermfl owersfungifl owering

24©2006


25

Post AssessmentDirections: Decide whether the statement is true (T) or false (F).

11. Ferns are vascular plants which contain seeds.

12. Fungi produce their own food from the sun’s light energy.

13. Giant redwood trees are examples of gymnosperms.

14. Broccoli and caulifl ower are examples of fl owers we eat.

15. Flowering plants are thought to be the fi rst land plants.

16. Angiosperms are the least abundant plants on earth.

17. The division bryophyta includes nonvascular plants such as hornworts and mosses.

18. Conifers lack fl owers and produce seeds contained in cones.

19. The fi rst multicellular plant-like organisms are believed to have originated in ancient seas.

20. Mosses obtain most of their water through the plant body.

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

24 25©2006


Plant and Fungi Classifi cationDirections: There are hundreds of thousands of different kinds of plants and fungi. Taxonomists are scientists who place different kinds of living things into categories based on a wide range of characteristics. In this activity you will take on the role of a plant and fungi taxonomist. Several images of different kinds of plant and fungi are provided. Your job is to identify the kingdom and division to which the organism belongs. Also, list some examples of the organism, the general form of the organism, and the reproductive characteristics of the plant.

Kingdom:

Division:

Examples:

General Form:

Reproduction:

Kingdom:

Division:

Examples:

General Form:

Reproduction:

Kingdom:

Division:

Examples:

General Form:

Reproduction:

Kingdom:

Division:

Examples:

General Form:

Reproduction:

Kingdom:

Division:

Examples:

General Form:

Reproduction:

26©2006


27

Plant and Fungi Scavenger HuntBackground: Just about everywhere you look, around your school or home, you see plants. If you look close enough you may even see some examples of fungi. There are hundreds of thousands of different kinds of plants and fungi on the planet. There may be thousands of different species of plants and fungi around your home. This activity will give you an opportunity to look for some of the different kinds of plants which sur-round you.

Materials: Plant and Fungi Record Sheet, colored pencils, and clipboard

Directions:Before going on your plant and fungi scavenger hunt, your teacher will give you specifi c instructions on where you will be going, what to wear, what to be aware of, and any special precautions. Take a few minutes to study the clues provided on the Plant and Fungi Record Sheet. When you fi nd a plant or fungus described on the page, draw a picture of it with colored pencil in the box. Also, write down its name if you know it. Remember to take special care not to damage or harm any living thing while on your scavenger hunt. Have fun!

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Plant and Fungi Record SheetDirections: Search for an example of the plants and fungi described below. Once you fi nd the organism draw a picture of it in the box.

A tree with needles Short green carpet-like plant (nonvascular)

A plant with a fl ower Fungi

Vascular plant with spores Plant with seeds or fruits

Name:

Name:

Name:

Name:

Name:

Name:

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Plant TaxonomyBackground: As you probably already know, scientists called taxonomists are responsible for classifying living things. The job of a plant taxonomist is to categorize, classify, and describe plants. The different categories in which living things are categorized are called taxa. There are a total of seven different taxa in the modern classifi cation system. Going from the broadest taxa to the most specifi c taxa, the categories include kingdom, division, class, order, family, genus, and species.

Let us take a look at how the common dandelion is classifi ed:

Kingdom Plantae

Division: Tracheophyta

Family: Asteraceae

Class: Angiospermae

Order: Asterales

Genus: Taraxacum

Species: Taraxacum offi cinale

Kingdom Plantae

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Plant Taxonomy Cont.Directions: Three different species of plants are provided below. Using a textbook, plant guide, or other means, fi ll in each of the taxa for the plant.

White Pine

Kingdom:

Division:

Family:

Class:

Order:

Genus:

Species:

Kingdom:

Species:

Red Maple

Kingdom:

Division:

Family:

Class:

Order:

Genus:

Kingdom:

Species:

Red Oak

Kingdom:

Division:

Family:

Class:

Order:

Genus:

Kingdom:

Species:

A Plant of Your Choosing

Kingdom:

Division:

Family:

Class:

Order:

Genus:

Kingdom:

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Vocabulary of Classifying Plants and Fungi

____ 1. lbaiinmo mcteoearnnlu

______________

__________________

____ 2. htsnhssietyoop _________________

____ 3. atuokcieyr lselc ________________

_________

____ 4. snruovaanlc npstal

___________________

____________

____ 5. raaucvls nlptas ________________

____________

____ 6. rsfne ____________

____ 7. ymgsnemrsop ________________

____ 8. asnmgrieops _________________

____ 9. orlewf _______________

____ 10. nfi ug ____________

a. basic unit of life in plants and fungi.

b. plants which contain tube-like structures for conducting materials throughout the plant.

c. make up the largest division of plants with over 230,000 known species.

d. examples of vascular plants which reproduce via spores.

e. contains the reproductive structure of angiosperms.

f. examples include conifers, cycads, and gingkos.

g. two name system of classifying organisms.

h. examples include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.

i. kingdom of simple heterotrophic organisms; examples include mushrooms and yeast.

j. process by which plants produce their own food from the sun’s light energy.

Directions: Unscramble the vocabulary words in the fi rst column. Match the words to the defi nitions in the second column.

Documents

Class.. Plants and Fungi Guide - GVLIBRARIES.ORG 5 Classifying Plants and Fungi ... animals, and microorganisms ... Discuss the criteria they might use to group plants such as size,