There are six kingdoms that all have different properties and vary widely. These are Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists, Bacteria, and Archaea. In this activity, students will create a chart that describes each kingdom and provides examples of organisms that fall into that kingdom. Students should include the major properties of that kingdom and a short description of the organism they selected.
To make this activity more accessible to struggling or younger students, give the students the names of different living things and have them sort the organisms into the six kingdoms. Alternatively, require only animals, plants, and fungi.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Identify the different kingdoms and provide a written and visual example.
Guide students in building simple dichotomous keys to classify living things. Hands-on practice helps deepen understanding of the six kingdoms and encourages critical thinking about scientific classification.
Use familiar items like pencils, erasers, and books for students to practice making basic classification keys before applying the concept to organisms. This scaffolds learning and builds student confidence.
Demonstrate how to write simple yes/no questions that split items into groups. Example: "Does it have leaves?" for plants. This clarifies how classification keys work.
Challenge students to design a basic dichotomous key that sorts a set of sample organisms into the correct kingdom. Encourage them to focus on visible differences and defining characteristics.
Pair up students to try out each other's keys using the same set of organisms. Peer feedback helps them refine their questions and understandings.
The six kingdoms in scientific classification are Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists, Bacteria, and Archaea. Each kingdom includes organisms with unique characteristics and roles in nature.
To teach students to sort organisms into the six kingdoms, provide them with names or images of various living things. Have students research and match each organism to its correct kingdom based on major properties, encouraging discussion and reasoning.
An easy classroom activity is to have students create a chart or visual organizer with the six kingdoms as headings. Students can research example organisms, write short descriptions, and include images for each kingdom.
Examples include: Lion (Animalia), Oak tree (Plantae), Mushroom (Fungi), Amoeba (Protista), Streptococcus (Bacteria), and Halobacterium (Archaea).
For younger or struggling students, focus on just animals, plants, and fungi. Provide example organisms and use matching or sorting games to build understanding in a fun, accessible way.