Living things: Classifying big and small
Classifying living things by exploring how vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and micro-organisms are grouped according to shared characteristics.
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Living things: Classifying big and small
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Define the term ‘organism’ and name the seven life processes of all living things.
- Describe the work of Carl Linnaeus.
- Define the term ‘vertebrate’ and name the vertebrate groups.
- Describe the characteristics of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
- Compare the characteristics of the vertebrate groups.
- Define the term ‘invertebrate’.
- Describe the characteristics of worms, snails, spiders and insects.
- Compare the characteristics of the invertebrate groups.
- Name the plant groups.
- Describe the characteristics of flowering plants, ferns, mosses and conifers.
- Define the term ‘micro-organism’ and name some examples.
When working scientifically pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Use a classification key to group and identify organisms.
- Make a simple classification key.
Please note that Kapow Primary Science lessons are designed to be 1 hour and 30 minutes long, to reflect the requirements of a core subject.
Suggested prior learning
Living things: Classification and changing habitats
Get startedLessons
Lesson 1: Carl Linnaeus and classification
Lesson 2: Cold-blooded vertebrates
Lesson 3: Warm-blooded vertebrates
Lesson 4: Invertebrates
Lesson 5: Plants
Lesson 6: Micro-organisms
Key skills
Equipment list
Equipment needed across all lessons in this unit.
This list does not include equipment which is usually readily available in the classroom (e.g pencils, A4 paper etc)
Full equipment list for the subject
Related content
Unit resources
Knowledge organiser – Science Y6: Living things: Classifying big and small
Aimed at pupils, two pages providing key facts and definitions from the unit ‘Classifying big and small’.
Vocabulary display – Science Y6: Living things: Classifying big and small
A display version of the vocabulary from the unit 'Classifying big and small'.
Cross-curricular opportunities
British values: mutual respect.
Art: clay sculpture.
English: writing.