Living things & their habitats
The same key skill, now on things too small to see — sorting bacteria, viruses and fungi by their shape.
⏱ Whole lesson ≈ 44 min · pick a tier in the bar, or leave on "All"
Whiteboard task as you come in — recap of last lesson: microorganisms.
Tick the microorganisms:
Explain how one microorganism can be helpful and harmful.
Pose the puzzle. Take quick ideas.
You can't hold a microbe or watch it walk. So how could scientists possibly classify them into groups?
We classify animals by their features. Do microbes have features too? Yes / No.
Name one feature you could use to sort microbes (hint: think about shape).
Why might classifying microbes be harder than classifying animals? What would scientists need?
Teacher models — the same key skill, new subject. Watch, then read a key.
Swap the clip: change the ID after /embed/ (now 1xkJIr1XUaE).
Build a shape key together.
Reveal the three shapes and gather key questions.
Microbes have shapes too — that's how we classify them.
Watch for: "microbes can't be classified" — they can, by shape and features, just like animals and plants.
Classify described microbes together.
"round and spiky" · "oval with a tail" · "long branching tubes"
On your own. Sort each shape card, then answer the big question at your tier.
Tap a shape card to sort it…
Sort the cards. Then finish:
Sort all three. Write a yes/no question that would identify each type.
Build a classification key that sorts all three microbe types by shape. Draw the branches.
Answer at your tier, then hand it in.
🧭 Answer the block question: How can animals, plants and microorganisms be identified, grouped and classified?