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KS2 Science textbook

Chapter 2: Classifying living things

  • Strand Living things and their habitats
  • Level Year 6
  • Practice 92 questions with step-by-step solutions

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 science, Year 6. Content: LH1 describe how living things are classified into broad groups by common observable characteristics, including micro-organisms, plants and animals, LH2 give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics.

Open Year 6 chapter

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Sort living things into the broad groups of plants, animals and micro-organisms
  • Sort plants into flowering plants, conifers, ferns and mosses, using flowers, seeds and cones
  • Sort vertebrates into fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and recognise invertebrates
  • Describe micro-organisms, and explain why they need a microscope
  • Use a yes/no classification key to identify an animal, and write a new key question
  • Give reasons for a group, using specific characteristics

You should already know

  • Living things and their needs (Year 5 Science)
  • Fair tests and tables from Chapter 1 of this book

Where this leads

  • Classification in the Year 6 evolution and inheritance chapters, and in Key Stage 3 biology

Lessons in this chapter

  1. 2.1 Sorting living things into groups
  2. 2.2 Plants
  3. 2.3 Animals with and without a backbone
  4. 2.4 Micro-organisms
  5. 2.5 Using a classification key
  6. Summary and key words
  7. Check-up and practice test questions

Read the whole chapter on one page (good for printing).