Grouping and classifying ladybirds

In these activities, your class will compare and contrast different ladybirds by grouping them. They will then construct and use a ladybird classification key.

Students will also recognise that there is variation within a species and that looking for key features can help with classification.

This content is part of a larger set of activities on Grouping and classifying ladybirds.

About this resource

Resource type: worksheet
Theme: Animal and human bodies
Key Stage: KS2

Learning outcomes

Grouping ladybirds:

in science it’s important to be specific and use appropriate language when recording observations
living things can be grouped by their features. (colour and pattern of elytra and legs, size etc)
there is more than one type of ladybird

Make a branching key:

the process of grouping living things based on their similarities and differences is called classification
you can use a classification key to help decide which group something belongs to
in science it is important to be specific and use appropriate language to record observations so other scientists understand what you mean

Branching key challenge:

living things can be grouped in different ways
when living things are grouped according to relatedness, a species is the smallest group living things can be divided into
each species is defined by specific key features
not all members of a species are identical. There is variation