Why do most teachers of biology shun teaching topics like classification of organisms, even when the topic is in the syllabus? One of the reasons is that the topic is taught in abstract. This is a topic that can be taught out-door; for instance, when looking at different kingdoms and/or phyla(or divisions), a visit to a botanic garden with the learners would be ideal. Secondly, the teacher should have adequate knowledge of the topic; do a wide research on it. Find out what biological classification is all about; what latest information is there concerning the topic. Having all the data; survey several habitats where you can collect specimen of different organisms or where you can have a field study with your biology pupils. You must ensure you prepare for the topic too; prepare adequate lesson plans, lesson notes, teaching aids, inter alia! A good introduction to your lesson will definately captivate your learners attention; so be creative in this area. I would suggest a microscope slide showing a named micro-organism! You may ask questions related to he micro-organism. You may also present plants, insects, snakes(ofcourse not live ones, but in fomalin), you can just bring diverse organisms and ask pupils questions on that. Using different ways of instruction, you can encourage pupils to find out about the different organisms before them. Say you pick our a housefly, you tell pupils that it belongs to a big group called the animal kingdom; you then go further to discuss why it belongs to this kingdom. Having done so, proceed to its phylum, order , class, genus and species name! You must use the Carl Linneaus system of nomenclature. Your lesson can proceed to the practical aspect where pupils pick out organisms and classify them. It would be more exciting if these organisms are in their natural habitat; a river, for example. Drawings of these organisms adds to the fun. As a teacher of biology, youre an observer as well as moderator. As much as u moderate, encourage learners to discover more on their own. At the end of your lesson, you can consolidate the lesson by asking presentations from a few pupils. Finally, you the teacher summarises the lesson; and then evaluation, via class exercise! This should be fun, really!!! 
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 00:47:43 +0000
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