Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. Scientific classification can also be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks any proper scientific basis. Modern classification has its root in the work of Carolus Linnaeus, who grouped species according to shared physical characteristics. These groupings have been revised since Linnaeus to improve consistency with the Darwinian principle of common descent. Molecular systematics, which uses DNA sequences as data, has driven many recent revisions and is likely to continue to do so. Scientific classification belongs to the science of taxonomy or biological systematics.

Remembering the order

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Numerous mnemonic devices for the classification hierarchy from most to least general, e.g.

Kings Play Chess On Fine Glass Stools (and numerous variants thereof)

= Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

More on [ Scientific classification ]

Library of Congress: News for Teachers

Ideas for National Newspaper Week
Did you know that October 5-11 is National Newspaper Week? Want to include historic newspapers in your classroom activities? Here are resources from the Library of Congress Web site. Chronicling America http://www.loc.gov/chroniclingamerica/ Provides access to pages from several historic American newspapers from 1880-1910 as well as information on American newspapers published between 1690 and the present day. Stars and Stripes http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/sgphtml/sashtml/sashome.html Published for members of the armed forces, this collection includes copies of The Stars and Stripes from 1918-1919 that document events from World War I. Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/rotogravures/ A new printing process created in the early 1900s, rotogravure printing produced richly detailed, high quality illustrations and allowed newspapers to create new pictorial sections. This collection includes an illustrated history of World War I selected from newspaper rotogravure sections that graphically documents the people, places, and events important to the war. Photographs from the Chicago Daily News, 1902-1933 http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/ichihtml/cdnhome.html A collection of photographs taken by the photographers of the Chicago Daily News. Publishing the Declaration of Independence http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/journey/declaration.html This webcast focuses on the role of early American newspapers in distributing the text of the Declaration of Independence and in leading the charge for independence. Witness and Response http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/911/911-serial.html See how newspapers documented the tragic events of September 11, 2001. American Journalism Webcast http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=3929 Listen to writer W. Joseph Campbell talk about the events of the year 1897 and how they changed the way journalists cover the news. The People’s Art http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/peoplesart.html Watch a webcast featuring Julie Goldsmith, Manager of the Chicago Tribune Historical Collection at Michigan State University, where she discusses how the Chicago Tribune newspaper developed mass production techniques to help bring color and art to their newspaper.
The Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature
The Hispanic Division and the Center for the book invite everyone to join them and the Consortium of Latin American Studies program for the awarding of the Americas Award for Children and Young Adult Literature to Pat Mora and Rafael López the author and illustrator of Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! America’s Sproutings and Laura Resau, the author of Red Glass. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 4th from 10am-12 at the Mumford Room in the James Madison Building at the Library of Congress. The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. Please call 202-707-2013 to confirm your attendance. We hope you can join us.
National Book Festival and Young Readers Toolkit
Please join us at the National Book Festival September 27th on the National Mall. Among some 70 authors and illustrators participating this year are Tiki Barber, Marc Brown, R. L. Stein, Judith Viorst, Sharon Draper, Neil Gaiman, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Robert Sabuda, Dorren Cronin and Steven Kellogg. Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and Pat Ryan, the new Poet Laureate, will also be in attendance. Also meet illustrator Jan Brett who created this year’s Book Festival poster. Make sure to visit the Library of Congress Pavilion to learn about the new Library of Congress experience, the World Digital Library, our collaboration with Flickr and how to preserve your home library. Visit the Pavilion of the States to learn about reading programs in your state and the Let’s Read America Pavilion with fun activities to spur families to enjoy reading. For those who cannot attend the book festival think about planning one of your own. The Young Readers’ Toolkit helps to bring the National Book Festival into libraries, schools and homes across the country. The Toolkit features information about National Book Festival authors who write for children and teens, podcasts of their readings, teaching tools and activities for kids. This interactive resource also shows educators, parents and children how they can host their own book festival. The Young Readers Toolkit can be found at http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/2008/toolkit/
Celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day - Friday, September 19th
Does your school celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day? Here are some links to pirate resources to add some educational heft to a fun activity: Watch one of the webcasts from the day long symposium on Pirates and Corsairs of the Americas in History and Literature. Find the list at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/webcasts.html Explore the book The Buccaneers of America from the Exploring the Early Americas collection http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/earlyamericas/buccaneers/html/. Also share maps documenting early treasure ships and the treasures they found and the work that was done to stop pirates in the Americas at <http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/earlyamericas/online/aftermath/aftermath2.html#object119> Read Gerald Gawalt’s Essay on the Barbary Pirates at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjprece.html Play some pirate related sheet music. The Music for the Nation collection http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/smhtml/smhome.html has the Pirates March and the Pirates Cave March. Or listen to the song Down Around the Coast of La Barbaree from the California Gold Collection. <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cowellbib:@field(NUMBER+@band(afccc+a3812b1))> Watch an Edison Film of Police Arresting Pirates <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(lcmp002+m2b48027))>
Constitution Day Resources and Internet Archive Project
Here are two special announcements: Apply to be part of the Internet Archive k-12 project http://www.loc.gov/teachers/ Could your school be one of 10 middle or high schools helping to capture and archive today’s primary source materials on the Web? A small number of individuals and institutions recognize the importance of archiving and preserving the often transitory digital cultural artifacts that are distributed over the Web. But so far, the vast majority of decisions about what Web sites will live into the future have been made by adults, and reflect adults’ sensibilities about what constitutes the important stuff of history. The Internet Archive, the Library of Congress and California Digital Library are collaborating on a project that explores archiving the Web from the perspective of adolescents. Find a complete project description and the brief application in the "Featured Resources" section at http://www.loc.gov/teachers/. Apply by September 30 for full consideration. Constitution Day Resources from the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/teachers/constitution.html In celebration of Constitution Day, the Library of Congress has compiled a variety of materials from across its collections. This year, the Library introduced two lesson plan that help students analyze drafts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights to discover the process involved in creating the new nation. New online activities for secondary students help students connect particular phrases and ideas set down in these two documents with the texts that preceded them. A third new online activity for elementary students helps them get acquainted with some of the words related to the founding documents of the United States. Explore these rich resources and features to learn more about one of America’s most important documents.
Portals to the World
Looking for information about foreign countries? Visit Portals to the World to find links to high quality websites vetted by Library of Congress staff members. Many of them are in the language of the country; perfect for those teaching foreign languages.

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