|
REFERENCES and
|
||
Alspaugh, Maria, 1997. "Delphinus delphis (Common Dolphin): Narrative" Arnold, Delena, 1997. "Tremarctos ornatus (Spectacled Bear): Narrative" Austin, Oliver Jr., 1961. Birds of the World. Golden Press. Ballinger, Liz, 1997. "Ursus arctos (Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear): Narrative"
Ballinger, Liz, and Lindsley, Tracy, 1997. "Tursiops truncatus Biohaven, 1996. "Quick Reference Key to Insect Order Characters" Biondo, Georgia, 1997. "Helarctos malayanus (Sun Bear): Narrative"
Choate, P.M., 2000. "Selected Keys for the Identification of Major Orders
Ciszek, Debbie, 1997. "Meles meles (Eurasian Badger): Narrative" Cloyd, Emily, 1997. "Globicephala macrorhynchus: Narrative" Delphinidae Family, 1997 (No author), Animal Diversity Web, Earle, Christopher, Ed., 1999. "Gymnosperm Database." Fuller, Pam, 1999. "Noninidiginous (sic) fishes -
Mugilidae" USGS. Hathaway, Heather, 1997. "Ursus maritimus (Polar Bear): Narrative" Hiller, Cortney, 1997. "Mellivora capensis (Ratel, Honey Badger): Jahn, Theodore L., Bovee, Eugene C., Jahn, Frances F., 1983. Kronk, Christine, 1997. "Ursus americanus (American Black Bear): Myers, Phil, 1997. Various Family Descriptions, Animal Diversity Web, Palkovacs, Eric, 1997. "Okapia johnstoni (Okapi): Narrative" Phillips, Raymond B., 1995. "Flowering Plant Family Recognition." Platanistidae Family, 1997 (No author), Animal Diversity Web, Sessine, Suzanne, 1997. "Orcinus orca (Killer Whale): Narrative" Shark Classification, 1998 (No author), Enchanted Learning Software, Shefferly, Nancy, 1997. "Taxidea taxus (North American Badger): Trivial Knowledge, 1999 (No author),
Swishweb, Trumpeter Swan Society, 2000. "Swan Identification"
Yoo, Rebecca, 1997. "Melursus ursinus (Sloth Bear): Narrative"
I'm certain that not all of my choices are going to be acceptable to persons expert in certain areas - in groups outside my expertise I've had to rely on sources. If I've misspelled something, or you think that you can give a more understandable description for a group (my plant sources were pretty sparse), please let me know! _________________________________________________________________
|
||
| ADVICE FOR INSTRUCTORS: | ||
|
The Classification Key Lab Exercise - The key is designed to work best in the Northeastern United States with a combination of organisms gathered locally, common laboratory specimens, and picture specimens. Students with a reasonable command of English should be able to follow the key with minimal aid - I've used it with American junior high, high school, and college students. It can be quite difficult for students whose first language is not English. The students are given answer sheets (not quite like the linked page, but similar) with the taxonomic groups already on them, and work in a lab with index cards* assigning a "common name" to every specimen. This is why the key may just give a common name without much description occasionally. I run the lab by requiring 8 specimens be identified (in a 3-hour lab session), and in that 8 there must be 2 specimens that are currently alive (I bring specimens in and have many animals in the lab), 2 specimens under microscopes, 2 specimens under dissecting 'scopes, and 1 specimen from a photograph. Often, specimens can fit 2 requirements simultaneously, such as live specimen under 'scopes - once students have their requirements met, they can finish out their 8 with preserved specimens or whatever. This is also a lab that can provide bonus points - extra i.d.'s or advanced work - I use a bonus station with an additional book key (trematodes) as well. I like them to write down their "pathway" of numbers as they go along but don't insist on it. I usually start the lab with a demonstration for the class using humans as the organism to be identified - it takes us well into the key and goes through several decisions that they will usually hit several times themselves when they are doing the exercise, such as digestive systems, worminess, shell or not, et cetera, and also gives me a chance to warn them that the only taxonomic group not labeled is species - I expect them to recognize a species name as such.
* I use the cards to include parenthetical notes to get students past "hard choices," such as whether a digestive system has one or two openings, or to remind them that turtles do not have exoskeletons.
_________________________________________________ THE KEY was developed from the sources given, plus a long background in (mostly invertebrate) zoology. There are many variations on taxonomic systems, with sometimes huge disagreements on what goes where; what has wound up in this key is a combination of a) accessible information, b) clearly-delineated groupings, and c) differences that could be determined by a student with good reading skills but no taxonomic training.
|
||
First Written 1986; Last Update 2008; Web Version 2001, M. McDarby