Year 6 - Science
Comparing characteristics of living things
Why we group and classify living things
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit covers the classification of living things, including micro-organisms, plants, and animals, based on observable characteristics. It explores reasons for classification and focuses on planning scientific enquiries, recording data, presenting findings, and evaluating scientific evidence.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to compare the characteristics of living things and describe their similarities and differences.
Key Notes
- Anything can be observed and compared to another thing, based on similarities and differences.
- Observable characteristics are properties about things that we can describe using five senses.
- Comparing and grouping living things can help us to identify them.
Vocabulary To Learn
- observable: Something observable is something that we can see or describe using our senses.
- characteristic: A characteristic is a feature or quality of something that we can use to help identify it.
- compare: We compare things by looking at what is the same and what is different.
- similarity: A similarity is something two or more objects have in common.
- difference: A difference between two objects or things is something that is not similar or the same about them.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may only consider animals' characteristics to be observable if we can see them in a photo, rather than us also being able to observe their behaviour over time.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Anything can be observed and compared to another thing, based on similarities and differences. Observable characteristics are properties about things that we can describe using five senses.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'observable'
Something observable is something that we can see or describe using our senses. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may only consider animals' characteristics to be observable if we can see them in a photo, rather than us also being able to observe their behaviour over time. Correction: Explain that when scientists classify living things they make many observations of how that living thing moves, behaves and reproduces, as these are all characteristics we can observe to help us identify and classify things.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Carl Linnaeus and classification Study Guide
- Discovering and naming new species Study Guide
- Grouping micro-organisms Study Guide
- Growing yeast: do and review (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Growing yeast: plan (non-statutory) Study Guide
- How and why we group animals Study Guide
- How and why we group plants Study Guide
- Micro-organisms are living things Study Guide
- Micro-organisms living on food: plan and do (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Micro-organisms living on food: review (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Microorganisms that help us (non-statutory) Study Guide
- The 5 Rs (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability) Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 6 Science guide library.