Look for evidence, not just appearance

For the plants and animals in this activity, look for needs (water, food and air), growth, response to changes, and reproduction. A single picture cannot show all of these. Use the case notes too.

Green plants make food using light. They do not take ready-made food from soil. Movement, size and where something lives are not enough on their own to decide its group.

Flowering plants produce flowers. Non-flowering plants do not. Ferns reproduce by spores. A flowering plant may have no flowers at the time you see it.

Animal clues: fish—fins and gills; amphibians—consider moist skin and the life cycle; birds—feathers; mammals—mothers produce milk for young; reptiles—dry, scaly skin; insects—six legs and three main body parts. Use a combination of features.

Fungi: mushrooms, mould and yeast are living things, but are not plants. Bacteria: tiny living organisms; most cannot be seen without a microscope. Not every tiny organism is a bacterium, and some bacteria live without oxygen.

Care for living things

Observe without harming. Do not withhold food, water or air to test whether something is alive. Do not touch or grow unknown fungi or bacteria. These are illustrated cases, not live experiments.

Your evidence and marks

Each case has 2 marks: 1 for classification and 1 for choosing useful evidence. First checks and latest checks are kept separately. Viewing clues is the normal task, not a hint. A recheck follows feedback, so it is not a fresh independent attempt. The field guide and hints are recorded as support.

Think further · discuss with your teacher

A plant has no flowers today. Is that enough to call it non-flowering? What extra evidence would you ask for? This discussion is unscored.

Diagrams are simplified and not to scale. Case facts represent these examples; they are not complete identification keys for all organisms. No time limit. Use Tab, Enter and arrow keys, or tap the controls.

Only meaningful observations and submitted choices are recorded. Latest 80 actions retained; up to 3 earlier-round summaries kept.