Classifying by Kingdoms, an Essay by Mrs. Bailey's Class

This week we finished our second whole class essay. We decided to connect our Science curriculum with our writing. What do you notice about the essay format?
What did you find interesting about classifying living things? Do you know any additional information about this topic? We'd love to learn more!



Classifying living things into kingdoms

Do you want to learn about classifying living things into kingdoms? You do not have to be a scientist to classify. You have to observe the different characteristics. After we observe the characteristics, you place them into one of the three following kingdoms: animal kingdom, fungi kingdom, or plant kingdom.
Animal kingdom is one way we can classify living things into a kingdom. One way to to classify animals is if they have a backbone or not. Foe example, a wolf has a backbone, and a slug does not have a backbone. Some animals are warm blooded and some animals are cold blooded. For example a dog is warm blooded, and snakes are cold blooded. Those are examples of ways to classify the animal kingdom.
The next kingdom we can classify using characteristics is the fungi kingdom. Fungus is a decomposer. A decomposer feeds on rotting things. Fungus grows best in the dark. We learned this from growing our own mold in the classroom. We can also eat certain kinds of fungus. For example, we can eat mushrooms, which are fungus. Fungi can travel as spores and can attach to the rotting material.
Our last kingdom to classify is the plant kingdom. We can classify plants by their roots. For example a carrot has a taproot and a flower has a fibrous root. We can also classify plants by their leaves. Leaves can be classified by size, color, shape, and texture.
As you can see there are many ways to classify living things into kingdoms. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to classify them. Classifying living things helps scientists organize the kingdoms!

E Pluribus Unum!

Throughout the year, our class will work together to write essays. We will focus on topics across the curriculum. For our first essay, we used what we are learning in Social Studies. Please enjoy our essay entitled E Pluribus Unum!

E pluribus unum! This Latin phrase means "out of many, one". It has been the United States motto for over two-hundred years! Even though we are very diverse, we all come together as one. Not only is E pluribus seen in the U.S., you also see it at work in a classroom, neighborhood/community, sports team, and family.

Our classroom shows an example of e pluribus unum. Even though we are diverse, we work together in groups to finish one project. Each person has a different job, but we all work together to keep our one room organized and clean. We work as one line in the hall, moving quietly. Each person does their individual part so our fifth grade class is seen as a bucket filler.

Neighborhoods and communities are another example of "out of many one". Every person has to work to keep it clean. To keep the neighborhood peaceful, we need many volunteers. We also work together to keep our community "green". Everyone must do their part and recycle so the whole neighborhood is kind to the environment.

E pluribus unum is also shown in sports teams. In football the eleven players on the field have to work together as one to score a touchdown. Even though there are 9 players on a baseball field, each position tries to get outs for the team. To score a goal in soccer, each player must pass the ball to other players. The individual team members do their part to score a goal for the team.

Families are another group that demonstrate e pluribus unum. One example is they set the table for dinner. Someone brings the plates and someone else might bring the forks, but they all set one table. Family members do different chores to keep the house clean. Although each person in the family is a different age, they are all still one family.

Families, classrooms, neighborhoods, and sports teams all show examples of our country's motto "E pluribus unum". It takes all kinds of people to allow these groups to be their best. To be a good member of your family, neighborhood, team, or classroom just remember "E pluribus unum"!