KS3, KS4 & Post-16: What's so important about names?

Giving something a name allows us to talk about it. Names are important not only for people, but also for the plants we cultivate in our gardens. In the early days of botany plants were given long Latin phrases for names that described their particular features. As more plants became known, names tended to become longer, and much more difficult to remember and use. Then, in the 18th century, a Swedish biologist named Carl Linnaeus developed and popularised a two‐name (binomial) system for all plants (genus and species). His system is still in use today.

Through this worksheet, students will cover the topics of classification and taxonomy, understand the importance of Linnaeus's contribution to science and will make and use identification keys.

Worksheet
KS3 worksheet 02a: What's so important about names?

Worksheet
KS4 & Post-16 worksheet 02b: What's so important about names?