Grade 6 Science Unit on Biodiversity The 5 Kingdom Grade 6 Science Unit on Biodiversity

What is a Kingdom Biologist today have classified and divided all living things into five groups they call Kingdoms. These kingdoms are based on how living things are the same and how they are different. It is important that you understand that biologists are still learning about our world, and are making new discoveries every single day. As our knowledge about the world around us improves, scientists might find a better way to organize and classify life. As a result, these five kingdoms may someday change.

The 5 Kingdoms The five kingdoms currently accepted by most (but not all) scientists are: the Monera Kingdom, the Protist Kingdom, the Fungi Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom, and the Animal Kingdom.

Monera The Monera Kingdom consists of unicellular life forms. Unicellular means that they only have one cell. Monera cells are far simpler and more basic than the cells of other life forms. These cells have no nucleus, and are also missing many of the organelles, or parts, commonly found in other cells. For this reason, monerans are thought to be very distantly related to other life forms.

Characteristics of Monera *1 cell
*no true nucleus - prokaryote (genetic material scattered and not enclosed by a membrane)
*some move (flagellum); others don't
*some make their own food (autotrophic); others can't make their own food (heterotrophic)
*EXAMPLE - bacteria, blue-green bacteria (cyanobacteria)

Protista The Protista Kingdom consists of unicellular lifeforms (lifeforms with only one cell) who have a nucleus. The primary difference between protists and monera is that protists are more complex, having a nucleus. Many protists appear to be both plant and animal. Like plants, they are green, and can create their own food. However, like animals, they have moving body parts and are able to move around their environments.

Characteristics of Protists *1 cell
*have a true nucleus - eukaryote
*some move (cilia, flagella, pseudopodia); others don't
*some are autotrophic; others are heterotrophic 
*EXAMPLE –Algae

Fungi The Fungi Kingdom is made up of a variety of different fungi. For many years, it was believed that fungi were plants. Today we know that fungi are different from plants in some very important ways. First, unlike plants, fungi cannot make their own food. They must rely on other food sources to support them. There are also differences in the basic makeup and chemistry of their cells.

Characteristics of Fungi *multicellular 
*have nuclei
*mainly do not move from place to place
*heterotrophic (food is digested outside of fungus)
*EXAMPLE - mushroom

Plants The Plantae Kingdom is made up of all the plants that you see each day. Most plants are multi- cellular, meaning that they consist of many cells. Different types of plants include trees, grass, flowers, and some types of algae. Plants use the light from the Sun to produce their own food. This allows them to grow almost anywhere, as long as there is enough water.

Characteristics of Plants *multicellular
*have nuclei
*do not move 
*autotrophic
*EXAMPLE - Trees

Animals Like many other life forms, animals are multi-cellular. These cells come together, forming tissues, organs and organ systems, that help sustain the life of the animal. From elephants to snails, animals come in many shapes and sizes, and can be found all over the world. Animals cannot make their own food. They must rely on other living things, such as plants, fungi, and other animals to sustain them. Without other food sources, animals could not survive.

Characteristics of Animals *multicellular
*have nuclei
*do move 
*heterotrophic
*EXAMPLES: Dogs

Task… Review the 5 Kingdoms and fill out the online activity You will need to define each kingdom in your own words, find two NEW examples, and a pictures for each example