Discover the diversity of animals found on the Great Barrier Reef, one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. Gain an understanding of how taxonomic classification is used for identifying animals and the hierarchical system and scientific conventions for naming species. Students will use the physical similarities and differences of particular features to group the different Reef organisms. Join the team from Reef HQ live from Townsville, for an engaging lesson tailored to the Victorian Curriculum 2.0.

The Great Barrier Reef, extends for over 2,300 kilometres (1429 miles) along the north-eastern coast of Australia and is home to over 9,000 known species. In this lesson, students will engage in classification of commonly found marine animals on the Great Barrier Reef.

There are two options for this VC:

• Fixed STEMLinc dates/times for booking this event will appear each term in the table below.
• Schools with a minimum of 3 classes wishing to book alternate dates should contact Reef HQ directly (education@gbrmpa.gov.au) to negotiate a suitable date and time. Ecolinc will cover the costs for a limited number of alternate date bookings each term.

No, however the following video resources are available:

• Classifying Reef Creatures – Introduction to Classification
• Classifying Reef Creatures- Phylum Mollusca
• Classifying Reef Creatures – Phylum Porifera
• Classifying Reef Creatures – Phylum Platyhelminthes
• Classifying Reef Creatures – Phylum Annelida
• Classifying Reef Creatures – Phylum Arthropoda
• Classifying Reef Creatures – Phylum Echinodermata
• Classifying Reef Creatures – Phylum Chordata
• Classifying Reef Creatures – Phylum Cnidaria

Please see Classification of Reef Creatures for more program details and links to additional reference materials.

No prior knowledge is required.

In this program students will:

• Develop an understanding of what classification is.
• Appreciate why we classify Reef animals and its importance.
• Learn about the major groupings of animals on the Reef.

In this video conference students will:

• Test their knowledge in an interactive classification activity.
• Interact with presenters and be able ask individual questions.
• Have access to supporting materials for pre- and/or post-event study.
• Interact with the presenter live from Reef HQ in Queensland.

Science: Science Understanding

• There are similarities and differences within and between groups of organisms living on Earth; the development and use of classification tools, including dichotomous keys, help order and organise human understanding of the diversity of life (VC2S8U01)