KS5 Plant taxonomy

Taxonomy can be a challenging topic to teach. Bring your class to Wakehurst where we can deliver your taxonomy learning outcomes in an engaging and practical way using materials from our world-famous Herbarium.

This session makes up a half day or part of a full day visit that is tailored to suit the needs of your group and is planned in detail with a Wakehurst teacher prior to the visit. One other workshop makes up a full day visit.

Learning outcomes

Educational visits at Wakehurst support and enhance the curriculum offered in schools and colleges. We aim to give pupils opportunities that are difficult or impossible to create in the school or college environment.

We design our sessions to match the learning outcomes in the national curriculum and exam board specifications.

This session offers pupils the opportunity to:

• Understand the needs and processes of classification and the hierarchies involved in taxonomy.
• Understand the development of classification from ancient times to modern systems of phylogeny.
• Use observation skills to produce a data matrix and a dichotomous key.
• Understand the importance of the binomial system.
• Consider the role of taxonomy in the conservation of threatened species.

Curriculum links 

This KS5 visit supports and enhances the curriculum offered in schools and colleges.