The Classification of Living Things 2003
Distributed by Human Relations Media, 41 Kensico Drive, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549; 800-431-2050
Produced by Cochran Communications
Directed by Anson W. Schoat / Peter Cochran
VHS, color, 20 min.
Jr. High - Sr. High
Biology, Environmental Studies, Evolution, Genetics, Science
Date Entered: 08/06/2004
Reviewed by Christy Caldwell, Science Librarian, University of California, Santa CruzIn what can be a very dry subject, The Classification of Living Things takes our natural curiosity about how living things relate to one another, how they are different, and how we fit in, and creates an enthusiastic yet academic examination of our biological classification system.
The film begins by having us imagine a supermarket without any organization, finding the soap by the cereal, for example. It then discusses the history of classification, and how our organization of living things changes with new knowledge and tools. It also mentions that scientists are not always in total agreement about the arrangement. It describes the five Kingdoms and the various sub-groups, discusses the Latin genus-species convention, and how evolution influences classification. The film only briefly mentions how DNA and PCR (not mentioned by name) technology changed classification trees. It ends with the latest discoveries about Archaea found living in extreme conditions and the suggestions of a three Domains approach (Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya) to replace the five Kingdoms organization.
The film quality is excellent with entertaining footage. Highly recommended for junior high / high school libraries and public libraries.