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Classification and Taxonomy Worksheet with Answers (Grade 11 Biology)

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📄 Classification and Taxonomy Worksheet with Answers (Grade 11 Biology)

A free printable classification and taxonomy worksheet for Grade 11 biology.

This free classification and taxonomy worksheet shows students how biologists organize millions of species. Students put the eight levels of classification in order, read a table comparing humans, grey wolves, domestic cats and coyotes, and fix scientific names that break the rules of binomial nomenclature.

They then complete a table of the six kingdoms and three domains, read a vertebrate cladogram, and explain why scientific names exist, why classification changes and why viruses have no kingdom.

Grade 11 Biology
26 marks
40–50 minutes
Full answer key

What's in This Taxonomy Worksheet

Part	Skill practised	Marks
A	Order the levels of classification	2
B	Read a classification table	4
C	Binomial nomenclature	2
D	The six kingdoms and three domains	6
E	Read a cladogram	4
F	Thinking about classification	6
G	Spot the mistake	2

It supports the Ontario Grade 11 biology curriculum expectations in the Diversity of Living Things unit.

Levels of Classification

Taxonomy sorts living things into eight nested levels, from the broadest group to the most specific: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. The further down two organisms match, the more closely related they are. Part B of the taxonomy worksheet uses this table:

Level	Human	Grey wolf	Domestic cat	Coyote
Domain	Eukarya	Eukarya	Eukarya	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia	Animalia	Animalia	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata	Chordata	Chordata	Chordata
Class	Mammalia	Mammalia	Mammalia	Mammalia
Order	Primates	Carnivora	Carnivora	Carnivora
Family	Hominidae	Canidae	Felidae	Canidae
Genus	Homo	Canis	Felis	Canis
Species	sapiens	lupus	catus	latrans

All four are mammals, but the grey wolf and coyote match all the way down to the genus Canis, so they are the closest relatives in the table. The cat and the wolf part ways after the order Carnivora. For a deeper look, see taxonomic rank on Wikipedia.

Binomial Nomenclature

Carl Linnaeus gave every species a two-part scientific name: the genus followed by the species. The genus is capitalized, the species is lowercase, and the whole name is italicized (or underlined when handwritten). So Homo sapiens is correct, but "homo Sapiens" and "Ursus Maritimus" are not. Scientific names matter because one species can have many common names: the cougar, puma and mountain lion are all Puma concolor. Part C of the taxonomy worksheet asks students to spot and fix rule breaks.

Six Kingdoms and Three Domains

Most Ontario textbooks use six kingdoms grouped into three domains. The two prokaryote kingdoms each have their own domain, and all eukaryotes share the domain Eukarya.

Kingdom	Domain	Cell type	Number of cells	Nutrition	Example
Eubacteria	Bacteria	Prokaryotic	Unicellular	Autotroph or heterotroph	E. coli
Archaebacteria	Archaea	Prokaryotic	Unicellular	Autotroph or heterotroph	Methanogens in hot springs
Protista	Eukarya	Eukaryotic	Mostly unicellular	Autotroph or heterotroph	Amoeba, algae
Fungi	Eukarya	Eukaryotic	Mostly multicellular	Heterotroph (absorbs food)	Mushroom, yeast
Plantae	Eukarya	Eukaryotic	Multicellular	Autotroph (photosynthesis)	Sugar maple
Animalia	Eukarya	Eukaryotic	Multicellular	Heterotroph (ingests food)	Grey wolf

Fungi are a classic trap on any taxonomy worksheet: they were once grouped with plants, but they can't photosynthesize, their cell walls contain chitin, and DNA shows they are more closely related to animals. To practise identifying organisms, try the dichotomous key worksheet, and for a closer look at prokaryotes, the viruses and bacteria worksheet.

Cladograms

A cladogram is a branching diagram that groups organisms by shared derived traits, features that appeared in a common ancestor and were passed on. Each trait marked on the main line is shared by every organism that branches off after it.

In the taxonomy worksheet cladogram, the lancelet has none of the traits, so it is the outgroup. The lamprey has vertebrae but no jaws, the frog has vertebrae, jaws and lungs, and the lizard and cat share the amniotic egg, which makes them each other's closest relatives here. Cladograms connect classification to evolution, covered in the natural selection worksheet.

Taxonomy Worksheet Practice Questions

These questions match the taxonomy worksheet PDF, which has the full classification table, kingdom chart, cladogram and ruled answer space.

Part A – Levels of Classification

Question 1: put these levels in order from broadest to most specific: order, kingdom, species, phylum, genus, domain, family, class.

Part B – Reading a Classification Table

Which two organisms are most closely related? Explain how you know.
What is the most specific level that all four organisms share?
What is the most specific level shared by the domestic cat and the grey wolf?
Write the scientific name of the coyote correctly.

Part C – Binomial Nomenclature

Homo sapiens
homo Sapiens
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Ursus Maritimus (polar bear)

Part D – The Six Kingdoms

Questions 10–15: complete the missing domain, cell type, number of cells, nutrition and example for each kingdom.

Part E – Reading a Cladogram

Which derived trait is shared by the frog, lizard and cat, but not the perch?
Which organism is most closely related to the lizard?
Which organism has vertebrae but no jaws?
List every derived trait the frog has.

Part F – Thinking About Classification

The cougar is also called the puma and the mountain lion, but it has only one scientific name, Puma concolor. Give two reasons scientists use scientific names instead of common names. (2 marks)
Fungi were once classified as plants. Today DNA evidence shows fungi are more closely related to animals. Explain why classification systems change over time. (2 marks)
Why are viruses not placed in any of the six kingdoms? (2 marks)

Part G – Spot the Mistake

A student writes: “Organisms in the same class are more closely related than organisms in the same genus.” Explain the error and correct it.
A student writes: “Mushrooms are plants because they grow in soil and don't move.” Explain the error and correct it.

Taxonomy Worksheet Answer Key

Open each part of the taxonomy worksheet answers to check your work. The printable key is at the end of the PDF.

Part A answer (Q1)

Domain → Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species

Part B answers (Q2–5)

The grey wolf and coyote: they share every level down to the same genus (Canis).
Class (Mammalia)
Order (Carnivora)
Canis latrans (or underlined when handwritten)

Part C answers (Q6–9)

Yes
No: Homo sapiens: genus capitalized, species lowercase
Yes
No: Ursus maritimus: species name is lowercase

Part D answers (Q10–15)

Eubacteria: Bacteria, prokaryotic, unicellular, autotroph or heterotroph; e.g. E. coli
Archaebacteria: Archaea, prokaryotic, unicellular, autotroph or heterotroph; e.g. Methanogens in hot springs
Protista: Eukarya, eukaryotic, mostly unicellular, autotroph or heterotroph; e.g. Amoeba, algae
Fungi: Eukarya, eukaryotic, mostly multicellular, heterotroph (absorbs food); e.g. Mushroom, yeast
Plantae: Eukarya, eukaryotic, multicellular, autotroph (photosynthesis); e.g. Sugar maple
Animalia: Eukarya, eukaryotic, multicellular, heterotroph (ingests food); e.g. Grey wolf

Part E answers (Q16–19)

Lungs
Cat (they share the most recent common ancestor)
Lamprey
vertebrae, jaws, lungs

Part F answers (Q20–22)

Any two: each species has one unique name used worldwide; common names change between languages and regions; one common name can refer to different species; the genus shows relationships between species.
Classification is based on the best evidence available. New tools such as DNA sequencing and microscopy reveal relationships that body structure alone could not, so groups are revised.
Viruses are not made of cells and cannot grow or reproduce on their own; they only reproduce inside a host cell, so they do not meet the characteristics of living things.

Part G answers (Q23–24)

It is the reverse. Genus is a more specific level, so organisms in the same genus share more traits and a more recent common ancestor than organisms that only share a class.
Fungi are heterotrophs: they cannot photosynthesize and absorb food from their surroundings. Their cell walls contain chitin, not cellulose, so they belong in kingdom Fungi.

5 Common Mistakes on a Taxonomy Worksheet

Mixing up the order of levels. Class comes before order: “Came Over.”
Capitalizing the species name. It's Ursus maritimus, not Ursus Maritimus.
Thinking a shared class means a close relationship. The more specific the shared level, the closer the relationship.
Calling fungi plants. Fungi are heterotrophs with chitin cell walls.
Reading a cladogram left to right as "older to newer." Relationships come from shared branch points, not position on the page.

How to Use This Taxonomy Worksheet in Class

Lesson 1: Parts A–C of the taxonomy worksheet. Start by having students sort a bag of hardware or snacks into groups to see why we need levels.
Lesson 2: Parts D–G, then have students build a cladogram for five organisms of their choice.

Review with the biological kingdoms quiz and the bacteria quiz.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this taxonomy worksheet free?

Yes. The worksheet and its answer key are free to download and print as a PDF, with no account needed.

What are the eight levels of classification?

From broadest to most specific: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. A common memory aid is “Dear King Philip Came Over For Good Soup.”

How do you write a scientific name correctly?

Write the genus with a capital letter and the species in lowercase, and italicize both words, as in Homo sapiens. When writing by hand, underline the name instead.

What is the difference between domains and kingdoms?

Domains are the broadest level. The three domains are Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya. The six kingdoms fit inside them: Eubacteria in Bacteria, Archaebacteria in Archaea, and Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia in Eukarya.

What does a cladogram show?

A cladogram shows how groups of organisms are related through shared derived traits. Organisms that branch off closer together share a more recent common ancestor.

More Free Grade 11 Biology Resources

Ready to start? Download the free classification and taxonomy worksheet PDF (use the Download button above), print it double-sided and keep the key for marking.