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Science•SHS Integrated Science: Cells & Diversity of Life

Diversity & classification

Senior High 6 questions
AI-drafted from platform data — specialist review scheduledBy DigiTransact Mastermind editorial teamLast updated
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What diversity & classification means

You learn how living things are grouped and how body organisation is arranged from simple to more complex levels. This helps you identify organisms correctly and answer questions on food making, backbone presence, and classification order.

What you will practise

  • Place organisms into the correct taxonomic group
  • Arrange classification ranks from largest to smallest
  • Identify autotrophs and other feeding types
  • Distinguish vertebrates from invertebrates
  • Link cells, tissues, organs, and systems

Before you start

You should already know basic living and non-living things, and simple features of plants and animals. It also helps if you can name common body parts and tell green plants from animals.

Not confident yet? Work through Cell structure & function first.

Worked example

One question from this skill's own question bank, shown with its full working.

Question

The correct order of classification from largest to smallest is:

  • Species, Genus, Family, Kingdom
  • Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
  • Genus, Species, Kingdom
  • Order, Class, Kingdom
Answer: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Working: This is the standard hierarchy of biological classification.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Mixing up the order of classification ranks. Learn the sequence from kingdom to species.
  • Calling all plants autotrophs without checking the organism. Some organisms use other feeding methods.
  • Thinking any animal with a hard outer covering has a backbone. A backbone is an internal vertebral column.
  • Confusing levels of organisation with classification ranks. Cells, tissues and organs are different from kingdom, class and species.

Curriculum and exam alignment

Ghana GES SHS syllabusWASSCE

This topic normally appears in SHS 1-3 under cells, diversity of life, and basic biological classification. It supports the type of understanding often tested in WASSCE questions on grouping organisms and levels of organisation.

Curriculum notes are a general guide to where this work normally sits. Always check the syllabus your school or examination body is currently using.

Related skills

Other SHS Integrated Science: Cells & Diversity of Life skills in Science, at the same point in the course.

Other Science topics

Living Things Around UsSHS SciencesUniversity ScienceBiologyChemistryPhysics

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Exams that assess diversity & classification

Senior High work on this skill feeds directly into these exam papers. Each page lists the Science topics that appear on it.

WASSCEWASSCE practice questionsFree WASSCE practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.GESGES practice questionsFree GES practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.BECEBECE practice questionsListed as a related subject on the BECE practice page.

How this page was produced

This text was drafted with AI assistance from the questions and topics already stored on the platform. A subject-specialist review is scheduled but has not yet been recorded, so we do not claim it here.

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6 questions with a worked answer after every attempt, and a SmartScore that tracks how close you are to mastery.

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