Classification and Partition

A pattern that operates like a filing system that sorts out ideas and establishes relationships is classification and partition.

There are methods of organizing information into groups or classes wherein each class or group possesses some common feature

Engines, for example, may be grouped according to cylinder arrangement and number of cylinders.

Students may be classified according to courses, year level, or areas of specialization

Classification and Partition Defined

Since classification is the orderly, systematic arrangement of related things following a governing principle or basis, students should get acquainted with terms like genus and species.

A genus is a class; a species is a subdivision within a class.

If chemistry is the genus, organic chemistry and bio-chemistry are the species.

The initial step in classification brings together related items; it forms groups from individual items

Partition or division breaks down a unit into its component parts.

A house can be divided or partitioned into its parts: foundation, walls, ceiling, roof, etc.

Houses can be classified according to architectural style, materials of construction, etc.

Rules in Classification
Make clear what is being classified.
This principle requires a definition of the subject which may not be familiar with the reader.

For example, renewable and non-renewable resources have to be defined before such matters as cotton, trees, rubber, and animals can be classified under renewable resources and iron, gold, copper, lead zinc and mercury under non-renewable resources

Choose and state a single, useful basis or guiding principle for the classification and stick to it.
For example, in classifying roses, color may be the significant guiding principle for classification.

According to effectiveness, mines may be classified as contact mine, magnetic mine acoustic mine, and pressure mine.

Engines may be classified according to maker, use, speed, number of cylinders; but only one of these at a time should be used. Failure to limit oneself to one basis at a time results in a mixed classification.

Name all the species according to a given basis.

A complete classification based on one principle requires the listing of every known species. In classifying dogs, for instance, all commonly known breeds should be included.

Make sure that every species is distinct; that there is no overlapping.

Classifying teaches according to their academic rank instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and full professor is separate and distinct but adding to this another species, like proficient teacher, will result in overlapping.

Help the reader understand the distinction between species.

This principle requires that a definition, description, or illustration of a species be given. Characteristics peculiar to that one classification alone should be discussed fully

EXAMPLES:
Classification:

Partition or Division The parts of your computer Computers are made up of many parts. These different parts perform one or more functions including input, output, processing, or storage. OUTPUT DEVICES Output devices send information from your computer to you. This information is usually in the form of sound and sight, but some devices can send information as touch and even as smell! Some common output devices are monitors, printers, and speakers.

INPUT DEVICES Input devices are the parts that let you enter and manipulate information on a computer. These devices range from the standard keyboard and mouse, to scanners, microphones, joysticks, and light pens. There are some devices that can input and output. Some examples would touch screen monitors (input by touch, output by sight) and force feedback joysticks.

ON THE INSIDE The inside of your computer has many parts that all work together. These parts are generally found within your computer case - this is usually the big "box" that probably sits under your desk or below your monitor. If you're using an iMac, many of the computer parts are built into the monitor case. The motherboard [shown at right], or mainboard, is the backbone of the computer. All the individual pieces connect to the motherboard in some way. The motherboard is home the processor chip, pci slots, and memory. Processor - This is the chip that does the "thinking" of the computer. These are the "Pentium and "AMD" chips you hear about. Processor speed is measured in MegaHertz(Mhz) and GigaHertz(Ghz). 1 Ghz = 1000 Mhz Memory - This is where information is temporarily stored for the processor to use and manipulate before storing on the HARD DRIVE. Also known as RAM (Random access memory). Information is stored in memory only when the computer is turned on. Ram is measured inMegabytes(Mb), which is storage capacity, not to be confused with MegaHertz, which is speed.

PCI Slot - These are outlets in the motherboard that allow you to install extra components like sound cards, modems, video cards, and other devices. The images below show different PCI card components. Hard Drive - This is the part of your computer where information is stored for later retrieval. All the information you access on your computer, all your documents, pictures, email messages, and programs are here. Unlike memory, the hard drive stores information even after the power is turned off. The image to the right shows the inside of a hard drive. Floppy Drive - This is the slot in the front of your computer where you insert a disk to store data and move it to another computer. If your computer is an iMac, you will not have a Floppy Drive. Floppy disks are 3 inches in size, and hold 1.44Mb of data. The images below show a floppy drive, and some floppy disks. CD ROM or DVD ROM Drives - This plays your music and data cd's, or if you have a DVD drive, it will also play DVD movies. Data CD's hold up to 700Mb of information. If you have a CD-R or CD-RW drive, you can store your own information on CDs.

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