Biodiversity Resources

This is a great collection of resources for any science teacher. The collection includes several journal articles that stress the importance of biodiversity to maintain the ecological balanc... See More

This is a great collection of resources for any science teacher. The collection includes several journal articles that stress the importance of biodiversity to maintain the ecological balance of any ecosystem as well as to maintain the health of any gene pool. It gives ideas for teacher to include biodiversity lessons in their curriculum.

Comparing Biodiversity: Park versus Schoolyard

This article describes how, with the assistance of a local expert from a museum, students conducted a comparative biodiversity study of park versus schoolyard. Simple techniques and data she... See More

This article describes how, with the assistance of a local expert from a museum, students conducted a comparative biodiversity study of park versus schoolyard. Simple techniques and data sheets are included to help you replicate this activity, even if you don't have a local expert to assist you. The comparative study will generate student questions and hypotheses, as well as improving observation skills and tapping into the natural curiosity students have for living organisms. This activity can be done at any time of year in some regions, but would be better suited to spring or fall in regions where temperatures dip below freezing. Ideas for inquiry questions that students could investigate would strengthen the activities described in the article.