This is a series of stories about what scientists do at the Agricultural Research Service. It is geared to kids 8 to 13 years old.

This exercise is a field study of the ecology of aquatic insects in a small stream. By using the inquiry technique, students discover how different animals have unique adaptations for being successful in particular habitats, especially at small spatial scales. Students also learn how these specializations establish essential ecological roles for the aquatic insects in stream ecosystems. Thus, students gain an appreciation of how biodiversity is not just a list of species in a particular environment; it also includes what they do in that environment.

This pop-up book was designed for K-4 students to introduce them to remote sensing. By following Echo's journey through Arizona they become more familiar with map use and remote sensing images. After completing this book, children ages 5-6 should be able to distinguish between what a satellite sees and what Echo sees, be able to identify patterns and color in the satellite image and compare these to what Echo sees, and begin to extend the concept that texture is not only how something feels but is also how something looks. Older children (ages 7-9) should begin to describe what the satellite is seeing by just looking at the satellite view and they should also be able to describe the location of patterns and colors (i.e., square patterns of irrigated crops are near rivers and green forests are on top of mountains) and make more elaborate observations about texture in the satellite images. A set of activities reinforce the four basic themes or concepts fundamental to interpreting satellite imagery: perspective, shape and pattern, color, and texture.

This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they see how DNA is used to solve crimes against animals. The activity starts with an introduction to George Amato, an AMNH scientist who sometimes helps the U.S. government solve mysteries. In a three-part online slide show, students see how Amato earned the title "DNA Detective" in 1993 when he helped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service catch someone trying to sneak protected reptile skin into the United States. Then students are challenged to Crack the Code, an online game in which they play DNA detective and determine which of a collection of handbags, clothing, figurines, and other items are made from protected species.

The Soil Association has produced Mole's Dream, a short film to explore current issues around food and farming. It is suitable for KS1 and early KS2, and ideal to use on your interactive whiteboard.

This collection consists of approximately 4,500 photographs documenting natural environments, ecologies, and plant communities in the United States at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Produced between 1891 and 1936 by a group of American botanists generally regarded as one of the most influential in the development of modern ecological studies, these photographs provide an overview of important representative natural landscapes across the nation. They demonstrate the character of a wide range of American topography, its forestation, aridity, shifting coastal dune complexes, and watercourses. Comparison of early photographs with later views highlights changes resulting from natural alterations of the landscape, disturbances from industry and development, and effective natural resource usage. The photographs were taken by Henry Chandler Cowles (1869-1939), George Damon Fuller (1869-1961), and other Chicago ecologists on field trips across the North American continent.

Among the natural features these images document are ecological settings such as dunes, bogs, forests, and deserts; individual plants from the Ponderosa pine and birch to grasses and mosses; landscape features like the Grand Canyon, Lake Superior, and the Sierra Nevada; and the consequences of natural and human changes to the environment ranging from erosion and floods to irrigation and lumbering. The collection also includes photographs of University of Chicago botanists as they conducted field research, led students on summer field classes, and traveled across the North American continent on tours including the International Phytogeographic Excursion of 1913.

Despite seemingly inhospitable conditions, the Arctic environment has a vibrant and diverse ecosystem. Explore the life that thrives in this region in this interactive activity adapted from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

First, students toss coins to determine what traits a set of mouse parents possess, such as fur color, body size, heat tolerance, and running speed. Next they use coin tossing to determine the traits a mouse pup born to these parents possesses. These physical features are then compared to features that would be most adaptive in several different environmental conditions. Finally, students consider what would happen to the mouse offspring if those environmental conditions were to change: which mice would be most likely to survive and produce the next generation?

This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they take a look at the benefits of biodiversity on our planet.

This reference list has a dozen kid-friendly books on a wide range of biodiversity topics. For each title, the author, publisher, and publication date are included along with a brief description of the book.

Produced by the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, this guide summarizes the consequences of biodiversity loss for human health. The guide examines threats to global supplies of food and fresh water, exposure to formerly rare diseases and opportunistic infections, and loss of important sources of medicines.

Have a go at encouraging biodiversity on a farm. Play on your own or against your classmates.
The Buzz game has been developed to simulate changes you can make to a field over three years. Choose your field margins, beetle banks and bird crop and away you go!
The BUZZ game is suitable for all ages.

In this video segment from NatureScene, explore Cartwheel Bay, a wetland in South Carolina, and learn about the variety of carnivorous plants native to this unique landform.

The research-based Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) is funded by NSF ITEST. Curriculum based resources were designed with input from 21 scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. Resources include K-12 inquiry-based classroom lessons, a student network for observing arctic weather, digital lectures, and an interactive multimedia learning system (on DVD).

Dr. Richard Field research interests lie in conservation, biodiversity and the forces that structure ecological communities.
In this podcast, Dr Field from the School of Geography compares and contrasts his experiences as a researcher in national parks in Honduras and Indonesia, and the different types of ecological communities he has studied, and goes on to introduce the emerging field of conservation bio-geography.

This BioBulletin Web site takes an in-depth look at butterfly farms. The site includes text, videos, photographs, and interviews with key scientists.

This is an interactive case study involving ducks that are dying at the dam they frequent, and the residents who are concerned. This case study asks the question "what happened to the ducks"?

From the Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology, this web site features "Dirtland", an interactive microbe zoo. The site explores the endless varieties of microorganisms and the environments they inhabit. These habitats include composts, at home, agriculture, hot springs, snow and ice, mines, root cellars, toxic waste, animals, soil, food, space, and water. Each habitat link provides a description of the environment as well as images and descriptions of particular species of microorganisms that thrive there. The site also contains a "What is a microbe?" link with an interactive image comparing the size of a microbe to a mouse and a tree of life with an outline of the major groups of organisms.

Microfossils are small, fossilized remains of organisms (animal, plant, or protozoa) that require magnification for study. They usually derive from the hard parts of organisms (skeletons, shells, jaws, teeth, seed coverings, etc), and may be imbedded in rock or exist as loose particles within soft substrate. Research studies of microfossils provide insights into ecological and evolutionary relationships among plant and animal communities that existed on earth hundreds of millions of years ago. Microfossils also provide excellent hands-on material for science classroom education in general biology, evolution, and earth sciences. The theme of this lab inquiry is biological, rather than geological. Focus is on retrieval, identification, and characterization of selected microfossils ranging in size from about 0.2 to 2.0 mm. Through hands-on discovery and examination of microfossil specimens, students should gain new insights and greater appreciation of the richness of marine biodiversity from the Devonian Period (ca. 375-400 MYA).