Category Archives: Biodiversity
Quality Check & Peer Review
Before students publish their data to the Vital Signs website and make it available to the public, their data must undergo a Quality Assurance Check and an optional Peer Review. The Quality Check is a first step in the online review process to ensure that the data entry form is complete, and jives with the ...
Also posted in Activities Leave a comment
Vital Signs Science Notebook
Scientists operate in an inquiry environment. They observe, ask questions, make predictions, record observations, analyze data, make and defend claims, and share their conclusions with the larger community. Similarly, students will carry out their investigations as though they are professional scientists. An online Science Notebook (available to registered participants on the Vital Signs website) helps ...
Also posted in Activities 1 Comment
Spot the Difference
Spot the difference is a high energy, competitive activity that helps students develop and hone their observation skills. Students will begin to notice the often subtle differences between species.
Students play Spot the Difference to train their eyes to closely observe plants and animals, and to find characteristics that make them the same species or a ...
Also posted in Activities 1 Comment
Size Matters
Students hone critical measurement skills, and learn to quickly estimate size using their own body parts. These measurement and estimation skills will come in handy when students try to determine whether or not they find the native or invasive species they will look for at their study site during the Investigation Component of the Biodiversity ...
Also posted in Activities Leave a comment
Prove It! Convince me with words. Show me with photos.
Students use Prove It! to practice using words and photos to craft solid evidence statements. Students make statements about things that they believe to be true, and things that they believe to be not true. They practice supporting these claims with written and photo evidence. The activity moves students from simple everyday statements to more ...
Also posted in Activities Leave a comment
Oh Deer: Invasive Species Style
In this active and competitive game, students experience how a community of native animals and plants changes over time in response to resource availability in their habitat. Students collect data during the game and then graph and analyze how predators, limited resources, habitat health, and invasive species can disrupt the natural ebbs and flows of ...
Also posted in Activities Leave a comment
There’s a New Bird in Town
Students experience how an invasive species may out-compete native species for vital resources. This high stakes, high energy game simulates the introduction of non-native and invasive species using MnMs and various kitchen drawer items. Students experience firsthand what happens and what if feels like when native and invasive species compete for essential resources. This is ...
Also posted in Activities Leave a comment
Persuade and Motivate
Students use Persuade and Motivate to guide the creation of their action projects. Persuasive writing may be something that students are unfamiliar with or unpracticed at, but they all have personal experiences to draw from where they tried to get someone to do something they wanted them to do. This writing guide will help them ...
Also posted in Activities Leave a comment
Looking Closely
Students practice Looking Closely at a leaf, flower, leg, wing, shell, etc. to really hone their observation skills and see the pieces and parts they wouldn’t otherwise see. Species observation skills gained during this detailed drawing activity will help students tell different species apart when they do their own investigation during the Biodiversity Watershed Experience. ...
Also posted in Activities Leave a comment
Organize to Analyze