Teaching Activities

Earth education activities from across all of the sites within the Teach the Earth portal.



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Biology > Diversity

Results 1 - 10 of 29 matches

Assessing the Risk of Invasive Species Using Community Science Data part of Project EDDIE:Teaching Materials:Modules
Matthew Heard, Belmont University
This module introduces students who are already familiar with GIS to doing comparative analyses with large-scale community science (often called citizen science) data sets. Students will explore how we can use ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Biology:Diversity, Plant Biology, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Habitats:Invasive species, Environmental Science, Biology:Ecology, Environmental Science:Sustainability
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary, Passed Peer Review
On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Collection This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Activities collection.
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Tidepooling Field trip (online) part of Cutting Edge:Enhance Your Teaching:Teaching with Online Field Experiences:Activities
Katryn Wiese, City College of San Francisco
Tidepooling Field Trip online (developed for remote learning during COVID-19 pandemic); students will watch video and review photos to simulate a field experience as they explore Pillar Point tidepools (as they ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14), College Introductory
Online Readiness: Online Ready
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Virtual Field Trip, Lab Activity
Subject: Biology:Diversity:Censuses, Biology:Ecology:Habitats:Marine, Geoscience:Oceanography:Biological
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Biodiversity part of Project EDDIE:Teaching Materials:Modules
Robin Collins, Champlain College
In this module, students will analyze data from the Florida Keys Reef Visual Census (FKRVS), a long-term monitoring effort of key reef fish populations in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Students will calculate the species richness as well as the Shannon index and Pielou's evenness index across different years of data and between different reef types. Furthermore, students will explore how years with high frequencies of hurricanes impact these measures. The module culminates with students writing a summary finding of how reef types and hurricane frequency will impact the FKRVS in the future.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14):College Introductory
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Biology:Ecology, Diversity, Ecology:Habitats:Marine, Geoscience:Oceanography:Marine Resources, Geoscience:Geology:Environmental Geology, Environmental Science:Oceans and Coastal Resources, Sustainability, Ecosystems, Ecosystems:Biodiversity, Ecology, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Environmental Science
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Biomes, Vegetation Structure, and Canopy Height part of Project EDDIE:Teaching Materials:Modules
Mary Mulcahy, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
Students will develop a concept of vegetation structure and biomes through an exploration of field site data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) project. Students will compare characteristics of major groups of plants with respect to heat and drought tolerance, develop hypotheses for how canopy height may vary by several abiotic factors, and evaluate their hypotheses using graphed data, trendlines and r-squared values.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14):College Introductory
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Biology:Diversity, Ecology, Ecology:Abiotic Relations, Biology:Plant Biology, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Biodiversity, Ecology, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Environmental Science
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Exploring diatom biodiversity in the Everglades and Caribbean wetlands part of Project EDDIE:Teaching Materials:Modules
Katherine Johnson, Florida International University; Gabriel Kamener, Florida International University
Water quality assessments frequently include biological indicators to evaluate aquatic ecosystem habitat type and health. Because diatoms are ubiquitous and are found in habitats where macroinvertebrates are not, ...

Grade Level: Graduate/Professional, College Upper (15-16)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Biology:Ecology, Ecology:Habitats:Water Column, Geoscience:Biogeosciences , Biology:Diversity, Biogeochemistry, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Biodiversity, Environmental Science:Water Quality and Quantity, Geoscience:Geology:Environmental Geology, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Ecology
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

How Do We Measure Biodiversity: Exploring Biodiversity Metrics Using Avian Communities part of Project EDDIE:Teaching Materials:Modules
Jeffrey Brown, Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus
This activity is designed to illustrate various ways that biodiversity can be measured and to highlight what we can learn about an ecological community from different metrics. Students will explore biodiversity metrics (i.e., species richness and Shannon diversity) using point count data on birds collected from the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research program. Specifically, students will investigate how bird richness and abundance have changed over time and create figures to compare abundance across landscapes and time.

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Biology:Diversity, Ecology, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Biodiversity
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Riparian Plant Lab part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Activities
Julie Stoughton, University of Nevada-Reno
In this field exercise for an introductory environmental science course, students investigate plant cover and type in a riparian area using transects. The final assignment is a lab report that includes a summary data table, a graph of cover types along their transect and an analysis of riparian health.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity, Activities, Field Activity
Subject: Biology:Plant Biology, Diversity, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Ecology, Habitats, Environmental Science, Biology:Ecology:Habitats, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Biodiversity
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Extinction: Is it inevitable? part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Using Issues to Teach Science:Examples
Susan Musante, HHMI
Students read an article titled "The Sixth Extinction" by Niles Eldredge on past mass extinctions and the current rate of loss of species. The instructor can choose from a suite of activities which include having students respond to discussion and extension questions about the article, write an essay on the article defending Eldredge's view, create an extinction chart, and debate the actions of stakeholders faced with an endangered species vs. human water needs scenario. Students will need to research additional references to complete the activities and be prepared to defend their positions.

Grade Level: High School (9-12), College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Biology:Diversity, Evolution, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Ecology, Habitats, Evolution, Biology:Ecology:Habitats, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Biodiversity

Which Strategy is Best to Ensure the Conservation of Endangered Species? part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Using Issues to Teach Science:Examples
Susan Musante, HHMI
Students learn about endangered species and actions humans have taken to address the issue of endangered species. The Xpeditions lesson has students think about their experiences with zoos, learn about the reasons ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14):College Introductory, High School (9-12)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Habitats, Biology:Ecology:Habitats, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Biodiversity, Biology:Diversity, Ecology, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Ecology
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: What's in Your Woods? part of Earth Exploration Toolbook:Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Whats in Your Woods?
DATA: Forest Inventory Growth and Analysis data, TOOLS: Spreadsheet, My World GIS SUMMARY: Investigate forest biodiversity in Maine and consider the environmental factors that contribute to tree species diversity.

Grade Level: High School (9-12), College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Datasets and Tools:Tools, Datasets, Datasets with Teaching Activities, Computer Applications
Subject: Geography:Geospatial, Environmental Science:Forest Resources, Biology:Diversity
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review