Discover more about how we use our five senses to observe and determine what is living and non-living.

FOR STUDENTS

		Online Field Journal: Compare Activity for grades Kindergarten through 5 No matter what the weather or season, you can explore nature with these 11 online challenges. See just how good your observation skills are by comparing butterflies, leaves, reptiles, fish, and more.
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		Online Field Journal: Dioramas Activity for grades Kindergarten through 5 Now you can gaze at your favorite museum diorama anytime you want, night or day. Grab your crayons, and create a shoe-box replica of A Wading Bird Rookery, The Olympic Rain Forest, or A Giant Cactus Forest.
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		Hall of Biodiversity Educator's Guide Activity: Observation Activity for grades Kindergarten through 5 How good are you observation skills? Test them out by observing and recording your pet, the pavement near your pad, and other creative and easy-to-find subjects.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		Is It Alive? Activity for grades 6 through 12 Despite extreme temperatures and the absence of sunlight, you can find a variety of life on the ocean floor. Take a look at the amazing organisms that thrive in this unlikely environment.
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Discover more about the structure of plants. Find out which items in your shopping basket have come from plants.

FOR STUDENTS

		Online Field Journal: Field Journals Activity for grades Kindergarten through 5 Don't just explore the wonders of nature. Record them! From seashells and birds to animal tracks and spiders, these printable field journals are great guides for your next nature walk.
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FOR STUDENTS...MORE CHALLENGING

		Global Grocery Article for grades 3 through 8 Have you ever wondered what gives chocolate its flavor? Or where olive oil comes from? You might be surprised to learn just how far some of the items in your shopping bag have traveled.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		A Botanist at Large Article for all ages It may be familiar, but how well do you really know your backyard? Find out how to take an eye-opening walk through the neighborhood with these skilled tour guides.
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		Plant Morphology Evidence and Analysis for grades 6 through 12 From leaf margin and arrangement to the parts of a flower and a corn seedling, take an illustrated look at plant morphology with this collection of guides.
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		Surveying Vietnam: Collecting Plants for Conservation Article for grades 9 through 12 Several new varieties of cycad—"living fossil" plants with evolutionary roots of more than 280 million years—are just one example of the amazing biodiversity now being uncovered in Vietnam.
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		Botanical Gardens Reference List for grades 6 through 12 One of the best ways to see a wide range of plant—and often wildlife—diversity is to visit a botanical garden or arboretum. Track down the nearest one with this guide.
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Examine different animal groups and how they are alike and different.

FOR STUDENTS

		Make Your Own Biodiversity Stationery Activity for grades Kindergarten through 8 Honor extinct animals, send a desert snapshot, or let an emperor scorpion deliver your message. Just add your name and address to these colorful stationery files.
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		Online Field Journal: Compare Activity for grades Kindergarten through 5 No matter what the weather or season, you can explore nature with these 11 online challenges. See just how good your observation skills are by comparing butterflies, leaves, reptiles, fish, and more.
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Online Field Journal: Field Journals Activity for grades Kindergarten through 5 Don't just explore the wonders of nature. Record them! From seashells and birds to animal tracks and spiders, these printable field journals are great guides for your next nature walk.
		Webpage More about this Resource

		Hall of Biodiversity Educator's Guide Activity: Observation Activity for grades Kindergarten through 5 How good are you observation skills? Test them out by observing and recording your pet, the pavement near your pad, and other creative and easy-to-find subjects.
		PDF [plugins: Adobe Acrobat; filesize: 64kb] More about this Resource

FOR STUDENTS...MORE CHALLENGING

		Feed the Birds Activity for grades 3 through 8 You can tell a lot about your ecosystem by the kinds of birds that live in it. Create a simple feeder, and see how many of your feathered neighbors come to dine there.
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		Life in the City Article for grades 3 through 8 Even the busiest of cities are buzzing with biodiversity. Take a virtual stroll through a city park for a close-up look at some of the inhabitants you otherwise might not notice.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		Respect for Creatures in the Classroom: The First Lesson of Stewardship Article for all ages No snail is too slimy or snake too slithery for Amy O'Donnell to handle without hesitation. Find out why she thinks a hands-on experience is the best way to teach young kids to care for the planet.
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		Spotlight on Spiders Evidence and Analysis for grades 6 through 12 Not all spiders trap their prey in webs. Crab spiders patiently lie in wait, and wolf spiders actively hunt their prey. Take a closer look at the diverse spiders that live everywhere but Antarctica.
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		Frogs: A Chorus of Colors Exhibition Materials for all ages Their voices have filled the night with song since the dawn of the dinosaurs, but now environmental changes threaten their existence. Explore the brilliant colors and survival tactics of the world's frogs.
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Explore where animals live, what they eat, how they grow, and how they protect themselves.

FOR STUDENTS

		Make Your Own Marine Biology Stationery Activity for grades Kindergarten through 8 Hide your notes in seaweed, send a deep-sea snapshot, or let an cockeyed squid deliver your message. Just add your name and address to these colorful stationery files.
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FOR STUDENTS...MORE CHALLENGING

		Welcome to the Dzanga-Sangha Article for grades 3 through 8 Travel to the lush Dzanga-Sangha rainforest with BaAka. This excellent tour guide will show you the sights—and help you find the clues needed to play Connect the Dots.
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		Ocean Creature Feature Activity for grades 3 through 8 To survive in the icy Pacific, a sea otter has about a million hairs in every square inch of its fur. Now, that's dense! Take a close look at ocean adaptations while boosting your OLogy card collection.
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		Crazy Camouflage Activity for grades 3 through 8 Unlike humans, some animals can instantly change the color or pattern of their skin. Take a hands-on look at how the masters of disguise known as flounders can don several different looks.
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BACKGROUND FOR EDUCATORS

		Life on the Reef Article for grades 6 through 8 In September 2000, marine biologists from across the U.S. gathered in the Bahamas to study creatures along one of the world's largest barrier reefs. They even got help from NASA. Dive in to their expedition findings.
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		Life in a Vernal Pool Article for grades 6 through 12 Come exploring with this 9th-grader from Texas as she watches a thriving vernal pool habitat rise up from an area of dried-up muddy earth—and then disappear once again.
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		Milstein Hall of Ocean Life Exhibition Materials for all grades up to 12 More than two-thirds of the planet is covered by ocean, yet less than five percent of it has been explored. Dive in for an in-depth look at Earth's mysterious, fragile, and amazingly vital ocean.
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		Mangroves: The Roots of the Sea Article for grades 9 through 12 Breathing tubes that act like snorkels, roots that filter freshwater from seawater, and seeds that can ride the waves for a year before taking root—welcome to the remarkably tough mangrove forest.
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