Explore the diversity of bats, the only mammals that can fly. This special collection provides articles and activities to supplement the Science Exploration online investigation Sour with Bats.

		Bats: Night Fliers (SuperScience) Article for grades 3 through 6 Introduce younger students to bats, which make up nearly one-fifth of all mammal species on Earth. Then put their classification skills to the test with the Chip Challenge.
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		Bats: Twilight Zone (Science World) Article for grades 6 through 10 Did you know that there are more than 1,100 different bat species? Or that scientists have not yet figured out how all these species are related? Explore the challenges of studying these night fliers.
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Animals

		Hall of Biodiversity Exhibition Materials for all ages Enter the Museum's Hall of Biodiversity for an eye-opening look at the variety of life on Earth—and the ecological crisis we now face because of vast threats to the planet’s biodiversity.
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		Endangered! Exhibition Materials for all ages African wild dog, Asian elephant, Indian python, American crocodile—threats to endangered animals are a global problem. Explore a world at risk, and learn what you can do to help.
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		Around the World with DNA Article for grades 3 through 8 Travel around the world with museum scientists. First stop Madagascar, where you'll meet a species of whales with fingerprint-like tails and primates that use their teeth to groom each other.
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Environmental Studies

		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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		Hall of Biodiversity Educator's Guide Activity: Spectrum of Habitats Activity for grades 6 through 12 Do you know what biome you live in? How it has changed over time? Or what's being done to preserve it? Find out the answers for yourself with these investigative activities.
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		Web of Life Game Activity for grades 3 through 8 When you're done, it may look like you have a tangled mess of twine. But don't be fooled. You'll have created something much more than that—the web of life for an ecosystem!
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		How to Help Biodiversity Activity for grades 3 through 8 Why should you harness your house pets, be a smart shopper, and protect habitats? They're your jobs as a keeper of the Earth. Find out how else biodiversity depends on you.
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		What Is Biodiversity? Curriculum Materials for grades 6 through 10 All living things are bound together in intricate, interconnected webs. See how these webs help sustain biodiversity on our planet with this in-depth, hands-on lesson in biodiversity.
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		How to Calculate a Biodiversity Index Article for grades 6 through 12 One is the riskiest number... A more diverse plant population has a better chance of adapting to changes in the environment. Learn how to quantify the biodiversity of any area.
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Sound

		The World Through a Bat's Ears Article for grades 6 through 12 This 10th-grader from New York first became fascinated with bats when she observed their "magical movements" in Israel's Negev Desert as a young child. Trek with her to Ontario to study their behavioral ecology.
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Species Classifications

		Tree of Life Article for grades 3 through 8 Think of a cladogram as the ultimate family tree. On it, you can see how all living things are related, including the single ancestor they all share. Learn more about Earth's Tree of Life.
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		Hall of Biodiversity Educator's Guide Activity: Cladograms Activity for grades 6 through 12 In the same way people trace their history with a family tree, scientists use an evolutionary tree to show a species' close and distant relatives. Learn how they work by making a tree of coins.
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		Fossil Halls: Cladistics Exhibition Materials for all ages What is the best way to reconstruct evolutionary history? Find out with this look at cladistics and the branching points on the Earth's evolutionary family trees.
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		Fossil Halls: Vertebrate Evolution Exhibition Materials for all ages Jaws, grasping hands, three-toed feet, placentas, watertight eggs, eye sockets near the snout—explore these and other evolutionary branching points of vertebrate evolution.
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