BioBlitz Educational ResourcesBioBlitz

Get Ready to BioBlitz

Kids and teens can meet world-class scientists and join them on expeditions to find and identify species in the wild. They can learn about collection techniques and try their hand at microscopes, taxonomic keys, GIS, data collection and hypothesis-testing. More than 1,400 school children participated in the 2008 BioBlitz at Santa Monica Mountains, and more than 1,700 species were found and identified.

Educational Resources

Help prepare kids and teens to get the most out of this exciting event! These educational resources introduce students to skills that scientists use in the field. Students learn how scientists use skills such as observation, recording, identifying species, and mapping when they're working in the field. Get free resources including an educator's overview and student handout for each skill. Also included are student activities, PowerPoint presentations, and video segments from National Geographic's award-winning Wild Chronicles series.

Grade 9-12 Resources

	Making and Recording Observations Making and record observations is an essential part of a species inventory like BioBlitz. In this section, students will learn what observations are, learn different types of observations, discover different factors that impact human observations and finally, how observations are recorded. Watch related Wild Chronicles segments featuring leading wildlife researchers and fieldwork from around the world. Get Resources: Educator's Resource (PDF) Presentation in PowerPoint Format (PPT) See Related Wild Chronicles Videos
	Identifying Species In this lesson, students will discover what a species is, why species identification is important and what steps should be taken to identify a species. Get Resources: Educator's Resource (PDF) Presentation in PowerPoint Format (PPT) See Related Wild Chronicles Videos
	Mapping Information In this lesson, students will learn what is a map and what elements make them useful, how maps are used in wildlife research and finally how to make their own map. Get Resources: Educator's Resource (PDF) Presentation in PowerPoint Format (PPT) See Related Wild Chronicles Videos