Biology and the Digital Atlas
handout exercisecomputer activitysuggested grade levels:9-12
view Idaho achievement standards for this lesson


Overview:
The students will participate in a scavenger hunt activity. In this hunt, groups of students will receive packets of questions, identification clues, etc. The students will search the Digital Atlas for answers. While the current activity does not involve field work, it could be adapted to include sample collections from the field. For this activity students will primarily use the Biology section of the Digital Atlas of Idaho. The question packets include the following sections within the biology section of the Digital Atlas: Butterflies, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals, and Plants.

Objectives:
1. The students will become familiar with the Digital Atlas of Idaho.
2. The students will become familiar with native flora and fauna of Idaho.
3. The students will acquire new terminology and will apply previously learned terminology.
4. The students will orally and visually present, as a team, their research findings to the class.

Procedure:
To get to the biology section, click on Atlas Home, then on Biology.
1. A team packet could include the following: (see sample handout)
   a. 10 glossary words to define (look in glossary for appropriate words)
   b. 10 "Who Am I" sets of clues
   c.10 research questions

2. You can print out the sample handout and cut out individual questions to place them in packets for each student group.

3. Groups will search the Digital Atlas to find the answers to the questions in the packet.

4. Students will present their findings to the class.

Handouts/Activities:
These are links to access the handouts and printable materials.
bio3ho.pdf | bio3AK.pdf | Biology

Handout Sample:
The sample questions below are shown in the printed handout.

You will participate in a scavenger hunt activity. In this hunt, you will receive packets of questions, identification clues, etc. You will search the Digital Atlas for answers. For this activity you will primarily use the Biology section of the Digital Atlas of Idaho. The question packets include the following sections within the biology section of the Digital Atlas: Butterflies, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals, and Plants.

Research Questions
1. True toads belong to which genus and are identified by what three characteristics?

"WHO AM I?"
Question #1

  a. I am warm-blooded.
  b. I have feathers.
  c. I am in the order Strigiformes.
  d. I am in the family Strigidae.
  e. I am a large animal with widely set ear tufts.
  f. I live in most forested habitats.
  g. I eat a broad diet of other animals, mainly mammals.
  h. I am a mottled gray-brown with dark gray horizontal barring. I have a white throat with a tawny face.
  i. I am 46-64cm tall.
1. Who am I?

Related Lesson Topics:
Biology: Biology Topics


Lesson plan by Jan Adams, Melyssa Ferro, and Linda Byron, 2001
Idaho Achievement Standards (as of 7/2001) met by completing this activity:
352.01
355.01.02
361.01
401.01.04.05
402.01.03.06
404.01