Urban Biodiversity Survey Activity

In this activity, students will learn about biodiversity and how it is present in urban spaces. They will consider why biodiversity is essential for healthy ecosystems and conduct a biodiversity survey at their school to analyze what affects urban biodiversity.

• Objectives: Students will...
  • Understand biodiversity and explain the importance of biodiverse habitats.
  • Create a school map to identify places to conduct surveys.
  • Develop an inventory of the species within a defined area through observation.
  • Collect, organize, and analyze data.
  • Describe a factor that could change the diversity found in their plot. 
• Grades: 6 to 8
• Time: 4 days
• Author: K Smith

Arizona Standards Engaged

1.L2U1.8: Construct an explanation describing how organisms obtain resources from the environment including materials that are used again by other organisms.

2.L2U1.9: Obtain, analyze, and communicate evidence that organisms need a source of energy, air, water, and certain temperature conditions to survive.

3.L2U1.8: Construct an argument from evidence that organisms are interdependent.

4.L4U1.11: Analyze and interpret environmental data to demonstrate that species either adapt and survive or go extinct over time.

5.L4U3.11: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate evidence about how natural and human-caused changes to habitats or climate can impact populations.