This document outlines an agenda for a short course introducing participants to the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) and Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) resources and how they can be used for exploring local biodiversity. The course will include demonstrations of the EOL and OBIS websites and tools, as well as hands-on activities using the resources. Participants will learn how to utilize collections, videos, podcasts and other features to support outdoor biology lessons and investigations. The goal is to help educators gain a better understanding of their local environment and stimulate curiosity about the natural world through use of these open access biodiversity databases.

1. NSTA SC-12:
Explore Local Biodiversity with
Encyclopedia of Life and OBIS
Tracy Barbaro
Erica Beck Spencer
Joanna Snyder

2. ● Introductions
● Experience OBIS & EOL
○ Observations and Natural History
○ Winter Survival
○ Adaptations and Diversity
● BioBlitz & OBIS Activities
● Bring it together, next steps
Agenda

3. ● In and out travel
● Staying warm outdoors
● We will take a break
● Mix and mingle
● Use your journal
● This is only the beginning
Considerations

4. ● Who are we?
● Who are you?
○ Your name, your work
○ Where you are from
○ Personal goal from our day
● Handouts / Journal
Introductions

5. Participants will:
● Be introduced to OBIS and EOL and the available
resources.
● Engage in OBIS activities and explore connections to the
EOL project/resource.
● Gain a better understanding of their target site and how
to explore it further during different seasons.
Short Course Goals

6. What tools and activities can we use to learn about local
biodiversity?
How can EOL and OBIS help stimulate curiosity about the
natural world?
Guiding Questions

7. NRC Framework:
Scientific & Engineering
Practices
1. Asking Questions / Defining Problems
2. Developing and Using Models
3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
5. Using Math and Computational Thinking
6. Constructing explanations / Designing Solutions
7. Engaging in Argument
8. Evaluating and Communicating Information

8. What is the OBIS?
● Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies
● 97 Outdoor Activities
Originally designed in late 1970s

9. What is the OBIS?
● Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies
● 97 Outdoor Activities
Originally designed in late 1970s ...
● to explore ecology concepts
● in a local environment (typically urban)
● with kids ages 10-14
● using inexpensive (homemade) equipment

10. Bugs, Worms and Others
→ What can you observe about a population of organisms
that will give information about its natural history?

11. What is the Encyclopedia of Life?
● A free resource for information about life on Earth - plants,
animals, fungi, micro-organisms.
● Taxon Pages, ranging from kingdom all the way down to the
species level.
● Natural history information, data, multimedia.
● Tools and resources to support learning about biodiversity.

12. Where does the information on EOL come from?
Species information on EOL comes from authoritative content partners, individuals
scientists, citizen scientists, students and the general public.
..and many more

14. EOL Resources to Support
“Bugs, Worms & Others”

15. Animal Natural History Stories Collection
A collection is your own personalized
collection of species pages (or images)
that are interesting to you. You can add
notes and share your collection. Each
item links to an EOL taxon page.
Anyone can make a collection. You can
use the collection to make games, field
guides and species cards.

16. Podcasts
Over 70 podcasts about species
with interesting natural history
stories.
Podcasts include scientist
interviews, multimedia and related
educational materials.
http://podcast.eol.org/podcast

17. Animal Antifreeze
→ What aspects of the environment provide protection
from the cold?

18. EOL Resources to Support
“Animal Antifreeze”

19. Surviving Winter EOL Collection

20. Make Your Own Collection

21. Surviving Winter EOL Memory Game

22. Make Your Own EOL Memory Game
1.Locate the collection ID number ( i.e. eol.org/collections/9465)
2.Go to http://fieldguides.eol.org/memory/# and login.
3.Click on the “+” to add a new game. Enter the collection ID number. Choose if
you want to make the game public.

23. ● Average child ages 8 – 18 spends 7.5 hours each day
using entertainment media. (Rideout et. al., 2011)
● While organized sports have dramatically increased
since 1960, so has childhood obesity.
● Average distance today’s parents let their children roam
from home is 100 feet
What the Research Says

24. ⇧ engagement
⇧ attention
⇧ achievement
⇧ sense of belonging
⇧ personal connection
➔ stewardship
Richard Louv

25. ● Lack of outdoor play + focus on negative =
Ecophobia
● Keep it positive and tangible
● Keep it local
David Sobel: Beyond Ecophobia

26. Science
The goal of scientific process is
the construction of theories
that provide explanatory
accounts of the material world.
Engineering
The goal of engineering design
is a systematic solution to
problems that is based on
scientific knowledge and
models of the material world.
NRC Framework:
Scientific & Engineering Practices
Science vs. Engineering

27. NRC Framework:
Scientific & Engineering
Practices
1. Asking Questions / Defining Problems
2. Developing and Using Models
3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
5. Using Math and Computational Thinking
6. Constructing explanations / Designing Solutions
7. Engaging in Argument
8. Evaluating and Communicating Information

28. NRC Framework:
Scientific & Engineering Practices
Practices vs. Inquiry
Ready, Set, Science! Putting research into work in K-8 classroom (Michaels, 2008)
Science practice refers to:
● doing something repeatedly in order to become proficient
(practicing the trumpet).
● learning something so thoroughly that it becomes second nature
(practicing thrift).
● using one’s knowledge to meet an objective
(practicing law or practicing teaching).

29. Invent an Animal
→ What features of camouflage best help animals blend
into a habitat?

30. EOL Resources to Support
“Invent an Animal”

31. Species Videos
An Octopus changing its appearance, color and body structure (Video)
A Pygmy Seahorse as it blends in with its coral host (Video)
A cuttlefish hides among rock reefs and seaweed (Video)
A canyon treefrog in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, USA. (Video)

32. Creating Species Cards and Field Guides
Create species fact cards or field guides from any EOL Collection, by using the collection url (i.e)
http://eol.org/collections/113361
Create cards at:
www.education.eol.org/cards
Create field guides at:
www.inaturalist.org/guides

33. A BioBlitz - or species inventory - is a fun activity that
brings together non-scientists with scientists to help
create a list of species for a specific location. A typical
BioBlitz takes place over 24 hours, but they can also
be organized as shorter or longer term events. Some
last a few hours and some last a week or more.
BioBlitz Resources
EOL can support your BioBlitz in a number of ways:
- Use EOL to learn more about species you may find.
- Create a collection/checklist of local species on EOL, share the
link with others.
- Create species cards, a field guide or a game to support
learning during or after the BioBlitz event.

34. Terrestrial
● Bean Bugs
● Out of Control
● Shake It!
● Sticklers
OBIS: Exploring Biodiversity
Aquatic
● Habitats of the Pond
● How Many Organisms Live
Here?
● Water Holes to Mini-Ponds
BioBlitz
● Animal Diversity
● Animals in the Grassland
● Plant Hunt

35. OBIS Online

36. OBIS Activity Search by…
Activity Type
- Experiments (12)
- Collections (27)
Content
- Animal Behavior (25)
- Biodiversity
- Field Study (29)
- Plants (25)
Study Sites
- Backyard (46)
- Deserts (9)
- Neighborhood Woods (46)
- Schoolyard

40. OBIS Revision
● Considering the needs of modern educators and kids
● Current research (pedagogy, standards, behavior)
OBIS will still ...
● explore ecology concepts in a local environments
● with kids ages 10-14 (with younger options)
● use inexpensive equipment (some still homemade)
● for all sorts of educators (informal and classroom).

41. EOL Next Steps
• Improving accessibility of using the EOL website
• Adding data that can be downloaded
• Testing tools with educational groups both in and out of
the classroom.

42. What tools and activities can we use to learn about local
biodiversity?
How can EOL and OBIS help stimulate curiosity about the
natural world?
Revisit the Guiding Questions