eBird Explorers: Biodiversity Detectives

Explore Diversity and Become a Participatory Scientist

eBird 6-8 cover titled "eBird Explorers Biodiversity Detectives" It show a girl using her device to discover the wide biodiversity of animals.

By middle school, students crave the opportunity for science that is real and relevant. eBird Explorers: Biodiversity Detectives uses birds and citizen science to help you bring science to life and build connections to your local environment with a global perspective. Aligned to 6-8th grade Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards, this dynamic curriculum provides everything you need to teach confidently with eBird while exploring animal evolution and speciation, diversity, and adaptations. We use birds as a hook, utilizing exciting online interactives and hands-on explorations to engage students deeply. Students learn about the power of participatory science and apply their knowledge during bird counts and using real eBird data to discover patterns of migratory and non-migratory birds!

The full kit is available for purchase through our kitting partner.

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NGSS Standards Met

  • LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
    • MS-LS1-4 Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
  • LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
    • MS-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
    • MS-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
  • LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
    • MS-LS4-2 Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.
  • LS4.B: Natural Selection
    • MS-LS4-4 Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
  • ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
    • MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment.
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Kit Includes

  • Enough materials for a class of 30
  • Life-size bird images
  • Clues to Bird Identification poster
  • Bird Beak lab supplies
  • Lesson plans, handouts, and worksheets