Scavenger Hunt: A Group Collection

In this activity, learners are divided into teams. Half the team works as "collectors" and the other half works as "curators." Collectors go outside and search for various organisms as well as the evolutionary and ecological relationships between the organisms. Collectors earn points based on the complexity of the organisms they find. Examples include consumer, bryophyte, spores, simple food chains, communities, etc. The list of organisms to find can be tailored to the local environment learners will investigate. The curators identify and display the items in folders (animals, fungi, and protists are drawn, not collected). This activity can be used at the end of biology class and/or to assess learners' knowledge of classification, biology of organisms, evolution, ecological relationships, microscope use, and use of research tools.