Species Account

Students choose one species that they can readily observe, and document as many details as they can about it through direct observation.

Much of what we know about nature started with direct observation and experimentation. There are many species that have been deeply studied, but there is always more to learn and discover. Each observation, if recorded and shared, becomes part of a growing understanding of the world. Species accounts are a common approach to cataloguing organisms and building a database of information. In a species account, the observer attempts to learn as much as they can about the type of organism, using words, pictures, and numbers to record details about structures, behaviors, and location in and interaction with the surrounding environment. Once students learn and develop an approach for doing a focused species study, they can apply the skills anywhere they go.