Follow up with a directed class discussion based around the four organizing questions of the Hall:

  What is biodiversity?
  Why is biodiversity important?
  What are the threats to biodiversity?
  What can be done to protect biodiversity?

Students may raise other areas of interest for discussion.

Create definitions for a class glossary of new terms learned before and during the visit. For younger students, include illustrations. Older students may annotate with examples, maps, and graphics.

Spectrum of Life Wall

Ask students, in their pairs, to continue researching their clade using available resources including books and the Internet. Topics for study might include: endangered species, values and benefits to humans, and ecosystems/habitats.

A cladogram is a diagrammatic representation of evolutionary relationships. Using the information—written and graphic—collected from the Spectrum of Life Wall, students can create a cladogram in the classroom that reflects their research.

Older students may carry out independent research on the history of classification systems. What are the limitations and advantages of different systems? How do people classify nature in other cultures?

Rain Forest Diorama

Use the information collected to create food webs. Make a mural or small-scale diorama that illustrates the layered structure of the rain forest. Younger students may focus on animals and plants, and on basic interactions. Older students may focus on the range and complexity of microhabitats within each layer.

Invite students to prepare class presentations based on their research into specific environmental issues, focusing on the United States. A presentation may be in the form of a debate, show-and-tell, drama, a video, or a Web site. Encourage students to consider multiple perspectives—social, cultural, ecological, economic, political, and historical—and the issue of sustainability.