This short video and accompanying booklet introduce pupils to biofilms formed by bacteria. 

The video starts by introducing an everyday example of a biofilm on our teeth and then links this to bioflims in rivers. It explains how important these biofilms are in the context of food chains and makes for an...

In this 5-minute video interview, Dr Drew Purves, Head of the Computational Ecology and Environmental Science Group at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, discusses how his research can help us predict the effects of climate change on natural ecosystems,...

Marine biologists study organisms in the world's oceans, ranging in size and complexity from viruses to whales. They examine how these organisms interact with the environment and with each other and measure the effects of human activities and environmental changes on marine ecosystems. A Levels: Biology, Maths,...

Deagan is an entomologist for the Forestry Commission and has travelled the world as part of his job. Curriculum links include classification, climate change, biodiversity, species, taxonomy, ecosystems, rainforests.

Darwin Day celebrates the birth of this eminent scientist who challenged the status quo of beliefs of the time to propose the radical new idea of evolution through natural selection. This collection brings together different resources from various publishers, suitable for all ages. For primary pupils the Darwin...

In this ARKive activity, students work in medical teams and balance competing priorities for the conservation of an endangered species and devise a ‘treatment’ plan. Students learn the importance of biodiversity and species conservation, the fine balance of the ecosystem and how to measure competing priorities....

This is a modelling activity where students use sampling techniques to determine the distribution and abundance of organisms in a simulated habitat. Students will simulate the mark–release–recapture technique (Lincoln Index) for estimating population sizes of mobile species. 

Curriculum links include: ...

What do different animals in the arctic regions eat? Do all animals eat similar things?

In this activity, children demonstrate their learning about Arctic organisms by constructing a mobile to show either a food chain, or for more advanced children, a food web.They will also be introduced to the work of...

Europeans love chocolate - we eat over half the world's supply! The bad news is that we are eating more cocoa than can be produced and soon chocolate may become a rare and precious commodity as farmers struggle to meet demand. In this activity students apply their knowledge of pollination to discuss why cocoa...

Produced by ARKive, these materials include a series of activities that introduce children to the plants and animals of the temperate rainforest in the Pacific Northwest (USA). Children conduct a hands-on investigation of the living things in a small local ecosystem, catalogue their findings and then compare their...

Carry out a survey on how many bugs are found in a certain area and add to a national survey. This resource fits in with the curriculum topics of animals in the local environment, habitats, and interdependence and adaptation.

There are six key species to watch out for: Two-spot Ladybird, Devil’s Coach Horse...

Aimed at primary learners, this resource aims to develop an understanding of seed dispersal and the adaptation of bird beaks related to food choice. It is designed for use when visiting a wildlife area and links to the topic areas of plant life-cycles and interdependence and adaptation.

The materials,...

The University of York Science Education Group ensured that all the Science in the Environment packs were organised according to broad environmental themes. Within each pack, a number of specific contexts were used to introduce the science content. In addition, each...

This resource contains lists of vocabulary to help develop an understanding of key scientific words at primary level. The twelve vocabulary lists cover the topics of: electricity, sound, states of matter, earth and space, interdependence and adaptation, keeping healthy, life cycles, microorganisms, dissolving and...

Aimed at primary level, this pack contains a range of different activities based on the theme of Earth. The activities cover a mixture of topics including: identifying plants and animals, habitats and food webs. Designed for use in class or as part of a science week or club, they promote investigative work and...