Top 5 Nat Geo Resources for Middle School science

National Geographic isn’t just about beautiful photographs in a magazine, it’s also about being curious about the world. As a science teacher, I’m all about instilling a sense of curiosity and wonder in my students. So with the help of National Geographic’s Classroom Resources, I’ve been able to extend my classroom to the real world. Here are my top 5 National Geographic resources that I have been using over and over again.

1. NEIGHBOURHOOD AND BACKYARD BIOBLITZ

   “A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. At a BioBlitz, scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to get a snapshot of an area's biodiversity.” BioBlitz can be done in an analog format or digitally, using the iNaturalist app (App Store | Google Play). Both neighbourhood and backyard BioBlitz activity encourages students to step outside and explore their own environments that they see daily. A common realization by my students is the fact that there’s a lot of flora and fauna to learn and discover in a simple BioBlitz, despite it being in their own backyard. The added benefit of extending Nat Geo activities is that it is adaptable to the online learning environment many students are experiencing currently around the world. For example, this activity can then be turned into a discussion with the article on Rebel Botanists—people using chalk to label plant names to educate sidewalkers. 

2. MEERKAT SURVIVAL GAME

   My all time favourite activity is the Meerkat Survival Game. It’s an activity that requires students to apply and extend their knowledge on food chains and food webs to a meerkat gang. Since meerkats aren’t exactly a typical animal that my students would come across in their everyday life , there is a sense of discovery when my students are playing this game. I love that this activity is hands-on and requires students to work together. 

3. WATERSHEDS

   Watersheds have always been a difficult concept for my students to visualize. Some get it immediately and some take a while to grasp the idea. This is a reading activity where students  read about the people who rely on Mount Everest’s watershed, students then complete a Project Journal after reading to reflect on their learning. The activity practices students’ literacy skills by having them read through an encyclopedia article and write down notes in the graphic organizer provided. 

4. DEFENDER: NATURAL SELECTION

   Natural Selection is a concept that is taught in high school biology, but that didn’t deter me from introducing the concept to my grade 7 students. What I like about this resource is that students are learning through play. My students, being digital natives, naturally gravitate towards digital resources. This game is very similar to the video game, Plants vs. Zombies, but requires students to place animals with the appropriate adaptations to win points. Students have to apply what they’ve learned about adaptation in order for them to win.

5. A DAY WITHOUT WATER

   In our grade 8 Water Unit, the three big ideas are:

   • Water is crucial to life on Earth. 

   • Water systems influence climate and weather patterns. 

   • Water is an important resource that needs to be managed sustainably. 
     
     The third big idea is especially difficult to connect with our students since clean water is readily available to them. This year we used Ellen Page’s documentary, There’s Something in the Water, on environmental racism in Canada to connect with their year-long Truth and Reconciliation project with our Water Unit. Students learn about what happened on Day Zero in Cape Town and watch a short video about water conservation from National Geographic explorers to understand the urgency of water security. Students also get to practice their numeracy skills through analyzing an infographic that features United Nations data on water access and sanitation to see what access to clean water looks like for people around the world.  A Day Without Water is a great activity to extend their understanding of water conservation and usage from a local perspective to a global context.

What I love about Nat Geo resources in general, is in addition to providing teachers with the resources, they also provide student handouts and teacher answer keys. It minimizes the teacher’s workload so the resources can be downloaded, printed and ready to go. The common thread throughout National Geographic’s Classroom Resources is exploration. Students are given opportunities to become little scientists of their own to practice the scientific method. With teachers acting as facilitators and moderators, students can explore using resources that are factually accurate and student-friendly. 

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