Students: Expand Your Horizons Here!

Destination: Galapagos Islands Cyber Field Trip

In this section, you'll find experiments and activities that will help you learn more about the Galapagos Islands and the world around you. (Note for teachers: you can prepare in advance for these activities using our online teaching guide).

Water World: The Blue Planet -- Analyze local water samples for salinity, dissolved oxygen and pH and compare your results to samples from the Galapagos Islands.
Taxonomic Fun: Classifying the Life Around Us -- Using 28 online photos of animals and plants (including a blue footed booby, a tarantula, an ant and an elephant), you will create your own classification system. Look out Carl von Linnaeus!
Test the Earth: Soil Comparison Between the Galapagos Islands and Your Home -- Analyze local soil samples for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content; pH and temperature and compare your results to samples from the Galapagos Islands.
DNA Adventure: The Web of Life -- In this cool activity you get to synthesize, hybridize and eat DNA!
Backyard Science: How Ecosystems Work -- Get out of the classroom and into the schoolyard to do some fieldwork on population density.
Thinking about a Cool Career in Science? David Anderson studies unusual seabirds in the Galapagos Islands. See what he has to say.
Check out our special Science Thing -- an interactive map of the Galapagos Islands!
If you need some help understanding science vocabulary and concepts, check out the Galapagos Glossary.

Scientific American Frontiers
Fall 1990 to Spring 2000
Sponsored by GTE Corporation,
now a part of Verizon Communications Inc.