Many times when science is thought of in the educational context, images of lab experiments and the periodic table flash through the brain. However, the importance of biology as a school subject cannot be overlooked. ARKive.org is a site that not only realizes the need for dynamic Biology content but provides it many times over.

ARKive.org provides photos, videos, and facts about various threatened species on their web-site. All of the footage is available for download and use at no cost to educators and students. The images and videos can be utilized for presentations, school reports, or incorporated into handout sheets and bulletin board displays. Since ARKive also contains detailed information on each of the species featured on the web-site, it can be a truly one-stop site for scientific research on featured animals.

ARKive has a variety of educational materials on the main-site, but it also has a URL created just for teachers, arkiveeducation.org. The educational materials presented on this site are tailor made for five different educational age groups, ranging from ages five to sixteen and older. Resources are separated into three main headings: science, geography, and other which will allow educators to present information integrating as many different school subjects as possible.

The ARKive page http://www.arkive.org/darwin/ also contains a variety of lesson plans targeted towards the classroom where evolution is focused on for a period of time. The materials contain information on Darwin and Darwinism and are presented in several different formats. Downloadable PDF files contain teacher’s notes and student handouts, and Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations have been compiled for classroom showings. A link at the bottom of the page directs users to species discovered by Charles Darwin and provides related videos and images.

ARKive.org contains a variety of photographic and video material that will allow students to enhance school science projects, reports, and presentations. Educators can also access this material as well as unique lesson plans and activities to engage their general science and biology students with multimedia class discussions and assignments.