Designing Keys

Identifying the organisms we find in any habitat is essential to help us answer many questions about the habitat and the wider ecosystem. Keys are one of the simplest ways of doing this, and can be designed very simply.

This activity guides students through the process of developing and then using a key, whilst encouraging the observation of features of the organisms found within a pond.

Resources

• Powerpoint presentation (also available as a pdf file)
• Teachers’ notes to support the presentation
• Short video about ponds