STATION 01

Eco-Detective Agency

Biodiversity

Scenario/Challenge:

Scientists are studying two groups of wild orchids. Group A has low genetic diversity because most of them died off in the past. Group B has high genetic diversity, meaning they have many different genes. A new plant disease enters the valley.

Why does high genetic diversity make Group B better at surviving this new disease?

A: It makes sure all the flowers are exactly the same. Code: [R]

B: Some plants are more likely to have traits to survive the disease. Code: [H]

C: It stops any natural mutations from happening at all. Code: [T]

D: It removes all competition among the forest plants. Code: [E]

HS-LS2-7 • Ecosystem Dynamics & Resilience Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 02

Eco-Detective Agency

Biodiversity

Scenario/Challenge:

A swampy wetland filters mud, chemicals, and fertilizers out of dirty rainwater before it flows into a giant lake. This lake provides clean drinking water to over 500,000 local citizens.

Which category of "ecosystem service" (benefits humans get from nature) is this water cleaning process?

A: Provisioning Service (supplying actual items like wood or food). Code: [L]

B: Cultural Service (providing space for fun, hiking, and art). Code: [P]

C: Supporting Service (basic jobs like creating soil). Code: [G]

D: Regulating Service (controlling water quality, flooding, or climate). Code: [U]

HS-LS2-7 • Ecosystem Services Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 03

Eco-Detective Agency

Biodiversity

Scenario/Challenge:

In an ocean kelp forest, sea otters eat sea urchins, and urchins eat giant kelp. When sea otters are hunted and disappear, urchins multiply super fast and eat up all the kelp, turning the lively habitat into a barren wasteland.

What is the science term for a species like the sea otter, which holds the whole ecosystem together?

A: Keystone Species (an animal that has a massive impact on its home). Code: [M]

B: Primary Producer (plants or seaweed that make energy from light). Code: [K]

C: Pioneer Species (the very first plants to grow on bare rock). Code: [V]

D: Invasive Species (an accidental pest from another country). Code: [Q]

HS-LS2-7 • Keystone Species Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 04

Eco-Detective Agency

Biodiversity

Scenario/Challenge:

A new 4-lane highway is built right through the middle of a big forest. This splits a population of land turtles into two separate, smaller groups that can no longer meet or mate across the highway.

What is the most immediate genetic danger of splitting up this turtle population?

A: Inbreeding increases, making them weaker and more prone to disease. Code: [A]

B: An instant burst of helpful mutations creates a super-species of turtle. Code: [C]

C: A massive jump in the amount of food available to both groups. Code: [X]

D: Natural selection stops completely because the turtles are now safe. Code: [Z]

HS-LS2-7 • Habitat Fragmentation Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 05

Eco-Detective Agency

Biodiversity

Scenario/Challenge:

Lichens (crusty organisms growing on tree bark) soak up water directly from the air. They are super sensitive to air pollution. If the air gets even slightly dirty with sulfur chemicals, the lichens wither and die.

What is the name for organisms whose health acts as an early warning sign that an ecosystem is getting damaged?

A: Foundation Species (organisms that physically build a habitat). Code: [F]

B: Indicator Species (organisms that signal if an environment is healthy). Code: [N]

C: Apex Predator (the top hunter at the very peak of the food web). Code: [T]

D: Generalist Species (surviving easily in almost any type of condition). Code: [B]

HS-LS2-7 • Indicator Species Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 06

Eco-Detective Agency

Biodiversity

Scenario/Challenge:

A tree farm plants only one single type of pine tree. Right next to it, a natural forest has many different tree species. When a swarm of wood-eating beetles attacks both forests, the tree farm is ruined, but the park is fine.

Why is the natural, diverse forest so much more stable against beetle attacks?

A: Having many species means lots of natural predators keep pests in check. Code: [S]

B: Natural forest grounds contain hidden, underground irrigation pipes. Code: [W]

C: Beetles refuse to eat pine trees if they grow next to maple trees. Code: [Y]

D: The park trees were genetically altered in a lab to fight off bugs. Code: [J]

HS-LS2-7 • Monoculture vs. Biodiversity Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 07

Eco-Detective Agency

Human Impact

Scenario/Challenge:

Heavy rains wash plant fertilizers from nearby farms into a local lake. This nutrient surge triggers a massive algal bloom (a layer of green pond scum) that completely blocks the lake surface.

Why does this "eutrophication" (nutrient pollution) end up creating a "dead zone" with no fish?

A: Bacteria use up all the dissolved oxygen as they decompose the dead algae. Code: [A]

B: The fast-growing algae layer actively hunts and eats baby fish. Code: [K]

C: The chemical fertilizer is directly poisonous and melts fish scales. Code: [L]

D: The algae blocks carbon dioxide from entering the water. Code: [O]

HS-LS2-7 • Eutrophication Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 08

Eco-Detective Agency

Human Impact

Scenario/Challenge:

Power plants release sulfur and nitrogen smoke. These gases blow hundreds of miles, mix with water in the clouds, and create "acid rain" that falls down onto forests and streams.

How does acid rain primarily damage forest soil and plant life?

A: It burns actual physical holes in tree trunks, causing them to break. Code: [F]

B: It washes away vital soil nutrients and releases toxic metals that hurt roots. Code: [N]

C: It makes soil too basic (high pH), stopping plants from soaking up water. Code: [H]

D: It forces soil microbes to photosynthesize, using up underground oxygen. Code: [I]

HS-LS2-7 • Acid Deposition Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 09

Eco-Detective Agency

Human Impact

Scenario/Challenge:

In South America, people clear giant patches of rainforest by cutting and burning down the trees ("slash-and-burn" agriculture) to make room for beef cattle. This dramatically alters the carbon cycle.

What are the two main ways that burning forests hurts the global carbon cycle?

A: It increases water vapor from trees and slows down rotting in soils. Code: [Z]

B: It releases stored carbon dioxide gas and removes living trees that soak up CO2. Code: [D]

C: It turns carbon monoxide into thick methane gas and stops dirt erosion. Code: [Q]

D: It blocks the sun's warm rays completely, freezing all local soils. Code: [P]

HS-LS2-7 • Carbon Cycle & Deforestation Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 10

Eco-Detective Agency

Human Impact

Scenario/Challenge:

Because of dark asphalt roads, concrete buildings, and a lack of trees, big cities are often up to 8°F hotter than surrounding rural farm areas. This is called the "Urban Heat Island" effect.

Which design solution would work best to cool down the hot air in these cities?

A: Using highly reflective glass windows on skyscrapers to bounce light down. Code: [M]

B: Planting grass on roofs and growing street trees to release water vapor. Code: [N]

C: Repaving all city sidewalks with black tar to hold winter cold. Code: [V]

D: Installing massive electric fans on street corners to blow wind around. Code: [K]

HS-LS2-7 • Urban Heat Islands Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 11

Eco-Detective Agency

Human Impact

Scenario/Challenge:

As humans burn coal and gas, the oceans absorb about 30% of the extra carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This causes a major chemical reaction in seawater.

What chemical change occurs in ocean water, and how does it hurt shelled animals like corals and clams?

A: It forms carbonic acid, lowering water pH and dissolving calcium shells. Code: [A]

B: It makes ocean water highly alkaline, melting fish skin. Code: [R]

C: It thickens seawater, trapping heavy heat currents on the seafloor. Code: [U]

D: It forms reactive chlorine gas, bleaching coral reefs in a few hours. Code: [E]

HS-LS2-7 • Ocean Acidification Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 12

Eco-Detective Agency

Human Impact

Scenario/Challenge:

Bottom trawling is a type of commercial fishing where heavy weighted nets are dragged along the sandy ocean floor. While it catches target food fish, it also pulls up other marine life and changes the seabed.

What are the two major environmental damages caused by this style of fishing?

A: It increases genetic diversity and adds healthy plant nutrients. Code: [W]

B: It destroys sea reefs and accidentally traps untargeted animals (bycatch). Code: [T]

C: It raises sea temperatures, forcing underwater plants to grow fast. Code: [L]

D: It catches all top predators but leaves basic prey completely safe. Code: [O]

HS-LS2-7 • Commercial Fishing & Bycatch Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 13

Eco-Detective Agency

Sustainability

Scenario/Challenge:

A forest management group cuts down trees for lumber. To make sure they do not run out of trees over time, they want to harvest at a rate where the forest population grows the absolute fastest.

At what point on the forest population growth curve is the tree growth rate at its peak?

A: When the tree population is very small and first starting to grow. Code: [G]

B: When the forest hits carrying capacity (limit) and growth slows to zero. Code: [P]

C: When the forest is at exactly half of its total carrying capacity (K/2). Code: [U]

D: Cutting down all trees at once to clear-cut the entire plot of land. Code: [R]

HS-LS2-7 • Sustainable Yield Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 14

Eco-Detective Agency

Sustainability

Scenario/Challenge:

Following a dangerous ocean oil spill, cleanup crews spray natural fertilizers onto the beaches. This fertilizer feeds the local, oil-eating bacteria, helping them multiply quickly and digest the toxic oil molecules.

What is the scientific term for using living organisms (like bacteria) to clean up toxic waste?

A: Bioremediation (using living microbes to eat and clean up toxins). Code: [R]

B: Genetic Engineering (splicing artificial DNA into animal cells). Code: [H]

C: Biomagnification (increasing chemical concentration up the food chain). Code: [V]

D: Chemical Precipitation (reacting chemicals to turn toxins into solid rocks). Code: [L]

HS-LS2-7 • Bioremediation Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 15

Eco-Detective Agency

Sustainability

Scenario/Challenge:

A state park constructs massive, grassy bridge crossings (overpasses and underpasses) across an 8-lane highway to connect two separate halves of a wild mountain lion forest.

How do these "wildlife corridors" help protect biodiversity inside the forest park?

A: They act as feeding stations where humans can feed wild hunters. Code: [K]

B: They let animals migrate safely, allowing groups to share genes. Code: [E]

C: They force animals to leave the area permanently, reducing local crowds. Code: [B]

D: They offer predator-free nesting grounds, stopping all hunting. Code: [W]

HS-LS2-7 • Wildlife Corridors Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 16

Eco-Detective Agency

Sustainability

Scenario/Challenge:

Normal factories use a linear "take-make-waste" style: they mine minerals, make a phone, and then humans throw it in a landfill. To go green, a new phone company redesigns their entire system.

Which of the following designs represents a sustainable, "circular economy" solution?

A: Designing phones with modular parts that can be easily repaired or recycled. Code: [I]

B: Incinerating (burning) all municipal trash to generate electricity. Code: [Q]

C: Moving toxic factories to quiet countryside areas to spread out the smog. Code: [Y]

D: Mining more raw underground metals to keep up with the high demand for phones. Code: [X]

HS-LS2-7 • Circular Economy Solutions Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 17

Eco-Detective Agency

Sustainability

Scenario/Challenge:

An organic farmer plants nitrogen-fixing alfalfa plants between rows of corn to naturally feed the soil. She also releases native ladybugs to eat up crop-damaging aphids, meaning she does not need chemical bug sprays.

What is the term for a farming system that works with natural food webs and nutrient cycles?

A: High-Input Monoculture (growing only one plant species using chemical sprays). Code: [O]

B: Agroecology / Integrated Pest Management (using nature to feed/protect crops). Code: [N]

C: Hydroponic Agriculture (growing crops in sand water with chemical liquids). Code: [Z]

D: Slash-and-Burn Cultivation (clearing a forest, farming once, and leaving). Code: [M]

HS-LS2-7 • Sustainable Agriculture Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 18

Eco-Detective Agency

Sustainability

Scenario/Challenge:

A coastal city replants muddy mangrove wetlands. These mangrove trees pull carbon gas out of the air and bury it in wet, oxygen-poor soils. This locks the carbon away safely for thousands of years.

Which type of solution does this swamp wetland restoration represent to fight warming?

A: Geological storage (forcing gas into deep, empty underground oil wells). Code: [L]

B: Biological sequestration (using living plants/roots to securely trap carbon). Code: [H]

C: Solar deflection (spraying white chemical dust into sky clouds to block light). Code: [V]

D: Chemical filtration (installing high-tech mesh filters on power chimneys). Code: [C]

HS-LS2-7 • Blue Carbon Sequestration Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 19

Eco-Detective Agency

Biological Magnification

Scenario/Challenge:

A science textbook explains how pollutants flow through marine ecosystems. Two key vocabulary terms are "bioaccumulation" and "biomagnification."

What is the primary difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification?

A: Bioaccumulation is inside one animal over time; biomagnification is up the food web. Code: [A]

B: Bioaccumulation is for metals; biomagnification is only for insect sprays. Code: [E]

C: Bioaccumulation occurs on land; biomagnification only happens in deep oceans. Code: [K]

D: Bioaccumulation is fully natural; biomagnification is entirely artificial. Code: [U]

HS-LS2-7 • Bioaccumulation vs. Biomagnification Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 20

Eco-Detective Agency

Biological Magnification

Scenario/Challenge:

A swampy wetland is sprayed with a very tiny amount of the insect chemical DDT to control mosquitoes. The chemical gets inside the local marsh food web.

Which of these living things in the wetland food web will end up with the most concentrated DDT in its body?

A: Swamp grass (photosynthetic primary producer). Code: [S]

B: Mosquito wrigglers (filter-feeding primary consumer). Code: [F]

C: Minnows (secondary consumer that eats insects). Code: [W]

D: Osprey hawk (apex predator eating fish that ate the minnows). Code: [R]

HS-LS2-7 • Biomagnification & Trophic Levels Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 21

Eco-Detective Agency

Biological Magnification

Scenario/Challenge:

Some chemical toxins, like mercury and industrial PCBs, are highly prone to biomagnification (building up in food chains). However, other common pollutants, like caffeine or nicotine, do not biomagnify.

What physical properties make a toxic chemical build up inside a food chain?

A: They are physically too heavy to pass through animal cells. Code: [G]

B: They dissolve in fat and do not break down easily, storing in animal tissues. Code: [M]

C: They stick only to plant fibers in dirt and can never be digested. Code: [P]

D: They are magnetically attracted to the nervous pathways of flying birds. Code: [K]

HS-LS2-7 • Chemical Properties of Toxins Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 22

Eco-Detective Agency

Biological Magnification

Scenario/Challenge:

In the 1960s, bald eagles and peregrine falcon populations suddenly crashed. This put these grand predatory birds on the brink of going completely extinct in North America.

What was the direct scientific cause of this eagle population collapse?

A: DDT stopped calcium from forming, causing fragile eggshells to break. Code: [O]

B: The chemical spray went in their eyes, blinding adult birds in flight. Code: [L]

C: High mercury in fish made bird feathers fall out, stopping them from flying. Code: [L]

D: The pesticide killed all lake fish, leaving the birds with no food at all. Code: [B]

HS-LS2-7 • Environmental Toxins & Avian Crises Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 23

Eco-Detective Agency

Biological Magnification

Scenario/Challenge:

State health groups print warning flyers telling pregnant mothers not to eat long-lived, top predatory ocean fish like sharks, swordfish, and large king mackerels.

What is the food-chain explanation for this critical health warning?

A: These fish absorb heavy iron from metal ship anchors on the seabed. Code: [D]

B: Biomagnified methylmercury gets trapped in fat, which can harm baby nerves. Code: [N]

C: Large fish meat contains special ocean bacteria that spoil under heat. Code: [V]

D: Deep predatory fish hold too much calcium, stopping baby bone growth. Code: [R]

HS-LS2-7 • Heavy Metals & Human Health Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 24

Eco-Detective Agency

Biological Magnification

Scenario/Challenge:

Billions of tiny microplastic fibers float in ocean water. These microscopic plastic pieces act like sponges, soaking up dangerous industrial chemical liquids from the ocean water around them.

How do microplastics act as dangerous vectors (carriers) for biomagnification in ocean food webs?

A: They release nitrogen, which fuels fast toxic pond scum blooms. Code: [J]

B: They soak up toxins and are eaten by zooplankton, passing up the web. Code: [Y]

C: They are absorbed and turned into healthy fat cells by ocean bacteria. Code: [L]

D: They dim deep ocean light, forcing fish to eat benthic dirt instead. Code: [Q]

HS-LS2-7 • Microplastics & Biomagnification Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 25

Eco-Detective Agency

Invasive Species

Scenario/Challenge:

In 1890, a bird lover released 60 European starlings in New York City's Central Park. Today, there are over 150 million starlings across America. They steal nesting spots from native bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Why are invasive species often able to multiply so incredibly fast in a new environment?

A: They eat anything, reproduce fast, and have no natural predators here. Code: [A]

B: They have advanced camouflage that makes them totally invisible. Code: [I]

C: They perform photosynthesis to make food when there are no seeds. Code: [U]

D: They cooperate closely with native birds, sharing nests and food. Code: [O]

HS-LS2-7 • Invasive Generalists Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 26

Eco-Detective Agency

Invasive Species

Scenario/Challenge:

Australian farmers brought in non-native cane toads in 1935 to eat beetles that were ruining sugar crops. The toads ignored the beetles entirely and instead ate up native bugs, becoming an ecological nightmare.

What major warning does this event teach us about using a "biological control" (introducing a predator)?

A: Introducing new predators is always 100% effective if given time. Code: [P]

B: The new predator may ignore the pest and eat harmless native animals instead. Code: [L]

C: Cane toads are super sensitive to bug noises and run away from fields. Code: [F]

D: Toads and beetles will mate and produce a toxic flying monster. Code: [G]

HS-LS2-7 • Biological Control Failures Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 27

Eco-Detective Agency

Invasive Species

Scenario/Challenge:

Kudzu, a fast-growing vine from Asia, was brought to the US to help stop soil from washing away. It grew out of control, and now covers over 7 million acres, completely draping over entire forests.

How does the Kudzu vine directly cause the death of healthy, mature native trees?

A: Its deep roots release acid that dissolves tree roots in the dirt. Code: [E]

B: It wraps around trunks so tightly that it blocks water movement inside. Code: [T]

C: It covers the forest canopy, blocking sunlight and stopping photosynthesis. Code: [W]

D: It attracts wood-eating bugs that only eat native tree bark. Code: [K]

HS-LS2-7 • Kudzu & Canopy Competition Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 28

Eco-Detective Agency

Invasive Species

Scenario/Challenge:

Invasive zebra mussels have invaded the Great Lakes. They filter water at record speeds to feed. While they make the lake water look incredibly clear, they are causing a major food shortage.

How does this massive water filtering disrupt the surrounding lake food web?

A: It eats up all the phytoplankton, starving small zooplankton and baby fish. Code: [A]

B: It makes the water muddy, stopping underwater plants from getting light. Code: [M]

C: It removes salt from the lake, turning the water highly acidic. Code: [X]

D: It triggers a massive, sudden overpopulation of predatory lake trout. Code: [V]

HS-LS2-7 • Zebra Mussels & Food Webs Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 29

Eco-Detective Agency

Invasive Species

Scenario/Challenge:

The nutria is a large South American rodent brought to US wetlands for its warm fur. They burrow aggressively into riverbanks and eat up the roots of wetland plants that hold the mud in place.

What is the long-term ecological damage of this rodent's digging behavior?

A: It establishes deep, highly oxygenated soil channels for native crabs. Code: [G]

B: It causes severe soil erosion, breaks up marshes, and ruins fish habitats. Code: [Y]

C: It packs down wetland mud with heavy tails, helping stabilize the banks. Code: [K]

D: It causes swamp areas to dry up, turning them into high-value farm fields. Code: [R]

HS-LS2-7 • Nutria & Habitat Destruction Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

STATION 30

Eco-Detective Agency

Invasive Species

Scenario/Challenge:

Invasive cane toads ooze a highly toxic milky fluid (bufotoxin) from glands on their backs. Since they were released, they have caused a dramatic, fatal collapse of native Australian predatory lizards.

Why has this toad's poison caused such a catastrophic collapse in native Australian predators?

A: The toxin makes the toads taste extremely sweet, causing predators to overeat. Code: [B]

B: Local predators have never seen these toads before and lack any natural defense. Code: [S]

C: The poison turns into toxic gas, ruining all surrounding forest air for miles. Code: [U]

D: The poison makes toads double in size, allowing toads to hunt lizards. Code: [P]

HS-LS2-7 • Cane Toad Toxins & Endemic Species Solve the mystery and record your Code Letter!

ECO-SHIELD SCAVENGER HUNT

Mini Response Card • Aligned to HS-LS2-7

Name: _________________

Date: _________

How to play: Walk around and find the 30 environmental detective stations. Read each card, select the best answer (A, B, C, or D), and write down the corresponding **Code Letter**. Use the letters in sequence to decode the secret proverb!

Station	Choice	Code
01	____	____
02	____	____
03	____	____
04	____	____
05	____	____
06	____	____
07	____	____
08	____	____
09	____	____
10	____	____

Station	Choice	Code
11	____	____
12	____	____
13	____	____
14	____	____
15	____	____
16	____	____
17	____	____
18	____	____
19	____	____
20	____	____

Station	Choice	Code
21	____	____
22	____	____
23	____	____
24	____	____
25	____	____
26	____	____
27	____	____
28	____	____
29	____	____
30	____	____

★ DECIPHERED KEYPHRASE PROVERB ★

Eco Shield Scavenger Hunt • Mini Response Sheet Page 16 of 16

Eco Shield Scavenger Hunt: 30 Station Cards (Grade 7 Level)

ECO-SHIELD SCAVENGER HUNT

Eco Shield Station Cards

Eco Shield Station Cards

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