Finding the Phyla Around Us: Mapping Animal Life and Evidence on a School Campus

In K–12 science classrooms, animal phyla are often introduced through characteristics such as body symmetry, segmentation, body organization, and specialized structures that distinguish major groups of organisms. This article describes the Phylum Hunt, a high school Zoology activity designed to help students apply those characteristics through field‐based observations within their own school environment. Students first reviewed the nine major animal phyla and were then introduced to ArcGIS Online through a short mapping activity called the Happy Place. They then used ArcGIS QuickCapture to document either living organisms or evidence that an organism had been present. For each observation, students classified the organism by phylum, attached a photograph, and recorded its geographic location. The resulting data populated a shared ArcGIS Online map that the class later used to examine the phyla represented across the school campus. The activity demonstrates how mobile GIS technology can be incorporated into existing science content while supporting field data collection in a familiar place. Practical considerations include scaffolding the technology before data collection, planning for student device and account access, and returning to the shared map after the Phylum Hunt to discuss classifications and evidence.