Four Ways of Learning with the ToL
The ToL provides four different ways of interacting with ToL learning resources, from the least interactive (browsing) to the most interactive (becoming a treehouse builder and creating ToL treehouse web pages). This page guides you through resources for each type of interaction.
1. Browse ToL Pages and Media on the Earth's Organisms
- Take the ToL Learning Tour for information on different types of ToL pages and suggested routes for exploring the ToL.
- Visit the ToL Home Page and the top navigation bar's "Browse" options.
- Customize your view of the Tree of Life and learn how to turn on ToL features such as the ToL Glossary, which highlights and provides rollover definitions of words throughout the site.
- Try an Advanced Image Search to find images in the ToL. For help see Help with Searching the ToL.
3. Contribute Media to the Tree of Life
Classrooms of all ages and individuals who are over 18 can contribute media (images, sounds, and movies) they have created to the ToL database collection by becoming treehouse builders. Treehouse builders can contribute media without taking the steps to build full treehouse web pages (pages created by and intended for learners at all levels).
4. Create Tree of Life Treehouse Pages
Treehouses are Tree of Life pages designed for children and the young at heart. The information on these pages complements the scientific core content presented on ToL branch pages, leaf pages, other articles and notes. Currently we have only a few treehouses, but our goal is to soon have many treehouses sprinkled throughout the ToL.
Classrooms of all ages and individuals over 18 can become ToL learning materials contributors and learn how to make their own treehouse web pages using the ToL web-based Treehouse Editor. Treehouse builders will create, access and use digital media: images, audio, movies, and text. Builders can publish treehouse games, stories, investigations, art and cultural pieces, biographies, and teacher resources on the Tree of Life. Builders will learn about phylogenetic biology, new places, organisms and projects and connect their work to the larger bioscience community.
You can now try out our tools for building treehouses! Be aware that anything that you create while trying out the tools will not be saved.