Resources for Students - Homework Help

The Department of Natural Resources provides you with detailed information on Maryland's Natural Resources. This information can help you do your homework, school reports and school projects. Feel free to use anything you find or just surf the DNR website for what you need!

Facts, Figures, Photographs and Illustrations

Animal Bits

Description: Interesting fact sheets found on the DNR web site covering a wide variety of animals you can find in Maryland. If you have ever wondered where the animals live, what they eat or look like, then this is the web site for you. Information covers basic animal characteristics and habitat as well as interesting facts. A new animal bit is added every month.
Website: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/animalbits.asp

CreatureFeature

Description: Information about creatures that live in Maryland, including photographs.
Website: http://dnr.maryland.gov/mydnr/creaturefeature/index.asp

Fish Facts

Description: A collection of information about the wide variety of fish you can find in the state of Maryland. To the right are listings of fish and aquatic life that we have information available about. The individual fact sheets will give you information about where you could find the organism, what they eat, breeding patterns and identification information.
Website: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishfacts/index.asp

Discover Maryland's Bats

Description: Maryland has ten species of bats that lead varied lives. Some reside in Maryland all year long, and some migrate through Maryland in the spring and fall. Some species of bats live in groups called colonies and others live by themselves or in small families. Bats belong to the order Chiroptera, which means “hand-wing.”  Their hand is literally their wing and they are the only mammals that can fly. Bats are more closely related to people than to mice and like humans, have hair, and feed their young milk.
Website: http://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/bats/index.asp

Discover Maryland's Reptiles & Amphibians

Description: Welcome to the wonderfully weird and winning world of amphibians and reptiles that make their home in Maryland! Today biologists know that herps use environmental temperatures to regulate their body temperatures in a process called ectothermy and the term “cold-blooded” is inaccurate. Though they share ectothermy, amphibians and reptiles are more different than they are alike. Broadly speaking, amphibians have soft skin easily penetrated by water; they lay their eggs in water or damp places to keep them moist. Reptiles have dry, scaly skin impervious to water; their eggs have a shell that holds moisture for the developing young.
Website: http://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/herps/index.asp

Chesapeake and Coastal Bay Life

Description: All you wanted to know about life in the Bays from phytoplankton to aquatic insects to the various species that live in the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays.
Website: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/bay/cblife/

Description: Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Chesapeake Bay.
Website: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/bay/education/faq/bayfacts.html

Contact: Dale Shelton
Phone: 410-554-5505
Email: dshelton@mgs.mg.gov or esic@mgs.md.gov
Description: The DNR Maryland Geological Survey provides information on the geology and geohydrology of Maryland. Many free geologic fact sheets, pamphlets, images, and maps are available on the web on topics ranging from fossils and earthquakes to groundwater and changing coastlines.
Website: http://www.mgs.md.gov/

Earthquakes in Maryland

Description: Find out about earthquakes and their occurrence and magnitude in Maryland. Plus check out the seismic network and learn about the new seismograph station being installed in Maryland.
Website: http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/brochures/earthquake.html

Gold in Maryland

Description: Believe it or not, gold has been mined, panned and prospected in Maryland. Although active mining stopped before World War II, some prospecting continues today. Find out about gold mining in Maryland and where gold has been reported and prospected.
Website: http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/brochures/gold.html

Bay Conditions - Eyes on the Bay

Contact: Bruce Michael
Phone: 410-260-8692
Email: bmichael@dnr.state.md.us
Description: Access real-time Chesapeake and Coastal Bays water quality monitoring data using our interactive map. This is a great site for students to learn about how water quality affects fish, crabs, bay grass and other bay life. Download water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity and chlorophyll data for classroom exploration, interpretation and discussion.
Website: http://www.eyesonthebay.net

Boater Safety Classes

Description: The Maryland Natural Resources Police have taught thousands of youngsters in Maryland the basic information needed to prevent the tragedies that occur on the water. Our Water Wise Programs are designed for every age group and can be customized for your needs. The Water Wise Programs are simple, fun, take about an hour, and best of all they are free. We have designed several programs to provide basic water safety concepts which will help prevent tragic drownings that occur every year. There is a program for every age group from pre-kindergarten through adult.
Website: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/boating/safety/

Hunter Safety Education

Contact: Natural Resource Police
Phone: 410-260-3280
e-mail: NRP-Safetyed@dnr.state.md.us
Description: Don't wait until hunting season to take a course! Many courses are offered in the late summer and early fall prior to the start of hunting seasons. Some courses are also offered in the spring prior to spring turkey season. Volunteer instructors schedule each course for either a weekend or several week-nights and a day during the weekend to complete. Some courses may have a fee of up to $6 to offset expenses incurred by instructors and cover use of facilities.
Website: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/nrp/education/

IRC Database

Description: Material in the IRC's main collection circulates to staff and volunteers of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The public is welcome to use these resources here in the IRC or to arrange to borrow materials with their local library through interlibrary loan. We are located in Annapolis at the Tawes State Office Building.
Website: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/irc/

Chesapeake Bay Word Search

Description: A free word search game that will teach you Chesapeake Bay vocabulary. You can print this out and have some real fun.
Website: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/bay/education/wordsearch.html

MERLIN Online

Contact: Kevin J. Coyne
Phone: 410-260-8985
Email: kjcoyne@dnr.state.md.us
Description: MERLIN Online is an electronic atlas that allows a user to produce a custom map for any location in Maryland. The user can include their choice of base map and theme data layers. It also allows the user to query the system to obtain information about specific locations. An amazing educational tool!
Website: http://www.mdmerlin.net/