The study of "zonation", the distribution of plants and animals into distinct spatial areas, is a great way to introduce students to basic ecological concepts. Students can conduct methodical, quantifying surveys of zones in areas as diverse as mudflats, beaches, forests, wetlands, and fields. Students collect data from these areas with field ecology techniques such as transects and quadrats, which allow students to estimate how many different kinds of organisms exist in an area or to describe relative abundance. This article describes a lesson sequence in which students gain an understanding about quantitative sampling techniques and how to effectively evaluate which methods work best for different surveys or in different types of areas. The lesson sequence described in this article can be accomplished within one month as a standalone unit or incorporated into a larger unit of study in ecology. Providing students with an opportunity to conduct scientific work in a field setting is valuable, especially when the experience is connected to ongoing learning. Zonation mapping is an easy and powerful way for students to put their field experience into a larger scientific context, while also providing a concrete example of ecological concepts that is much more relevant to students than an abstract text example could ever be. (Contains 5 figures.)