Curated OER
Plants and Ecosystems
The relationships within and between ecosystems can be explored. after examining an area for living and non-living things learners complete the same examination in the forest ecosystem. Students identify abiotic and biotic elements in an...
Curated OER
Measurement of Biotic and Abiotic Objects
Students identify biotic and abiotic factors. In this environmental study lesson, students conduct a series of experiments to collect and record data and draw conclusions based on the results.
Curated OER
Biotic vs. Abiotic Factors
Students share their prior knowledge of the elements of the environment. In groups, they are introduced to the concepts of biotic and abiotic factors in a specific environment. They discover their effects on organisms living in the...
Curated OER
Bahamian Terrariums
Sixth graders create a Bahamian terrarium. In this Bahamian ecosystem lesson, 6th graders watch a PowerPoint to see Bahamian biotic and abiotic factors. They bring in 2-3 items for their terrarium.
National Wildlife Federation
Habitat Web
Young scientists weave together an understanding of ecosystems with this fun collaborative activity. Taking on the roles of different living and non-living elements of specific habitats, learners use a ball of yarn to create the web of...
Curated OER
How about a Little Give and Take?
Learners design a closed system to test the relationships between plants and animals. They monitor abiotic fluctuations within this living system by using a chemical test kit. They observe how living organisms respond to fluctuations in...
Curated OER
Ecosystem I
Young scholars classify and label biotic and a-biotic factors in ecosystems. They define population and make predictions about population size in a given area. They describe the a-biotic factors' importance and impact on the other...
Curated OER
What makes up YOUR Environment!
Students create their own land or water environment. They make their environment livable for all the different animals they collect to put in it. Students research the types of animals that they can have in their environment, and how...
National Park Service
Living & Non-Living Interactions
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in learning about the...
Curated OER
Ecosystems Connect
Students investigate ecosystems near their school and across the world. They examine both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements of each. They recognize ecosystems from various continents around the globe. The use of computers...
EduGAINs
Go Eco! Ecosystems
How is a movie theater like a desert biome? Compare systems to ecosystems with a set of activities that focuses on accessing multiple intelligences and building upon knowledge. As learners discuss the ways elements of an ecosystem depend...
Curated OER
Ecosystems - Plants and Animals Together
Students study the biotic and abiotic factors of an environment. In this exploratory lesson students examine the different trophic levels and how organisms are connected.
Curated OER
Forest Ecology or Who Lives Here?
Learners explore a hardwood forest. In this forest ecology lesson, students examine the diversity and animals and plants as they explore their habitats at Poricy Park Conservatory. Learners determine how biodiversity and abiotic elements...
Curated OER
Savanna Hands-On Biome Building
Fifth graders participate in an interdisciplinary project related to the Savanna biome. In this biome building lesson plan, 5th graders display the elements of the Savanna biome such as the geography, animals and plants, and...
Curated OER
The Marvels of Mud
Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine the role that...
Curated OER
Build the Taiga: Hands on Biome-Building
Students explore environmental awareness by completing a construction project. In this biomes instructional activity, students identify the different elements for life to thrive in an ecosystem. Students utilize a cardboard or wood box...
Virginia Department of Education
Biomes of the World
Incorporate knowledge about biomes and ecosystems in multiple ways while encouraging creativity. Emerging ecologists collaborate and perform research to complete a graphic organizer about various biomes of the world. They conclude the...
Curated OER
Ecological Relationships
Students identify ecological elements and their factors on species, populations and food webs. They analyze ecosystems for these elements and research how these factors influence species survival rate. Predictions on conditions over time...
Curated OER
Trophic Relationships, Cycling of Chemicals, Human Impact on Ecosystems and Conservation
Students explore how the energy flow through a system is related to trophic levels. They investigate how organisms affect the cycling of elements and water through the biosphere. Students participate in lab activities to observe ways...
Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – Soil
Do great gardeners really have green thumbs—or just really great soil? Environmental scholars discover what makes Earth's soil and soil quality so important through research and experimentation. Learners also develop an understanding of...
Curated OER
Ecosystems II
Students engage in a lesson that is about the concepts related to the careful balance of an ecosystem. They identify the beneficial and harmful relationships that can exist with diverse populations in an ecosystem. The lesson includes...
Education Outside
Rain Dance
The importance of rainfall to the life cycle is underscored by an activity that engages class members in a discussion of how water effects newly planted seeds and supports their growth. Class members then create a dance to celebrate the...
Curated OER
Observing the Nutritional Relationships in an Ecosystem
Make learning about food webs fun and fascinating for your fifth graders.
Curated OER
Should Populations in an Ecosystem be Restricted?
Fourth graders experiment to determine how overpopulation effects ecosystems specifically plants. In this ecosystem lesson, 4th graders conduct an ecosystems experiment after listening to Claire Daniel's, Ecosystems. They watch a video,...