Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lesson 4: Gorongosa's Food Webs
Who eats who in the savannas of Africa? Explore trophic levels with part four of an eight-part series of lessons focused around Gorongosa National Park. After young explorers identify animals using trailcam images, they construct a food...
Curated OER
Exploring Arizona's Biotic Communities Lesson 1: Mapping Biotic Communities
As part of a unit on Arizona's biotic communities, young ecology learners create a map. They describe how humans and animals adapt in their habitat. They take notes and create graphic organizers from articles they read. Beautiful maps,...
Serendip
Changing Biological Communities – Disturbance and Succession
After cutting down a forest to make a farm, how long would it take the environment to turn an abandoned farm back into a forest? Scholars study this exact scenario while they interpret many charts and graphs of the changing ecosystems as...
Purdue University
Ashes to Ashes: We All Grow Up
Ecosystems are constantly changing whether people notice or not. An inquiry-based lesson examines types of ecosystem changes and how they relate to wildlife conservation. Learners classify changes as succession and disturbance using a...
Curated OER
The Mighty Hudson Stretches its Mussels
Students brainstorm possible causes of zebra mussel migration and population expansion. They identify the key causes and effects of the disturbance of the Hudson River ecosystem and research causes and effects in the disturbances of...
Curated OER
Primary And Secondary Succession
Learners cover the topics of primary and secondary succession with interest to its ties in the study of ecosystems. They study how the introduction of an insect can effect the ecological balance. Students make predictions and write them...
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
"What should we have for dinner?" "What am I eating?" "Where did it come from?" These three questions are at the heart of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Pollan's book provides some very...
Michigan State University
Bug Lyphe!
Introduce ecology classes to biodiversity and interdependence in ecosystems with a PowerPoint presentation. Then, they get up-close and personal with the invertebrate world by collecting insects, classifying them, and graphing their...
Curated OER
Michigan Ecosystems: The Web They Weave
Students examine the forest ecosystem and how all life in the forest depends upon itself. In this ecological lesson, students participate in a personal connections activity where someone pulls on a string and everyone feels it,...
Virginia Department of Education
Ecosystem Dynamics
Searching for an eccentric way to enhance lessons on ecosystems while ensuring pupils remain creative and motivated? Upon viewing The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, designated groups design and construct a pop-up book that depicts the specific ways...
Curated OER
The Disappearing Fish
Learners examine the theories behind the drastic decline of the wild salmon population and the ecological ramifications of this decline.
Curated OER
Exploring Life in the Coral Reef
Students study life forms in coral reefs. In this ocean life lesson, students study life in coral reefs as they create a coral reef sculpture.
Curated OER
The Fall and Rise of the White-tailed Deer Population: Conservation Success Story?
Students analyze the problems that have come along with the conservation movement and the fall and rise of the white tailed deer population. In this conservation lesson plan, students see how important the deer were to the Native...
Curated OER
Fishing gear
Students investigate he fishing gear and techniques utilized by commercial fishers in Magdalena Bay. They determine the ecological impacts of different fishing techniques.
Curated OER
Alderwood Manor: A Sequential Inquiry in Environmental Bioethics
Learners explore bioethics. They discuss the traditional ethics of human conduct and man's relationship with nature. Students identify ethical dilemmas. They discuss ramifications of economic and ecological concerns with bioethics.
Curated OER
Survival Of The Fittest
Seventh graders examine the concept of an ecosystem and how there is a variety of representations of life that exist there. They look at the equilibrium that is reached in stable communities and how the variable of change in...
Curated OER
Mussel Movements
Young scholars consider the impact of invasive species on local environments. In this ecology lesson plan, watch the video, Arizona Wildlife Views, which focuses on invasive species. Students develop vocabulary, relate to meaningful...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Modeling Food Webs in Darién, Panama
It's a jungle out there! Young biologists journey to Darien, Panama to examine the intricate relationships between the organisms that inhabit the jungle. Groups begin by demonstrating an understanding of energy flow in ecosystems, then...
Curated OER
PASSENGER PIGEONS: NOMADS LOST
Young scholars explore the concept and implications of extinction using the example of the Passenger Pigeon, once an extremely abundant species that was completely eliminated by humans.
CFR Washington
Urbanization and Wildlife
Urbanization and how it affects wildlife is the focus of a presentation that uses statistics to make a case for concern and change.
Curated OER
Visualizing Succession
Ecosystem change is easier to understand when you use hands-on activities.
Curated OER
Wildlife Around the World
Students examine how plants are able to adapt to their ecosystem and the role that fire plays in changes through the years. In this ecosystem activity students complete several exercises focussing on plants and their adaptations to.
Curated OER
Global Change- Earth as Home
Students create their own environment. In this environmental protection lesson, students pretend they are the owners of a tropical island. They create jobs for the citizens and develop the island as a model environment.
Curated OER
Desert Dwellers
Students study deserts and how they occur. In this desert lesson students research deserts and desertification then divide into groups and come up with an action plan to help rehabilitate these areas.