Curated OER
Deer: Predation or Starvation
In this predation or starvation worksheet, students read about the effects of the wildlife service bringing in predators (wolves) to control a deer population. Students calculate the change in the deer population from 1971 to 1980. They...
Curated OER
Glacier Bay Pacific Halibut
The National Park Service has produced a high-quality presentation on the halibut population of Glacier Bay, Alaska. It takes the viewpoint of the marine biologists or rather, ichthyologists, who have been studying the adaptations,...
Curated OER
Biodiversity Debate - Stream Side Science
Role play community members who are both for and against the construction of a dam. Research the pros and cons and then hold a classroom debate. This activity ideally follows a series of stream studies, links to which are included. Use...
Curated OER
Snapshot Day Definitions and Activities
Here is a document full of teaching notes on water quality and bodies of water that you can use in your ecology curriculum. It has information specific to the Hudson River area, but can easily be adapted to any local body of water....
Curated OER
Sample Midyear Examination (Chemistry and Biology)
A 12-page midterm exam sample can be given to young scientists in preparation for an exam. This particular installment is geared toward a class that delves into both ecology and chemistry concepts. There is no way to separate the 50...
Curated OER
Urban Ecosystems 2: Why are There Cities? A Historical Perspective
Second in a series of five lessons, this lesson encourages preteens to consider cities as urban ecosystems. First, they keep a food diary for a few days. They visit the Natrional Agricultural Statistics Service website for current data...
Curated OER
Campus Nitrogen Budget
Students are given guidelines to college level nitrogen budgeting. Students brainstorm the campus links to nitrogen budget. Students pick topics or subtopics for individual or group research. Students develop research plan, keep good...
Curated OER
Eyes on the Estuaries
High schoolers study estuaries and compare several ones in the U.S. In this estuary lesson students interpret data and compare the distribution of different species.
Curated OER
Cool Corals
Students explore corals and polyps. In this coral reef instructional activity students divide into groups and prepare a written report.
Curated OER
To Clear or Not To Clear, That Is the Question
Pupils plan how to manage a fictional timber resource. For this earth science lesson plan, students research the options and repercussions of logging a forested plot of land. Pupils consider the implications of logging to the animal...
Curated OER
Food Webs
Students investigate the concept of an ecosystem and how they are interconnected according to a hierarchy. Students are exposed to the "Lion King" as an example of a food chain and this is very relevant. They answer several key...
Curated OER
Nature Tribute
Students explore parts of nature. In this environmental instructional activity, students discuss how their actions can affect the environment and design a plan to clean up a specified area. Students practice good hygiene during the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Unit 4 Pre-Assessment
Pre-assessments are great to help teachers determine what information their classes lack, what misconceptions they have, and how in depth to teach specific concepts. The first in a five-part series is a pre-assessment of middle...
National Park Service
What Can We Do?
Motivate young conservationists to stand up and make a change. After learning about the efforts in Cascade Nation Park to reduce carbon emissions in order to preserve the wilderness, young scholars work in groups creating action plans...
Curated OER
Our Forests Need Fires?
Learners consider how forest fires are both damaging and beneficial to forests. In this earth science lesson, students are read the book Fire! In Yellowstone by Robert Ekey and watch "Fire Ecology" and "Two Sides of Fire" before...
Curated OER
Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson
Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers. In this environmental activity, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on the...
Curated OER
Our School - Our Trees
Sixth graders observe school ground trees planted nearly 3 decades ago. For this ecology activity, 6th graders examine a group of trees planted near their campus and measure the diameter, circumference and growth of the tree compared to...
Curated OER
The Grand Canyon
Learners act as scientists investigating the damming and experimental flooding of the Colorado River by the Glen Canyon dam that took place in 1996. They write a proposal as to whether or not more experimental flooding should be done on...
Curated OER
A Study of Grasses on the American Prairie
Fifth graders study the ecology and impact of animal and human life as it relates to the environment of the Great Plains and its grasses. They compare types of grasses with a rainfall map to illustrate the effect of precipitation on...
Curated OER
Protective Agencies
This rare resource is a brief overview of some of our government protective agencies. There is a slide for each of the following: Bureau of Land Management, Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Parks Service, Environmental...
Curated OER
Environment and the Earth
Students were involved in environmental service learning and they gathered information from academic buildings for a database. The data allowed them to use an establish baseline data on light use, recycling, and water fixtures in five...
Montana Natural History Center
Studying Grassland Ecosystems
At first glance, grassland ecosystems might seem dull and uninteresting, but once you start to explore it's amazing the things you'll find! Through this series of engaging lessons, activities, and experiments, elementary students examine...
Polar Trec
Rings of Life
Individuals analyze tree rings to determine the health of an ecosystem. They then look at otoliths of fish, hard calcium carbonate structures located behind the brain, in the same manner.
Curated OER
Scientific Approach to Forest Management
Young scholars use wireless laptop computers to collect, store, communicate, and organize data from the 1999 Jasper Fire area. They collect data in the field and compare it to student-collected data from prior years to develop...