American Chemical Society
Natural Resources and Synthetic Materials
All synthetic materials began as natural materials. An engaging lesson plan begins with a hands-on activity and an example of the type of research that scholars perform independently. Then pupils receive a topic and begin researching the...
Curated OER
The Natural State
Following an examination of the Arkansas state quarter, your class will discuss the state's nickname: "The Natural State." They will focus on its abundance of natural resources. Printables for the activities are included.
Curated OER
Natural Resources Matter
This natural resources worksheet includes discussion activities about natural resources, 2 word searches, and a list of related books and videos.
Saint Louis Zoo
Introduction to Natural Selection: Darwin & Lamarck
Charles Darwin and Jean Baptiste Lamarck are credited for developing the theory of natural selection. After teaching your beginning biologists about acquired characteristics, they read the included selection and answer questions that...
Berkshire Museum
Nature Journaling: Experience the Outdoors Through Writing and Drawing
Step into the great outdoors and develop young scientists' skills of observation with a nature journaling lesson plan. Given a specific focus or goal, children practice making and recording observations of nature through written...
It's About Time
Natural Selection
Are you the predator or the prey? Student groups participate in an activity to demonstrate the process of natural selection in a contained environment. After scholars complete the activity and questions, they apply their knowledge to a...
Curated OER
Native Americans and Natural Resources
North American Indian civilizations had already been in place for over 10,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. Introduce your young historians to Indian tribes that lived in the Chesapeake region in the early seventeenth...
American Physiological Society
Sticky Adaptations A Lesson on Natural Selection
Now you see it, now you don't! The stick bug exhibits the ability to disappear into a wooded environment. Why does this adaptation manifest in some species, but not in others? Life science students explore animal adaptations in nature...
Curated OER
Our Natural Resources
Your class will learn about natural resources and man-made items and differentiate between them. They chart resources from seven pictures and explain how each natural resource is used.
Curated OER
Building Soil Nature's Way: Exploring decomposition and soil health
Students explore decomposition and soil health by creating their own garden. In this agriculture lesson, students build a "lasagna garden" with organic matter found in the area and plant perennials native to their region. Students are...
Curated OER
Protecting Natural Resources
Third graders recognize what our natural resources are and their importance. In this natural resource recycling lesson, 3rd graders understand why it is important to recycle and conserve natural resources. Students can explain how...
Curated OER
Materials - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Play a game to review characteristics of different materials. Players will compare natural to man-made materials and how much light passes through them. They consider water and heat resistance as well. If you are preparing your class for...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Natural Twig Journals
Connect science, art, and language arts with a nature-themed bookmaking project. Kids craft book covers, cut paper for pages, and learn how to bind their creations.
Channel Islands Film
Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island: Lesson Plan 4
Imagine being stranded all alone on an island for 18 years. How would you survive? Class members are challenged to makes necessities out of natural materials that would likely be found on an island.
Curated OER
Patterns in Nature
Research patterns in nature which illustrate biological and mathematical concepts. Your class will discover and explore aspects of fractals, Fibonaccis numbers, whale and butterfly migration patterns, whale identification, flower...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Natural Selection and the Evolution of Darwin's Finches
Darwin explained the connection between species of finches 150 years before scientists understood DNA. Technology and progressing science proved he was right, yet many struggle to understand how natural selection happens. Scholars use...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Separating Mixtures: How We Concentrate Natural Materials
Have your class look at a granite specimen and describe what they see. They should note three distinct components. Discuss mixtures with them and how they might be separated, then send them to the lab to figure out how to take apart five...
NSW Department Mineral Resources
Aboriginal Use of Raw Materials
What's the difference between base metals and precious metals? Experimenting with natural metals is an interesting way for kids to learn about the world around them. Use a resource that contains over 30 pages of worksheets and...
Purdue University
Benefits of Connecting with Nature
Feel the healing effects of nature. Individuals learn about the benefits of nature using imagery. They begin by defining words to express how they feel emotionally and then practice using those words with hands-on activities. Once they...
EngageNY
The Graph of the Natural Logarithm Function
If two is company and three's a crowd, then what's e? Scholars observe how changes in the base affect the graph of a logarithmic function. They then graph the natural logarithm function and learn that all logarithmic functions can be...
Curated OER
Mother Nature Has Her Say
Students use their creative writing skills to develop interview questions for Mother Nature. Using writing, they respond to the questions another student developed and use the internet to research any topic they need more information on....
Curated OER
The Delicate Balance - Iowa's Natural Resources
Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. For this environmental lesson, your students will observe a topographical map of Iowa and identify where its most valuable resources are. They complete an Iowa name...
Curated OER
Three Little Pigs: Human, Natural and Capital Resources
First and second graders will learn about natural, capital , and human resources through the story The Three Little Pigs. They will listen to the story, write down what they know about straw, wood, and brick, then complete a chart...
Curated OER
Organic Matter
Written for an agriculture curriculum, this presentation on organic matter is also informative for gardening or horticulture classes. It details the chemical makeup, affecting factors, functions, maintenance, and composting to create a...