Curated OER
Activity Plan Mixed Ages: Pineapple Investigations
Students use all of their senses to explore a fresh, delicious pineapple. In this early childhood lesson plan, students engage in activities that encourage sensory exploration, problem solving, creative-thinking, language skills, and the...
Curated OER
A Study of Plants
Using a variety of multi-media resources, your high schoolers become familiar with the parts of plant and create a story about plants using vocabulary learned during their research of plants. Completed stories are published using the...
Curated OER
Ecology
Students explore, experience and experiment identifying the human impact on the environment of vegetative differences within the same biome. They assess what causes deserts, rain forests, savannahs, tundras and saguaros and how these...
Curated OER
Math in the Wetlands Field Trip
Get your class out in the environment for hands on math activities. In this wetlands lesson, learners transplant native plants, calculate how much soil is needed, and perform math activities based on this experience. They then make...
National Park Service
Fire Ecology on the Rim
An engaging unit on wildfires includes three sections, including a background section with eight lessons and five activities, a field experience section with 13 lessons and five activities, and a conclusion section featuring an analysis...
Curated OER
The Seed Match
Young scholars examine seeds and predict the plant it comes from. In this seed match lesson, students match seeds to plants and then see if their predictions are correct. Young scholars predict the number of seeds found in plants as...
Curated OER
What Do Plants Need?
Students experiment with plants. In this plant lesson, students research the needs of plants. Students determine if all plants have the same requirements for growth. In small groups, students experiment with different plants.
Curated OER
Bread Cells
Fifth graders examine plant and animal cells. For this plant and animal cell lesson, 5th graders define what cells are, label their parts, and describe how plant and animal cells are different. They observe cells at a number of web...
Curated OER
Discovering Seeds
Students compare seeds with seedlings. In this life science lesson, students make observations of seedlings and the seeds they grew from, paying special attention to the roots. Lesson includes extension activities.
Curated OER
Introduction to Seed Germination
Students explore seed germination. In this life science lesson, students start seeds in Petri dishes, then observe which ones germinate and make predictions.
Curated OER
The Importance of Trees in the Rural Area: Planting a Snowfence
Learners discuss the importance of trees and work together to plant a living snowfence. In this tree importance lesson, students discuss why trees are important in rural areas. They use mathematics and team work to plant a living snowfence.
Curated OER
What Makes a Healthy Plant?
Students predict the effects of water, light, and soil on the development of a plant and then design an experiment to test their predictions.
Curated OER
Water Treatment Plant
Second graders create their own water treatment system. In this water treatment activity, 2nd graders create the water treatment system and record how it works. Students list materials they used and write about what they saw. Students...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate on Forest Succession
Part two in a series of four explores the effects of climate on succession or the changing of plant species in a forest. Groups review how to identify trees and then spend a day in the field collecting extensive data on trees to...
Serendip
Introduction to Osmosis
A chicken egg is a very large cell—perfect for investigating osmosis! Scholars conduct an experiment with vinegar and eggs that helps them understand the process of osmosis. They follow the activity with an in-depth look at osmosis in...
National Wildlife Federation
It's All in the Name: Weather Versus Climate
What goes up when rain comes down? An umbrella! Activity eight in the series of 12 explores weather and climate. In pairs, participants analyze maps, watch a short video, create a weather forecast, and complete a reading to determine the...
Kenan Fellows
Let's Learn About Stewardship and River Basins
What does it mean to be a good steward? Middle school environmentalists learn to care for their state's waterways through research, a guest speaker, and poster activity. Groups must locate and learn more about a river basin and the human...
Virginia Department of Education
A Salt Marsh Ecosystem
What a web we weave. Pupils use yarn as the primary resource to create a web depicting the intricacies of a salt marsh ecosystem. They participate in a question and answer session, which leads to an in-depth facilitated discussion about...
Curated OER
The Floristic Relay: A Game to Teach Succession
Students investigate the concept of succession and plant community dynamics. They play a game in order to conduct multiple experiments while playing. The interest of the game is useful for keeping student interest throughout the activity.
Curated OER
Beetle Collection and Release
Students investigate plants and compare them to the purple loose strife. As they observe the plants they predict possible impacts on plant populations based on their observations. They work in groups and present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Aliens Among Us
Students identify plants growing in the school yard and choose one for further investigation. They investigate the plant's biotic potential and environmental resistance. They predict what would happen should they introduce an exotic...
Curated OER
Comparing Seeds
Students explore the process of growing plants from seeds. In this hands-on science experiment, students observe different seeds (store bought vs. those directly from food items) and predict growing patterns.
Curated OER
Milkweed Plants
Second graders view milkweed plants (or pictures). The describe the plant and discuss ways some butterflies use it as a food source. Students view four pictures of different phases of a milkweed plant's life cycle. They discuss the...
Mixing In Math
Mixing in Math: Growing Plants
Whether you have your class plant seeds or begin when sprouts are visible, math skills are used here to predict and track growth over time. Straw bar graphs show plant height on a given day while the graph as a whole shows changes over...