Desert Discovery
Saguaro Seasons
Elementary schoolers take a look at how the saguaro cactus adapts to the four seasons of the year. This amazing plant has distinct flowering and fruiting cycles within the summer season, and other cycles during the other seasons. Your...
Desert Discoveries
What's the Buzz on Native Bees?
Young biologists describe the different types of bees that are native to the Sonoran Desert. They look at the nesting and feeding requirements of the insects, and study how they are able to pollinate many plants found in the environment....
Desert Discoveries
Built for the Desert
The saguaro cactus has an amazing ability to survive in a harsh environment. Learners identify the many adaptations for desert life that the saguaro employs. They look at each part of the saguaro and determine what role it plays in the...
Desert Discoveries
Who Depends on the Saguaro?
Young scientists design a picture of a saguaro cactus that shows the cactus and some of the animals and plants that interact with it. There are many of these special relationships between plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. Your...
Curated OER
Asthma and Allergies
Your health class reads two biographical stories: one about a girl who has allergies and the other about a girl who has asthma. They watch a quick cartoon on the KidsHealth website about immunity and take the related online quiz. You...
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Does It Move On It's Own?
Young scientists look at drawings of six animals, then match up a word that describes how they move. The words are: hop, crawl, swim, fly, run, and jump. They also answer two additional questions about the animals and how they move. A...
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Animal Habitats
Elementary schoolers complete a learning exercise that has them decide which of four environments a variety of animals live in. The environments are: pond, soil, ocean, and woodland. There are 12 different types of animals that pupils...
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Penguins Around the World
Students investigate penguins. In this Science activity, students compare and contrast penguins to flying birds. Students use a Venn diagram to illustrate the differences and similarities of penguins and flying birds.
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Food Chains
Learners take a look at the relationship between organisms in food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids. After an opening demonstration by the teacher, pupils are split up into groups. Each one is assigned an environment such as:...
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Owls: Top of a Food Chain
Although written for middle schoolers, there is no reason that a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader could not also learn about food chains through the dissection of owl pellets. After you introduce the topic, learners complete an owl research...
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Cat Facts
Kids love cats! Here is a lesson that invites youngsters to do some research on the critters. They must answer questions such as: "How many different kinds of cats are there?" "Why did Egyptians worship cats?" and, "How far can cats...
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Plant Biology
Young biologists discuss the reasons behind the current use of the plant identification system. They get into groups and identify the characteristics of each species of plant which is described. The keys needed for groups to make...
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Animals Belong in Class
In this classifying animals activity, students use the information in the word bank to complete the T-Chart about mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods. Students write 10 answers.
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Your Five Senses
Students identify the five senses. In this biology lesson, students participate in an experiment and use their five senses to identify various substances.
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Root Structures
Plant roots are the focus here. Pupils discover that some plants actually store food in their roots, that roots provide water for plants, and that gravity and sunlight have an effect on plants. This terrific, six-page plan has two...
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Which Plants Grew Best?
This presentation gives a visual account of a class's experiment growing sprouts under different conditions. There are three containers with the same soil and the same seeds. One of the containers got water, but no light. One got light,...
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Food Web II
Young ecologists are shown a picture of eight animals and two plants. On another piece of paper, they are asked to construct a food web that includes the animals pictured. They must also identify the producers, consumers, herbivores,...
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The Wild Dolphin Project
Inspire young marine biologists to study animals in the wild with this assignment. Pupils view an eight-minute video and read an article in the New York Times about Denise Herzing's 25-year long study of dolphins in their own natural...
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Where are Koalas on the Food Chain?
Take a field trip to observe Koalas, absolutely! Budding scientists become familiar with the Koala's position in the food chain. They answer questions based on what they see and draw a food chain explaining the Koalas position. Tip: A...
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Word Search: Common Seashore Plants
I really like these colorful word searches put out by The Waterford Press. Learners view 18 beautiful and accurate drawings of common seashore plants, and then must find them in a word search. An answer key is provided.
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Food Chains
Food chains, consumers, and producers are the topic here. Learners must fill in the blanks in order to complete the sentences about food chains. Then, they must complete four examples of food chains, and label them as producers, primary...
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Who am I?
A colorful matching activity on sea life is here for your class. Learners must correctly place the name of the life form in the box where it is pictured. The pictures are colorful and accurate. This would be a good addition to any unit...
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Recognizing the Importance of Sight
Students discover the true value of their senses. In this sight instructional activity, students discover the difficulty of life without sight by performing everyday activities without the help of their eyes. The students examine their...
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The Web of Life
Students demonstrate the interrelationships of animals and plants. In this ecology instructional activity, students discuss the things plants and animals need for survival and study the glacier food chain. Students simulate the web of...