How do human habitats compare to animal habitats? Individuals begin their nature discovery by drawing their own habitats that extend beyond their houses. Pupils ensure their drawings include the four habitat elements of food, water,...

How much plastic do people use? Class members identify how plastic is involved in their daily lives by looking at food packaging either at a grocery store or at home. Learners view statistics for the amount of plastics found on a beach...

Don't just teach learners to fish, but to create fish. The class discusses fish heads and predicts whether where the fish might live and what it eats. Given an index card with a fish adaptation written on it, pupils construct an...

Am I going to catch it? Individuals time how long it takes them to walk, jog, and run a given distance and calculate their speed. They then research two animals and find their speeds. Using a chart, pupils compare the speeds of the...

What's it like to migrate as a pollinator? Teachers provide direct instruction about the roles of pollinators such as butterflies on plants along with the threats they encounter. The class then acts out a story of the migration of bats...

While wildlife may not always be visible, they leave their marks behind for people to discover. A wildlife lesson plan has pupils explore the characteristics of animal tracks. They learn different types of tracks, as well as what tracks...

Bats may look the same, but are actually very different. Some bats eat meat and others fruit, while some have bright colors and others are dark colors. Learners examine the differences, view them as adaptations, and then play a game to...

Natural design is amazing. Young scientists connect the features of a bison to an assortment of everyday items. A bison's tail is an ideal flyswatter, and a pot stores water just like a bison's stomach. The lesson connects the usefulness...

Worms are the kings of the decomposers. A four-part lesson has learners experiment with the characteristics of earthworms and their sensitivities. They vary factors such as light, acidity, temperature, and touch of soil and observe the...

What do endangered species have in common with non-endangered species? Given an endangered species to read about, individuals choose another species that is not endangered to compare it to. As a class, they create a species book with the...

Diminishing habitats is a real concern that is threatening endangered species. Learners examine these concerns by studying the prairie chicken. Groups get a card with characteristics and threats to the species that they turn into skits.

Caterpillars and butterflies each have their own unique challenges. While studying the life cycle of butterflies, learners focus on the threats to each stage. While some threats will be the same, each stage has its own unique...

Bird behaviors have a distinct purpose. Using a tally sheet, learners observe and record different bird behaviors in nature. They practice their observation skills while learning how birds act and why.

The structure of a bird's beak lends itself to specific functions. Using an assortment of everyday objects, learners mimic the behaviors of bird beaks. They learn about the habits of different birds by studying their beaks.

Even animals that are part of the same species have differences. Learners read a passage about white and brown pelicans and compare their features. They recognize that although the birds look very similar, they also have their own unique...

Migratory animals follow the same path every year. Learners research the path of an assigned species and create a map highlighting key landmarks along the way. As a group, they come up with a presentation to share with their class.

Bird migration is a fascinating behavior. Budding scientists experience their own migrations using the school grounds for their flight patterns. They follow a map that leads them through a migration pattern that includes stops for...

The sound a frog makes lets people know what it's up to. A two-part lesson begins by discussing the life cycle of a frog and the individual stages with drawings. The second part has learners listen to the frogs' different sounds and what...

Imagine life as a box turtle. Learners study the characteristics of box turtles and then assume the role in an interview. They show their understanding of how a box turtle lives by responding to a series of questions. 

The Arctic food web may be more limited than other environments, but it has all the same components. With an interactive activity, pupils assume the roles of the components of an Arctic food chain. They move around and link themselves to...

Exactly how far away is the Arctic? Learners use maps to orient themselves to their locations on the globe. They then make calculations to describe how their location relates to the location of the Arctic regions.

Sunlight hours and climate have a clear connection. Young researchers collect data about the sunrise and sunset times in an Arctic climate as well as the average temperatures. They then graph their data to make connections between the...

It's all connected. Classes create a web to connect living things in a local ecosystem. They create cards with both living and nonliving things found in their areas while considering the characteristics of each. After they have a good...

Put yourselves in their shoes—or, in this case, their paws. Learners assume the role of an animal and scan a habitat looking for features to fulfill their basic needs. Based on their findings, they decide if the habitat is a suitable...