Students maintain a field journal as they follow penguin parents raising their chicks during the breeding season. They formulate testable questions. Students reflect on animal behavior in the field related to survival and chick rearing.

Students explore biology by creating a report for the class. In this oceanography activity, students research and identify the survival characteristics of a list of freshwater animals by utilizing the Internet and library. Students...

Young scholars create a collage. In this animal classification lesson, students discuss why and how scientists classify animals. Young scholars view pictures of different animals and decide which class each animal belongs to. Students...

An ecosystem is really just the flow of energy through many different living organisms. A study of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book leads to an environmental science activity in which learners study how various factors can affect...

Students use various web sites to access information about the rain forest. They use the Tropical Rainforest Interactive CD to make their own rain forest pictures and stories and learn facts about the rain forest. They use various books...

Students watch an episode of "Nature" about the "Big Red Roos." They create food chains and webs based on the information they've researched on the red kangaroos. They write an editorial on the topic of the killing of kangaroos in the...

Students research phytoplankton and zooplankton. In this food chain lesson, students read This is the Sea That Feeds Us and discuss plankton, food chains, and webs. Students define phytoplankton and compare them to land plants....

Students examine how animals protect themselves from predators and camouflage themselves. They participate in a simulation in which they locate red and green yarn "caterpillars," organize their data, and generate a bar graph using...

Learners explain the different stages in the growth of a frog, then analyze and collect data to make generalizations about a larger population. They determine the survival rate of a population of tadpoles under controlled conditions.

Fifth graders observe their plant experiments that they started in a previous lesson and examine the role of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle. Two weeks after they set up a worm terrarium, they analyze any changes they observe, and...

Students record data found at an assigned web site. In this data collection lesson, students access an assigned web site in order to complete a data chart about animals they see. They travel to different sections of the web site to find...

Learners explore DNA structure using materials such as Twizzlers, small colored gumdrops and/or toothpicks.

Students explore the cycles of an ecosystem.  In this environmental science lesson, students work in groups to research the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, or the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Students prepare a PowerPoint or other...

Students explore the physical characteristics, distribution and habitat of termites. The lesson focuses on the termite as a social creature contrary to most other insects.

Students complete a unit of lessons on animals and animal conservation. They observe a square meter of ground outside the school, set up a model environment, analyze an owl pellet, grow bread mold, and explore various websites.

Students participate in a virtual field trip to Lake Superior. In groups, they perform experiments in which test the level of toxins and bacteria in the water. They also watch video segments life in the lake and discuss their observations.

Fifth graders relate population of animals to its available food supply. They participate in an experiment and gather information. They use the data to draw conclusions.

Students create graphic organizer webs that illustrate their thinking about seasonal physical and biological changes caused by changes in sunlight. They identify the central role of sunlight in living systems.

Students conduct an experiment to demonstrate how fruit fly populations are controlled by spiders. They observe a variety of environments with fruit flies and spiders and consider how vital spiders are to controlling the insect population.

Students predict the effects of water, light, and soil on the development of a plant and then design an experiment to test their predictions.

Students use the Internet and other resources to find insect common names that begin with each letter of the alphabet. They write a brief description of each insect, focusing on what the insect eats and where the insect lives.

Fifth graders examine animal adaptations and how they meet their needs in a variety of environments. They discuss how they might adapt to their own environment before discussing how an animal could adapt. Next, they complete an...

Students use their personal knowledge and the Internet to discover where and how spiders live. In groups, they discuss their experiences with spiders and how their lives differ from other insects. They use new vocabulary to discuss their...