Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers take a close look at the prairie environment. They identify common plants and animals of the prairie. In addition, pupils work in teams in order to put together a presentation on a certain aspect of the prairie...
Activity
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Rainforest Alliance

Looking at Leaves

For Teachers Pre-K - K Standards
Discover the Colombian rainforest through a presentation that follows a young girl named Chayo. Chayo describes her daily life, exploring the rainforest filled with plants and animals. After getting to know Chayo, scholars go...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animals Galore

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
A well-designed lesson which covers the characteristics of the animals found in the six animal groups is here for your young biologists. In it, learners divide up into six groups; the amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, fish, and...
Lesson Plan
Captain Planet Foundation

Rotting Away

For Teachers 2nd
What happens at the end of a plant's life cycle? Show kids the natural way that plants show that they're decomposing, as well as the importance of compost, with a lesson about living organisms. After reading Log Cabin by Anne Schreiber,...
Lesson Plan
Indian Land Tenure Foundation

Gifts from Land and Water

For Teachers K - 2nd
With a series of fun hands-on simulations, young children can learn about conservation and natural resources. Your learners become land detectives, discussing and investigating the gifts that the land and water provide them. They then...
Unit Plan
Montana Natural History Center

Studying Grassland Ecosystems

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
At first glance, grassland ecosystems might seem dull and uninteresting, but once you start to explore it's amazing the things you'll find! Through this series of engaging lessons, activities, and experiments, elementary students examine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Marvels of Mud

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine...
Lesson Plan
Serendip

Changing Biological Communities – Disturbance and Succession

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After cutting down a forest to make a farm, how long would it take the environment to turn an abandoned farm back into a forest? Scholars study this exact scenario while they interpret many charts and graphs of the changing ecosystems as...
Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Living & Non-Living Interactions

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Seed Dispersal in Tropical Forests

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do seeds get around? It's not like plants can control seed dispersal—or can they? Dig deeper into the amazing mechanisms of seed dispersal observed in tropical plants through interactives, a video, and plenty of hands-on data...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Lotusland

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
It's time for a field trip! Scholars take their new-found knowledge of adaptations and seed dispersal on a field trip to a local botanical garden. They gain an up-close look at how ecological interdependence works in a distinct...
Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

Frenemies, Bros and Killers: A Lesson in Symbiosis

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Animals and plants develop relationships and rely on each other to survive. Pupils learn more about symbiosis through a video, a hands-on matching activity, and a game. They differentiate and describe each type on a written evaluation.
Activity
National Wildlife Federation

Habitat Web

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
Young scientists weave together an understanding of ecosystems with this fun collaborative activity. Taking on the roles of different living and non-living elements of specific habitats, learners use a ball of yarn to create...
Lesson Plan
University of Connecticut

Building Your Own Biosphere

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
On September 26, 1991, four women and four men entered the scientific experiment, Biosphere 2; the doors were sealed for two years in order to study the interactions of a biosphere. In the activity, scholars explore biospheres by...
Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

Sheep Brain Dissection

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Bored with frog and earthworm dissections? Had your fill of fetal pigs? Anatomy learners will be intrigued by the sheep's brain, and you will be prepared with guiding questions, extension activities, and pictures as they dissect one —...
Lesson Plan
BBC

Sorting and Using Materials

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
First and second graders see that everyday objects are made from a variety of materials. They interact with objects such as keys, plastic spoons, a wooden ruler, a towel, and a plastic bag. A discussion ensues which leads them to...
Lesson Plan
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

The Great Peregrine Scavenger Hunt - On the Internet

For Teachers 4th - 8th
The story of one bird provides valuable insight into general animal behaviors and interactions. Young researchers investigate the peregrine falcon using a web search. They analyze the behaviors of the raptor including its migration...
Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

Mirroring Emotions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Do you ever give your class the "teacher look"? Without saying a word, they become silent and engaged (hopefully). How do they know what you're thinking? Explore the concept of nonverbal communication and how it relates to our...
Lesson Plan
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Montana State University

Everest Extremes: Biodiversity

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
How many animals can live in a climate as cold as Mount Everest's? Find out with a science lesson all about biodiversity. Activities include research, presentations, group work, coloring maps, and a simulation of a food web.
Unit Plan
Kenan Fellows

Unit 1: Introduction to Biotechnology

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Biotechnology is big! Introduce the uses of biotechnology to science scholars with a fascinating, fact-filled unit. The first installment in a series of four biotechnology units covers the role biotechnology plays in human and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Chesapeake Bay in Captain John Smith's Time

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
When Captain John Smith visited the Chesapeake Bay in the summer of 1608, what types of animals and habitats did he encounter? Your young historians will analyze primary source documents to answer this question, as well as compare...
Activity
Wild BC

Connecting Ecosystems & Climate

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Collaborators sort a set of cards into biotic and abiotic categories. Then, as a class, they discuss their work and relate each of the abiotic components to climate change. Finally, they form a web of components by connecting those that...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Organisms in Symbiosis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Searching for an activity that allows emerging biologists to explore symbiosis up close and personal? Pupils collect samples and view lichens through a microscope and conclude with a discussion about the relationship they have...
Activity
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National Park Service

The Water Cycle Game

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Take young scientists on a trip through the water cycle with this interactive science activity. After setting up a series of ten stations representing the different places water can be found, children use the included printable dice...