Curated OER
Exploring Ecosystems
Students examine the relationships between plants, animals, and the environment in ecosystems. They sort animal cards, collect natural materials from the schoolyard, and record an ecosystem web in the form of a poster.
Aquarium of the Pacific
Ecosystem Comparison
Fifth graders examine plants and animals in two ecosystems and compare them. In this ecosystem survival activity, 5th graders compare and contrast a coral reef and kelp forest ecosystem. Students investigate the abiotic and biotic...
Curated OER
Climate Change Effects on Organisms and Ecosystems: You are the Experts!
Seventh graders research about the effect of climate on different ecosystems. In this life science lesson, 7th graders present their research by creating a poster, infomercial, skit or song. They discuss how organisms adapt to climate...
Curated OER
Food Chain/Food Web
Students explore ecosystems. In this ecology lesson, students read an article explaining ecosystems. Students create a visual organizer with index cards using components of various ecosystems.
Eastern Michigan University
Energy Flow in a Wetland Ecosystem
How is energy transferred within an ecosystem? What would happen to a food web if one of the organisms was removed? Elementary or middle school ecologists examine these questions and more in a comprehensive 5E learning cycle lesson....
Curated OER
Diving the Deep
Children research plant and animal components of marine ecosystem, visualize undersea life, and picture themselves wearing scuba-diving equipment needed to explore underwater. Students then create underwater scene in which they explore...
Curated OER
Art: Coral Reef Ala Oil
Students investigate Australia's Great Barrier Reef and create oil paintings of it. After their research, they apply various painting techniques to depict air bubbles, sun's radiation, and color blending. For older students, the...
Curated OER
Ecosystems and Habitats
Fourth graders go on a virtual field trip to five ecosystems. They investigate and videotape a temperate forest in the school's backyard.
Curated OER
The Delicate Balance within a Forest Ecosystem
Students examine the causes and effects of alterations in a forest ecosystem and evaluate how human actions may only seem to have minor consequences, but can lead to extinctions of large numbers of populations. Students produce an...
Curated OER
The Web of Life - Ecosystem
Students examine the concepts of ecosystems and interdependence. They construct block pyramids to demonstrate interdependence, and map off an area to observe and identify animals. They create food chain mobiles and play a web of life game.
Curated OER
Exploring Ecosystems
Fourth graders create an ecosystem as a class. They have already produced smaller ones. They use a pond or something similar on school grounds to meet the needs of certain plants and animals of their ecosystem. Specifically created will...
Curated OER
Earth's Ecosystem: Seven Major Biomes
Students discuss the different types of ecosystems and the composition of biomes. Working in groups, they define various related terms and make posters of them. Then they explain their posters to the class.
Curated OER
Living vs. Non-living
Students go on a nature walk and observe and discuss the living and non living things they see in the ecosystem. For this living and non living lesson plan, students complete a connecting string activity to simulate an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Species Diversity in Ecosystems with Different Techniques of Land Management
Students visit numerous places to help in their understanding of Ecology. In this biology lesson plan, students will learn about characteristics and how to identify numerous plants and animals. This lesson allows for many field trip...
Curated OER
A River Ecosystem
Pupils examine the components of a river ecosystem. They discuss the picture and text from the book, "A River Ran Wild," and create a mobile of a river ecosystem using magazine pictures or original drawings.
Curated OER
Pond Ecosystem Field Trip
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class trip. In this pond ecosystem lesson, students define a list of vocabulary terms associated with ponds such as invertebrate and metamorphosis. Students attend a field trip...
Curated OER
Let's Create an Ecosystem
Seventh graders discover how an ecosystem works by creating one in class. In this Earth science lesson, 7th graders study vocabulary terms associated with ecosystem and read environment handouts. Students create an...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Cycles, Systems, and Webs
Fourth graders review the parts of the plant and their functions. In this plant lesson, 4th graders recognize that plants must transfer energy to make food. Students understand the interdependence of organisms in an...
Curated OER
Local Area - Ecosystems
Students examine ecosystems in the Connecticut River Valley. They view and discuss photos of ecosystems within their community, and create a picture web of an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Ecosystems
Students work together to identify the characteristics of their local ecosystem and another one nearby. In groups, they use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two. They use this information to create a collage of both...
Curated OER
Norman Suburban Activity
Students analyze the factors affecting organisms in the pond ecosystem. In this environmental science lesson, students perform an experiment to determine pH, nutrients and temperature of different pond sites. They present their result to...
Curated OER
Design a Reef!
Young scholars explore coral reef ecosystems. In this ecosystems science instructional activity, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform. Young...
Curated OER
What's in Wetland Soil?
Students examine the organic and inorganic components of soil. In this environmental science lesson, students identify the factors that influence soil formation. They collect soil samples, conduct tests, and analyze the results.
Curated OER
Surveying and Assessing the Environmental Compatibility of a Building Construction Site
Students examine an area of land and assess its suitability for construction purposes. This project requires a vast amount of hands-on experimentation, data analysis, community involvement, and job shadowing/career awareness.