ARKive
Animal over Winter
Gosh those polar regions can get cold. So, how do the animals that live there survive the long winters? Learners explore how animals adapted to survive harsh wintry conditions by completing a worksheet and comparing animal survival...
Curated OER
Animal Diversity
Students explore biology by completing science worksheets in class. In this animal anatomy lesson, students read the book The Adventures of Marco and Polo and identify the animals mentioned in it. Students examine a real life animal and...
Global Oneness Project
The Consciousness of Nature
Scholars voice their opinions about animal consciousness with an article that challenges common ideas about nature. After reading the article, learners engage in a thoughtful discussion before writing out their arguments in a persuasive...
California Academy of Science
Coincidental Colonization
The Galápagos Islands are an amazing place of isolated adaptation, colonized by an interesting mix of plants and animals. The class plays a game to help them understand how these organisms came to live on the island through a combination...
Curated OER
Build an Exhibit
Eighth graders discover the importance of keeping the water in the water supply clean. Using the internet, they complete an activity in which they record their answers on a worksheet. In groups, they create their own exhibit on...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Drawing Fish
Students practice creating art by imitating the camouflage of fish. In this animal characteristic lesson, students identify certain fish and their ability to change colors in order to survive in the wild. Students utilize coloring...
Curated OER
Animal Diversity
Learners examine plants and animals for their similarties and differences. They are read stories and note how the animals in the stories do not have the qualities that real animals have. They complete a worksheet to end the instructional...
Curated OER
Plant And Animal Adaptations
Students examine plant and animal life while looking at the environments the organismisms live in. They determine how form follows function by looking an aquatic turtle and noticing its feature of adaptation features. They work in groups...
Curated OER
Water Regulation
Students use their basic knowledge of physiology to analyze graphical data of paramecia under diverse conditions. From the data analysis, Students develop explanations of the animal's response to the concentration of different solutions...
Curated OER
Biodiversity in an Estuary
Young scholars investigate the biodiversity in estuaries. In this estuary lesson plan, students use Google Earth to explore the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. They produce a biodiversity concept map and portray the life...
Curated OER
Where are all the Animals?
Students view animals that camouflage at the Shedd aquarium website. In this camouflage lesson, students recognize that there are different types of camouflage, cryptic coloring, counter-shading, warning coloration and mimicry. Students...
Curated OER
Illnois River and Lake Mussel Habitat Diorama Activity
Students identify the environmental elements of river and lake mussels. They compare the elements to the time before settlement and during industrialization. They also participate in a field trip to a mussel exhibit.
Curated OER
Using a Dichotomous Key for Invertebrate Phyla
Students use a key to determine the phyla of invertebrates. They are broken into groups and each group gets a stack of pictures and uses the key to determine which phyla the animal belongs to. There are also individual questions for...
Curated OER
California Biodiversity
Students examine several maps of California exhibiting features such as precipitation, topography, and vegetation. They look for patterns that might be the source of or influence biodiversity in different regions. They pay particular...
Curated OER
Minerals, Crystals, and Gems
Students discover the relationships between minerals, crystals and gems. They bring in rocks that they find at home, in the schoolyard, etc. and examine them and attempt to identify them. They set up a classroom exhibit that includes all...
Curated OER
Netsuke
Students identify different objects from Japanese culture and their purpose. They read Japanese folktales and discuss common themes. They create a sketch and clay sculpture of a character or animal in one of the folktales.
Curated OER
Physical Adaptations in Ice Age Mammals
Young scholars identify the body parts in Ice Age mammals that allowed them to survive. They answer questions as a class and discuss. They examine photographs of the animals as well.
Curated OER
What Do Koalas Need to Survive?
First graders take a field trip and examine the Koala and his habitat. In this Koala lesson, 1st graders read Possum Magic and discuss the foods of Australia. Students view the habitat of a Koala and record what it eats, its physical...
Curated OER
Follow a Fish
Students choose a fish from anywhere within the Ocean Center. They observe it for a given time, recording its behavior. Students comprehend the concept that living things have individual characteristics that enable them to live in their...
Curated OER
Frog Dissection
Students explore the anatomy of frogs. They complete a frog dissection to complete an accompanying worksheet which includes questions, diagrams and pictures.
Curated OER
Get to Know a Fish
Learners discover the anatomy of a fish by identifying its body parts. In this oceanography instructional activity, students view a live fish in their classroom and draw a poster of the fish one body part at a time while identifying it....
Curated OER
Nasonia Genetics-A Jewel of a Wasp
Students investigate the inheritance pattern of eye color in Nasonia wasps. In this genetics and inheritance lesson plan, students read about the life cycle of Nasonia wasps and hypothesize about the possibilities of eye color inherited...
Curated OER
I Wish I Were a Butterfly
Students inquire about biology by reading a children's book in class. In this insect lesson, students read the story "I Wish I Were a Butterfly" and identify the unique characteristics of butterflies and other insects. Students complete...