Curated OER
Living and Non-Living Things in the Environment
Third graders examine living and non-living things and observe a plant growing in the classroom. There are many additional resources to assist learning and extension work, they can read books, interact with PowerPoint presentations, and...
California Academy of Science
Coral and Chemistry
Using cabbage juice as a pH indicator, future scientists explore the effect of increasing carbon dioxide on the pH of the ocean and relate it to the health of coral reefs. Ideal for an earth or environmental sciences course, this lesson...
National Park Service
Living & Non-Living Interactions
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 learning about the...
American Chemical Society
Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup: For Dry Environments
If the area you live in is arid, or the preceding experiment in this unit didn't yield obvious results, use this one in place of it to help reveal where condensation comes from. The mini unit that this is part of a comprehensive...
Curated OER
Plants and Ecosystems
The relationships within and between ecosystems can be explored. after examining an area for living and non-living things learners complete the same examination in the forest ecosystem. Students identify abiotic and biotic elements in an...
University of Southern California
What Lives In The Ocean?
One of the most diverse environments on Earth is the ocean. Young scientists explore the living things found in the ocean during an exciting seven-lesson unit. Their study includes organisms from plankton to invertebrates and vertebrates...
Curated OER
Hurricanes: An Environment of Concern
Learners study hurricanes and research the damage done by hurricane Katrina. In this environment investigative lesson students divide into groups and complete a given assignment.
Curated OER
Effect of Technology on the Environment
There's no doubt that one of the most consistent dangers to our environment is the risks associated with the extraction and shipment of oil. This lesson focuses on oil spills - how they happen, the effects they have on the environment,...
Curated OER
Investigate Science Using Crayfish
Young scientists discover the importance of scientific investigation by observing live crayfish. They carefully observe the patterns of crayfish in different environments. Then they discuss their conclusions and define what all living...
Curated OER
Skull Science
What can your class learn from a skull? With proper facilitation, they can learn about diet, physical adaptations, special differences, and even the environment. Pupils will examine a series of mammal skulls and pelts to help them...
Curated OER
Bioluminescence 2009: Living Light on the Deep Sea Floor Expedition - Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Students examine bioluminescence and camouflage of deep sea creatures. In this deep sea creatures instructional activity, students investigate the visible and near-visible light spectrum. They work in small groups to complete a light,...
Curated OER
Characteristics of Living Things
Student use the scientific method to experiment with worms. In this characteristics of living things lesson, learners predict and examine the reactions of worms to dry and wet soil. Students share their findings.
NASA
Is It Alive?
Determining whether or not something is living can be more difficult than it seems. Put your young scientists to work defining their own criteria to identify life, then work with three samples to see if they are alive or not.
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...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Make a Difference!
We are very dependent upon other life forms around us to survive. Here, scholars explore relationships in the ecosystem with the help of Auntie Litter and the pollution patrol. They imagine a world without grass, making connections to...
Curated OER
Adaptations of Fishes for Survival in Polar Environments
Students compare the anatomy of temperature and polar fishes. They explore the adverse effects of cold on metabolism and physiology and discuss how polar fishes adapt to their environments. Comparisons are also made to the DNA sequences...
Curated OER
Living and Nonliving Things
Students photograph five objects from a bag and five objects from the outdoors. Students categorize things by living and non-living and by properties such as color, size, structure and needs. Students draw conclusions about the basic...
Curated OER
The Affect of Water Temperature on Living Organisms
Students examine the environmental impact of global warming. In this environmental science lesson, students design and conduct an experiment about the effect of temperature on paramecia. They write a lab report about their experiment.
Curated OER
WET Science Lesson #11: How Light Affects Water
Scientists listen to the story of Wadja Egnankou who works to save African mangrove forests. They experiment with refraction and the introduction of particulate matter to water. They conclude with creative writing about the need for a...
Curated OER
What Do Living Things Have In Common?
Young scholars explore the concept of classification. In this classification lesson, students collaborate to create lists of living thing similarities in order to differentiate between living and non-living things. Young scholars create...
Curated OER
Going on a Living and Nonliving Hunt
Pupils distinguish between things that are living, things that were once-living, and things that are nonliving. They graph results and create a compare and contrast Venn Diagram. They read 'Living and Nonliving' by Angela Royston.
Curated OER
Living or Nonliving
Third graders brainstorm a list of the characteristics of living and nonliving organisms. Individually, they find four nonliving and living items and the characteristics that make them fit into one of the categories. To end the...
Curated OER
The Risks of Everyday Living
Students compare their perceptions of risk to the perceptions of scientists and risk professionals. in small groups, they evaluate risks on a scale of 1 to 10 for the average American on a yearly basis.
University of Southern California
Human Impact on the Sea
How far does the human hand reach? Five interactive lessons lead classes through a unit exploring the human impact on ocean resources, pollution, and even extinction. Learners discover how their decisions affect the ocean environment...