American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Life at the Limits
There are some amazing ways species evolve to survive. From large ears to sneezing salt, learners read about these interesting adaptations in an interactive lesson. Great to supplement an in-class lesson, it also works well as a remote...
American Museum of Natural History
Ocean Creature Feature
From coloring to hard protective shells, ocean creatures have adaptation features that help them survive. An eight-question online quiz highlights different ocean animals and their unique characteristics. The resource then offers pop-up...
Curated OER
Adaptations: Fit For Survival
Students track species using the Journey North project. They examine the meaning of physical and behavioral adaptation, migration, and identify adaptations that help the species they track survive.
Curated OER
Prairie Scales and Prairie Smoothies
Sixth graders explore the animals that live on the prairie and identify differences between amphibians and reptiles and the adaptations each have made to live on the prairie.
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Cool Corals
Young oceanographers research deep sea corals that thrive on chemosynthesis. The lesson plan focuses on the biology of the animal, preferred habitat, associations, and interactions.
Curated OER
Praire Biome Models
Fifth graders, in groups, list the physical characteristics of a biome and think of ways in which animals might have to adapt to live there and make a biome mobile ball that show the different types of habitats that shape the praire biome.
Curated OER
Life-Cycle Sleuth
Students analyze an animal's life cycle and behaviors, and examine what animals need to stay alive and reproduce. They develop theories and hypotheses about the reasons for migrations, using the Journey North online project.
Curated OER
Travel to the Polar Lands
Second graders receive an "Expedition Ticket" to travel through the Polar Regions- the Arctic and the Antarctic. They research polar bears and make drawings that are to scale.
Curated OER
How do animals survive winter?
Students make a chart about hibernation. In this hibernation lesson plan, students discuss hibernation and read about it. Then they fill in a chart about how different animals know when and how to hibernate.
Curated OER
Desert Animals
Students survive within an ecosystem, an animal must be physically and behaviorally adapted to the conditions of its environment.
Curated OER
Keeping Warm
Students create a collage investigating different strategies animals use for keeping warm. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on animal survival.
Curated OER
Let's Get Warm!
Students investigate various methods that animals use to warm up in cold weather. They also explore the science principals involved. They then identify a human parallel, discuss what we can learn from nature, and create multimedia...
Curated OER
Design a Deep- Sea Vertebrate or Invertebrate
Young scholars design a deep-sea animal. In this research based lesson, students research and design a vertebrate or invertebrate that lives in a methane hydrate habitat. They compile a class chart of the adaptations animals have in this...
Curated OER
Frozen Seas
Learners research animal life in the frozen seas. For this researched based lesson, students use the Internet to create a poster about an animal that lives in an Arctic or Antarctic environment. Learners will focus on the behavioral and...
Curated OER
Coqui Frog Camouflage
Students investigate the concept of the coqui frog of Puerto Rico. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students explain in oral or written form some of the characteristics to that identify the frog. The lesson includes...
Curated OER
At Home On The Range
Students explore the history and domestication of the Bovidae family and their importance to our prairie ecosystem. Using a map of the United States, students located the American Great Plains. They complete worksheets and discuss...
Curated OER
Living with Manatees
Students research the lives of manatees and how humans are contributing to their survival. They visit a variety of websites including a webcam.
Curated OER
Ribbit! Ribbit!
Students research a frog's life cycle and habitat using books, the Internet and lecture. Students make origami frogs, write letters to Toad from Arnold Lobel's "Frog and Toad" and participate in a simulated camouflage activity.
Curated OER
Is Climate Change Good for Frogs?
Young scholars fill out a chart on how climate change would affect them and things around them. In this climate change lesson plan, students discuss how global warming affects them and amphibians and then fill out the chart that goes...