Curated OER
Insects
Young scholars study the characteristics and basic needs of insects. They compare and describe similarities among insects. They examine the body structure, covering, and movement of insects and also, examine insect life cycles in this...
Curated OER
Insects A-Z!
Alphabet insects! Who has ever heard of such a thing? Get ready because your class is going to research insects that start with a specific letter of the alphabet. In small groups, they'll use the Internet and reference texts to locate...
Curated OER
Wildlife Needs
Students identify the wildlife needs in a specific setting. In this wildlife needs lesson, students identify and illustrate the four stages of forest succession. Students list the natural habitat and food for a given species. Students...
Curated OER
Take an Ant to Lunch
Second graders construct a model of an ant, exemplifying that ants are insects. Students gather data create a pictograph chart to show ant food preferences. Also, 2nd graders access the Internet to explore ant eating habits.
Curated OER
Creative Insects
Third graders examine insects that are common around the school. They write a creative story about being an insect for a day and include scientific data that they learned.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Animal, Insect, and Bird Classification
After completing a unit on animal classification and attending a field trip students e-mail a trusted adult with some information about animal classification. They detail what they have learned about classifications of animals, insects...
Curated OER
Everybody Needs a Little Sunshine
Three activities introduce upper elementary ecologists to photosynthesis and food webs. In the first, an experiment is set up to determine how plants respond to different types of light. In the second, they connect organism cards with...
Curated OER
Life Cycles
Using computers, Students work in small groups and progress through the roles of Explorer, Researcher, Designer, and Evaluator as they study the life cycle of plants, insects, butterflies and frogs.
American Museum of Natural History
What is Biodiversity?
Not all dogs are the same just like not all finches are the same. An interactive online lesson helps individuals learn about the causes and limitations to biodiversity. The clickable sections describe the basics of the genetics of...
Curated OER
Genetic Disorders with Cultural Roots: International Insects
Students recognize that certain populations have specific genetic disorders that could benefit or harm them in their environment, work out punnett square problems and infer offspring probabilities from results, and provide advantages and...
Curated OER
Grasshopper Mark and Recapture (GMR)
Students estimate the density of a population of insects (grasshoppers) at a given life cycle stage in a given type of habitat.
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
Vermicomposting
Fourth graders explore insect life by viewing a soil presentation in class. In this composting lesson, 4th graders read assigned text about the process of composting soil and the necessity of soil in plant life. Students view video clips...
Curated OER
Malaria: The Cause
Students explore the basic facts about malaria. They study how the disease can spread so quickly and label the pathway of the malaria parasite.
Curated OER
Ladybugs
Students read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, and explore the life cycle of ladybugs and how they interact with our environment.
Curated OER
Ladybugs
Students listen to the book, The Grouchy Ladybug, and discuss what they know about ladybugs. They observe live ladybugs, write down what they see, and write a short story about ladybugs.
Curated OER
Protecting Philippine Reefs
Students watch a slide show about the Philippine Reefs to explore the topic of fish populations. In this reef and fish population lesson, students watch a slide show about fish populations and how the Peace Corps works...
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of the Mealworm
Fourth graders provide a habitat for live mealworms and observe their life cycle. In this animal life cycle and scientific inquiry activity, 4th graders create a habitat for a live mealworm and observe and record related data as it...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Animal Classes and Their Ecosystems
Students explore animal characteristics by participating in an environment identification activity. In this animal habitat lesson plan, students discuss a range of different wild life and the ecosystems that they are a part of. Students...
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of the Butterfly
Second graders study the life cycle of a butterfly by observing metamorphosis taking place in a butterfly pavilion. Students illustrate their understandings of the body parts of a caterpillar and butterfly, as well as the life cycle,...
Curated OER
Pets - Stuffed Animal Day
Students listen to Courtney Baker's, "The Perfect Pet," on a day they bring a stuffed animal to school. They graph the types of stuffed animals that their classmates brought to school before answering questions based on the graph. Next,...
Curated OER
Wacky Water Critters
Students visit a local creek or stream. They collect water samples from the creek and observe and sort the "water critters" they find in the sample, observing smaller organisms under a microscope if necessary. They identify each organism...
Curated OER
Bats -- Pests or Pals?
Fourth graders examine a bat and determine if it is a pest or pal. They identify three types of bats native to the state of Pennsylvania. They also identify the parts of a bat and write a report on the bat of their choice.
Curated OER
Science: Birds in Flight
Learners identify and examine adaptations in birds that enable them to fly. They conduct Internet research to relate these adaptations to the physics of flight. Students observe birds in flight and describe their behavior and flight...