Lesson Plan
NOAA

Build Your Own Ocean Ecosystem

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Hold the sea in the palm of your hand! Amateur oceanographers work together to create models of an ocean ecosystem in the sixth and final installment in a series. Raise awareness of global ocean health issues through guided research,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond Life

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students explore pond ecosystems. In this living environment instructional activity, students observe the local pond and identify the living things they find by drawing pictures. Students observe organisms that were found in the pond by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dissolved Oxygen in an Aquatic Ecosystem

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain why dissolved oxygen is important in aquatic ecosystems. They evaluate the optimal dissolved oxygen levels for living organisms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecological Succession in Pond Water Cultures

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students collect samples of pond water, dried grass, and soil in a jar. They predict the order of ecological succession in their pond water cultures. They compare their expected results with their observed results.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond Ecology

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine pond ecology, testing how temperature affects the respiration rate of fish. They collect various living things found at a pond, and identify the animal and plant life discovered. They observe a pond community in an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Local Ecosystems

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners investigate the habitats of local plants and animals. They explore some of the ways animals depend on plants and each other. Students observe living organisms in a local ecosystem and create detailed drawings and descriptions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore the characteristics of major ecosystems, the interactions of the organisms within the systems, and the effects of humans on the system. Both living and non-living components are examined in this five lesson unit.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, in groups, create a slide show about the ecosystem and answer critical thinking questions based on their research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

School Yard Park/Ecosystem

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders observe and categorize different sections of a park and it's ecosystem. For this categorizing lesson plan, 5th graders collect different facets of nature from a nearby park (without disturbing the ecosystem). They map,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Habitat Dioramas

For Teachers K - 5th
What a better way to have learners show what they know than with a diorama? Kids research an animal, its habitat, ecosystem, and environment in order to create a three-dimensional diorama. Have older children write a short paper on their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond Safari

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Learners investigate organisms and animals by examining a nearby pond. In this ecosystem instructional activity, students participate in a field trip to a local pond where they utilize a net to gather animals, plants and pollution items,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Organisms and Their Environments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study a local ecosystem and research the organisms to create a food web. For this ecosystem lesson, students view a video and answer questions. They visit a local ecosystem and make a list of organisms to research. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pollution Solutions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the role of chemicals in the pollution and destruction of ecosystems. They research factors that affect ecosystems and the methods being employed to counter them. In addition, they choose one water ecosystem that has...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water and Land Ecosystems

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate the differences between a land and aquatic ecosystem. They use the information in order to present it in an assessment. There are target questions that can be used to guide research, lead a classroom discussion, or...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology - Ecosystem

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders research ecosystems, the work of ecologists, John Muir's contribution to the environment and an endangered species of their choice. They read books, participate in discussions, and write reports.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wild and Wetlands

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Upper graders identify the major characteristics of a wetland. They explore the human factors that change a wetland and write a descriptive paragraph about wetlands. This comprehensive lesson also has an interactive "Watershed Game"...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Woods and Pond

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore nature in a living, experiencing way. For this woods and ponds lesson plan, students recognize that ponds/woods environments are ecosystems, identify three of the trees in the area by their leaves and bark...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Woods and Pond

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students participate in hands-on activities to explore their natural surroundings. They recognize that ponds and woods are ecosystems and compare differences between the two. They identify trees by their bark and leaves.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Organic Materials in an Aquatic Ecosystem

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students evaluate the relationship between oxygen levels and the amount of organic matter in an aquatic ecosystem. They explain the relationship between oxygen levels, bacteria and the breakdown of organic matter using an indicator...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphic Organizers Aid Comprehension

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students create story webs to aid comprehension of ecosystems. In this reading strategies lesson, students discover the importance of organizing information while reading a nonfiction text. Students produce story webs to communicate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Living Environment

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the cycles of an ecosystem.  In this environmental science lesson, students work in groups to research the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, or the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Students prepare a PowerPoint or other...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Chains

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate food chains. They review cycles and discuss ecosystems. They select an environment and create a food chain in small groups. They write their food chain and label it for the class to evaluate. They create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish Haunts

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine some of the different ecosystems that fish live in. While doing this they identify the species of fish and the ecological conditions needed for survival. Students use research resources to make fish cards that have...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Internet Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Learners use a computer and the internet to click on highlighted words to find certain answers. They then write the answer to the questions on paper. Finally, students choose one animal to write about. They research the animal on the...

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