+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wolves: Friend or Foe?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study wolves and their habitat in Yellowstone.  In this environment and behavior lesson students create an interactive map of wolves in Yellowstone.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Chains & Food Webs

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders examine how energy is lost through different trophic levels.  In this trophism lesson students construct a food web and view a video. 
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aquatic Ecosystems

For Teachers K - 7th
Students study the diversity of marine life and their habitats.  In this aquatic ecosystems instructional activity students complete a lab activity and experiment. 
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Water Cycle

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students investigate the water cycle. In this water cycle instructional activity, students create an ecosystem within a 2-liter bottle. Students record scientific observations as they observe the water cycle within their ecosystem.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is an Ahupua'a?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research ahupua'a ecosystems. For this ahupua'a lesson, students explore how land is subdivided in Hawaii and the effect on the ecosystem. Resources are provided.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocky Shore Food Web Drama

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore food chains. In this ecosystem lesson plan, students discover how plants and animals rely on each other for survival. Students research the rocky shore ecosystem and create a skit representing the ecosystem.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest as a Filter

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students experiment using soil and water. In this forest as a filter lesson plan, students identify the role of forest cover, vegetation, and foliage impacts erosion and evaporation. Students conduct a simple experiment, form a...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Producers -- Focus on Trees

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Learners examine the needs of trees and plants. In this forest ecosystem lesson students use seedlings to investigate the basic necessities of plants. They discuss the consequences of these basic needs not being met.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Webs and Making Miniature Ecosystems

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students model a food web and create a miniature ecosystem. In this animal interactions lesson, students engage in a role playing game which simulates a food web. Students then build miniature ecosystems using pop bottles, snails, plants...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mountain Pine Beetles

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research and develop power point presentations that answer the question, "What is changing our forests?" In this ecology lesson, students research the niche of Pine Beetles and their increased effect on the forests in...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Food Chains & Webs

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students complete a food chain. In this ecosystem lesson, students learn about producers, consumers and decomposers. Students identify herbivores, carnivores and omnivores and complete two worksheets.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Unique Rain Forest

For Teachers K - 5th
Students explore the unique Rain Forest. In this Rain Forest instructional activity, students watch a video about the dangers the Rain Forest faces. Students create a Rain Forest mobile. Students choose  plants or animals from the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Owl Pellets

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate the role of owls in their ecosystem. In this food chain lesson, 6th graders illustrate an owl food chain, dissect an owl pellet, and analyze data. Students discuss what would happen to owls if there were an...
+
Interactive
Curated OER

Ecology Community Status

For Students 7th - 8th
In this ecology community status worksheet, students research their state's ecosystem, make a chart of the biodiversity, analyze the chart and identify issues with wetland species.  This page has several links to helpful web resources.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil, Designer Soil: From Rainforests to the Prairie

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students explore the role and importance of soil in the ecosystem.  In this Science and Social Studies lesson, students complete an experiment using various kinds of soil and clay and then examine how soil has a direct impact on our...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rain Forest Reporters

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
Students research and write articles for an imaginary scientific magazine about rain forests. In this rain forest lesson, students research both ecosystems and magazine writing styles. They act as reporters and editors of their own...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Frog Friendly Habitat

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create a frog friendly habitat. In this animal habitat lesson, students study what animals need to survive and then create a frog habitat from a shoe box. Students write a report about frogs and present their habitats to the class.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does Clear Water mean Healthy Water?

For Teachers 5th - 9th Standards
Learners test their local aquatic site to determine its water clarity. They collect a water sample and measure its turbidity using a sensor, then they repeat the experiment to obtain a second turbidity reading to find the average value.
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Strands Walk-An Ecological Obseravtion

For Students 6th - 9th
In this ecosystem instructional activity, learners investigate an ecosystem at a local park or national forest, they make observations for five minutes, they complete a grid of their observations and they construct a hypothetical food...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Organisms and Their Environments

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

Web of Life Game: Trout

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore the concept of food webs.  In this food web lesson, students demonstarte the connection between species.  Students use a ball of string show how the food web works, then have a class discussion. 
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Chain/Food Web

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore ecosystems. In this ecology lesson, students read an article explaining ecosystems. Students create a visual organizer with index cards using components of various ecosystems.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Succession in a Jar

For Teachers 6th - 9th
In this succession worksheet, students build an ecosystem using a jar, water, bird seed, soil and a water plant. They predict what their ecosystem will look like in 3 weeks and draw a diagram. Students record their data over the course...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Predator-Prey Simulation

For Students 7th - 9th
In this predator-prey worksheet, students simulate the relationship between predators and prey using small squares to represent rabbits and large squares to represent coyotes. They complete 20 rounds of the simulation trying to get the...