Young scholars examine how plants are able to adapt to their ecosystem and the role that fire plays in changes through the years.  In this ecosystem lesson students complete several exercises focussing on plants and their...

Students explore the visual information a diorama artist provides by thinking of all the details for the background of a location described by their teacher. They investigate diorama artists and their importance in creating the illusion...

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.

Students examine nurse logs with hand lenses and identify animals.  In this ecosystem lesson plan, students gain understanding of the rainforest by studying nurse logs.  Students become familiar with vocabulary through their...

Students explore the research process. In this scientific method lesson, students analyze data from an article, write their own informational article and express what they have learned. Students create their own article using the given...

In this ecology community status learning exercise, 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...

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.

Learners explore the role and importance of soil in the ecosystem.  In this Science and Social Studies lesson plan, students complete an experiment using various kinds of soil and clay and then examine how soil has a direct impact...

Student explore factors affecting ecosystems. They test local water samples for pH level. After creating a methodology for data collection, they collect data, compare results, and draw conclusions based upon results.

A lab activity is a great way to incite thoughtful questioning and scientific processes. Pupils will collect organisms with a Petri dish, make observations, sketch the organism, ask questions, then attempt to identify the specimen...

Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging lesson asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.

Marine biologists research sea ice communities. Assign some groups to construct paper models of sea ice communities in winter, and some to construct models of them in summer. The lesson is simplistic, but the Internet resources provided...

Small groups investigate plots of land to discover how abiotic and biotic factors interact. After recording their findings, scholars share observations with peers and self-reflect on the learning process. 

Most teachers and scholars look for a way to simplify information. Informational how-to slides simplify the process of technical writing into a step-by-step process. Learners gather information on what to do, as well as what to avoid....

Get your hands dirty with an interactive lesson that showcases the process of decomposing and returning nutrients back into the soil. After building a compost pile, pupils regularly observe the...

In this flow of energy in an ecosystem, learners complete a graphic organizer and show the flow of energy from the sun to producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and then decomposers. Students define each of...

Students visit a local ecosystem to survey the plants and animals present and identify interactions between organisms. They identify interactions that occur between living organisms and their ecosystem and present their ecosystem to the...

Sixth graders define terms prey, predator, and scavenger, describe predator-prey relationship, discuss effects of a lack of predators in an environment, and separate the role of the scavenger from that of the predator.

Pupils, in groups, research two biomes. They create a Venn diagram and include the characteristics of each biome, placing similar features in the overlapping area of the circles.

High schoolers identify and interpret the concept of an ecosystem and the potential impact humans have on ecosystems. They also proficient in organized and methodical Internet searches. Finally, students become proficient with public...

Middle schoolers work together to identify the characteristics of their local ecosystem and another one nearby. In groups, they use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two. They use this information to create a collage of both...

Sixth graders observe different microorganisms under the microscope. In this biology lesson, 6th graders draw and describe the samples they see. They study the root nodules of plants and explain how the plants benefit from those bacteria.

How does nature's hierarchy relate to our local human environment? Answer this question, along with others, as the class visually depicts the natural hierarchy provided by nature. Pupils discuss each piece of the pyramid and its energy...

In the ecological game of who eats who, one small change can have a big impact! Individuals create food chains in an array of ecosystems, then determine what happens to organisms in the chain when one organism changes its feeding...