Curated OER
Ecology-Minded Garbage Plants
Students complete recycling activities to learn how ordinary garbage can create a living organism. In this recycling lesson, students take a combination of seeds from used fruits. Students water and grow the plants from the recycled seeds.
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Ecology Club
Fifth graders measure their plants and take pictures, write down new
observations about their plants. They discuss taking plants home. When they take them home students carefully put a plastic bag over the top to keep the plants from...
Curated OER
Landscape Garden Makeover
A project-based learning plan focuses on landscapes in the community. After identifying problems, such as dead trees or misplaced automatic sprinklers, learners design solutions, contact local organizations to fix the problems, and do...
National Wildlife Federation
Watershed Web: A Field Trip
Observing plant succession doesn't have to be a decade long process. A hands-on lesson has groups study succession over a designated space. Learners use their observation skills to record differences in plant and soil characteristics in...
Curated OER
Beetle Collection and Release
Students investigate plants and compare them to the purple loose strife. As they observe the plants they predict possible impacts on plant populations based on their observations. They work in groups and present their findings to the class.
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A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens
Students explore botany by participating in a language arts activity. In this garden poetry lesson, students read the classic poem "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and discuss the imagery and rhyming methods used. Students examine their own...
Curated OER
Bird Ecology Unit
Tenth graders conduct various activities utilizing the scientific method to formulate a hypothesis, conduct a controlled experiment, collect and analyze the data and communicate their results through a poster. They also identify...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Leaf Litter Ecology Lab
Some organisms spend their entire lives in leaf litter. The third in a series of six is a great lesson exploring the community of leaf litter. Groups gather and then spread leaf litter over white paper and remove leaves/twigs while...
Desert Museum
Daisy Ecology
Here's a fine lesson that combines poetry with life sciences. Learners carefully listen to a poem that's all about a food chain. As the poem is read, learners name the producer, the herbivore, the carnivore, and the omnivore. Lots of...
Curated OER
Timeline for Bird and Plant Research
Students research and observe birds and plants in selected habitat areas.
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Schoolyard Jungle: What's Out There?
Eighth graders create a plant study guide using their outdoor classroom environment. In this ecology lesson, 8th graders take photographs of plants they collect from the outdoor classroom and create plant field guides. Students design an...
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Eco-enrichers
Learners discover the importance of plant and animal components within soil. In this soil lesson, students test the quality of soil. Learners then conduct an experiment adding different components to bags of soil to see what will...
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In the Wild
Third graders examine the concept of ecology and how animals are suited to their habitats. In this animal adaptation instructional activity, 3rd graders identify a variety of plants and animal species that live in a Beech forest.Students...
Curated OER
Building YOU from MOO
Learners build protiens according to whether they are suppose to be a plant, a cow, or a person. They discover that all proteins are made from the same amino acids and it is just the order of these amino acids that change.
Curated OER
Personal Ecosystem
Young scholars build an aquatic ecosystem using large glass pickle jars. In this ecology lesson, students build and ecosystem then observe and collect data on the habitats. In this long term project young scholars observe a population...
Curated OER
Cypress/Tupelo Swamps
Young scholars study the geologic history of terrain, soils, and drainage patterns. They recognize ecological processes that determine the dynamic nature of habitats. They investigate the influence of human activity on the landscape.
Curated OER
Conserving Resources by Watering Efficiently
Students determine a watering schedule that promotes healthy grass growth. In this plants and natural resource conservation activity, students plant grass seed in liter bottles and follow two different schedules that include "more...
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Water Quality Tests Explained
Learners identify the eight tests done to check for water quality. In this ecology activity, students explain why it's important to test water in rivers. They explore sources of river water pollution.
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Holy Starbucks Batman
Students investigate caffeine as a potential new pollutant in a northwest river system. Effects of caffeine on invertebrates and salmon fry will be explored through field work and lab work.
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The Great Pond Safari
Students study pond life by visiting a pond and completing an associated worksheet. They play an online game based on the pond learning experience.
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Taming Wild Land
Third graders consider the habitat needs of living things and how extensive farming in an area can affect the plants and animals of a region. They participate in a simulation to show how changing the habitat in one area can greatly...
Curated OER
Endangered Species 1: Why are Species Endangered?
Emerging ecologists examine endangered species by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency website. They consider human contribution to the decline of different species. They research an endangered animal and then craft a poster...
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Beaver Ecology
Students explore the lives of bgeahvers. They identify the physical and behavioral adaptations that help beavers survive in their environment. Students compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic...
Curated OER
The Importance of Trees in the Rural Area: Planting a Snowfence
Learners explore the concept of living snowfences. In this tree activity, students read, "The Living Tree," brochure and discuss the ecological benefits of planting trees to create living snowfences. Learners draw plans for planting...