Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where are Koalas on the Food Chain?

For Teachers 4th
Take a field trip to observe Koalas, absolutely! Budding scientists become familiar with the Koala's position in the food chain. They answer questions based on what they see and draw a food chain explaining the Koalas position. Tip: A...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

For Teachers K
Here is a good lesson on butterflies and caterpillars. After listening to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, young learners put cards that depict the life cycle of a butterfly in the correct order. There are some good ideas for center...
Lesson Plan
WK Kellogg Biological Station

Sounds of Selection

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Do you want a creative and fun way to teach about natural selection? Hop to it by turning your middle school princes and princesses into frogs trying to catch as many bugs as possible in a Hungry Hungry Hippos style game. For high...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth: Our Big Blue Marble

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate Earth and its resources. In this Earth, space, and nature lesson plan, students collaborate to design presentations on the Earth, its cycles, and how humans have impacted the planet. Images, diagrams, and background...
Lesson Plan
Desert Museum

Daisy Ecology

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Here's a fine instructional activity 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Plastic Bag Greenhouse

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders observe plants and record their growth. They describe the parts of plants in detail including the roots, stems and leaves.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fresh or Salty?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore water bodies on the planet Earth and their various uses and qualities. They examine several ways that engineers are working to maintain and conserve water sources and think about their role in water conservation....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Quality and Temperature

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Young scholars are led through three activities to explore the effect of temperature fluctuations on the growth and survival of aquatic plants, clams, and shrimp eggs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bears

For Teachers K - 1st
Students complete a variety of bear-related activities. They sort and graph teddy bears, distinguish between real and non-real bears and research bear life cycles and habitats.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Is Tree-rific!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders view a clip of the video Backyard Safari, "Trees," and portray the life cycle of a tree. They also view a clip on structures of a tree and draw a diagram of a tree in their science journals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Monarch Egg

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students investigate the stages of the Monarch butterfly and its life cycle.  In this butterfly life cycle lesson, students discuss when, where, and how the Monarch butterflies lay their eggs.  After discussion, students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Web of Life - Ecosystem

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders play the roles of various organisms in an ecosystem (focusing on insects) and pass yarn or string around to other organisms from largest animals to the smallest. The end product is a web which shows how all of these animals...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bringing Up Birdy

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore biology by creating diagrams of animal life cycles. In this baby bird lesson, students view video clips of birds being born from incubation to flying on their own. Students utilize the Internet to research birds and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Inside of an Apple

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students review the life cycle of apples before they study information about the inside of apples. They work in small groups to color and identify the parts of the inside of an apple. Finally, they use real apples to have an hands on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond Safari

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

The Seed Store

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students investigate the seed cycle. For this plant biology lesson, students plant tomato seeds and observe the plant growth. Students complete an activity sheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant Parts

For Teachers K
Students use "Kid Pix" to explore plants. In this science and technology lesson plan, students become familiar with plant parts and label them on a plant. Students tell the functions of each of the plant parts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Succession in the Classroom

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate their environment by growing plants in class.  In this botany lesson, students discuss the lifespan of plants and animals and how they must be cared for continuously over time.  Students grow a plant in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Does Your Garden Grow?

For Teachers K - 4th
Students discover gardening by documenting plants grown on school grounds.  In this botany activity, students utilize digital cameras to capture images of plants on photo hikes which are turned into a slide show.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sunflowers (Grades 3-8)

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine sunflowers and discuss the importance of sunflower cooking oil and seeds. They view pictures, read books, sing sunflower songs, and grow flowers from sunflower seeds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Limu Diversity

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore limu diversity. In this ocean ecosystem lesson, students classify limu according to its physical properties. Students work in small groups to generate scientific observations and sort limu by characteristics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solve the Case!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Learners discover the habits of panthers by solving fictitious crime mysteries.  In this animal life lesson, students utilize their research from previous lessons to solve mysteries in a panther activity.  Learners answer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Look At Those Leaves!

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore botany by researching plants in class. In this tree identification lesson, students examine a group of leaves and list the different characteristics before guessing what types of trees they came from. Students read about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Painted Balsa-Foam Butterfly

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students research a butterfly and create butterfly art. For this visual arts lesson, students choose a specific butterfly to research and create a Balsa-Foam butterfly of the same species. Students use Balsa-Foam, modeling tools, and...