Curated OER
Habitat survival
Sixth graders study different environments and how the food chain affects the survival of different animals. In this environments lesson plan, 6th graders share the visuals which describe the characteristics of the environment that they...
Curated OER
Dirty Decomposers
Seventh graders design and conduct experiments to determine what environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They use chunks of carrot for the materials to be decomposed, and their experiments are carried out in plastic...
Virginia Department of Education
Owl Family Natural Selection
How do genetic mutations within a population lead to future variations? Provide your class with the resources to answer this question and more upon completing an activity on natural selection. The entire class participates in a fun role...
Curated OER
The Macaroni Lab
Learners are given an introduction to the "ecosystem", what factors make up an ecosystem (biotic factors, abiotic factors, food chain, producers, consumers and decomposers) and how those factors interact.
Curated OER
Habitat Unit - Day 2
Learners explore abiotic factors that affect habitats. After a class lecture, students work in groups to answer questions about plant tissue, production and growth. They share answers, complete a crossword puzzle, and create a habitat...
Curated OER
Urban Safari: A Walk on the Wild Side
Students discover the urban ecosystem through a series of activities. They explore both the biotic and abiotic factors of the urban environment.
Curated OER
Our Schoolsyard is Full of Biology
Students study the habitats found in their schoolyard. They apply firsthand, what they have learned in the classroom to something familiar to them. Students look at biotic, abiotic habitats. Small groups will present their findings to...
Curated OER
The Portable Niche
Third graders, in groups, research animals, plants, and conditions found in ecosystems.
Curated OER
Biosphere II
Students continue their examination of the existence of life on Earth. In groups, they determine the role of the water cycle and other biogeochemical cycles play in keeping balance on Earth. They participate in experiments to discover...
Curated OER
Dirty Decomposers
Learners explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Learners utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
Curated OER
Pharaoh Mountain Hike: Investigating Adirondack Life Zones
Students hike a local mountain and examine its life zones. They measure various components at each zone and collect leaf litter at the sites. At the mountain top, students make descriptive observations and complete a handout about the...
Curated OER
Fire Ecology
Fourth graders examine the role fire plays in maintaining the physical factors of the scrub ecosystem. They see that world ecosystems are shaped by physical factors that limit their productivity.
Curated OER
Teaching about the Effect of pH on Aquatic Organisms
Students perform experiments to determine the PH, acidity, and buffering qualities of a lake that make them sensitive to acid deposition.
NOAA
Marine Ecosystems
Be at the top of the food chain when it comes to understanding marine ecosystems. The 21st installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates marine ecosystems, ocean zones, and food...
Curated OER
Bering Sea Buffet - A Foodweb Activity
Life in the Bering Sea, food webs, and the ocean ecosystem are introduced with a map activity. The lesson starts as kids explore maps and images of the Bering Sea, then it kicks into high gear as they start to discuss the types of...
Curated OER
Lotic Environment Lesson Plans
High schoolers create and conduct experiments on a "classroom river habitat." They manipulate the biotic and abiotic factors so that they are able to compare an artificially prepared river model to a naturally occurring lotic ecosystem.
Curated OER
Lotic Environment
Students assemble a classroom river model as an example of a lotic system. They control and measure biotic and abiotic information for the in-class system and compare data with a lotic system in a natural environment.
Curated OER
Nature of Science and Ecology
Students identify the different biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem. In this ecology lesson, students perform a case study on current environmental problems. They write a position statement about their chosen topic and share it...
Curated OER
Chihauhan Desert Journaling Activity
Students explore U.S. geography by completing an observational activity with classmates. In this New Mexico lesson, students research the Chihuahuan Desert by visiting several Internet sites. Students write the data they've collected in...
Curated OER
Our World A Complex Eco-system
Sixth graders set up an ecosystem, investigate conservation techniques, develop an action plan for conservation, and various other activities to explore the ecosystem.
Curated OER
Hatching Brine Shrimp
Third graders investigate the environment that is considered favorable for brine shrimp hatching. The salinity level is of particular interest in the observations because the optimum level is needed for survival. They make daily...
Curated OER
Survivor
Seventh graders investigate changes in the ecosystem within the school year. They see that ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms are dynamic and change over time. They, in groups, collect data in quadrants in the fall,...
Curated OER
Understanding Ecosystems: Erosion and Flooding
Students study the balance in the environment needed for ecosystems. They discuss what can lead to erosion and flooding.
Curated OER
Reading the River
In collaborative groups, young ecologists measure the temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen for three different freshwater samples. They examine each sample with a microscope and record observations on the microorganisms in the pond...