Make connections about animal characteristics and the animal's environment. In this animal characteristics activity, students use a piece of art as a springboard for a discussion about animals and camouflage. Students choose an animal...

Students investigate animals and their environments. In this animal similarities and differences lesson, students explore animal adaptations and features and their habitats. Students get into groups to discuss the habitat and how...

This animals PowerPoint provides a race car game in which students answer a variety of questions about animals, the majority of which are based on ways in which animals adapt  to their surroundings and behave to survive.

Students choose an organism and create an experiment with that organism. In this observation lesson plan, students expose a living thing to something from its environment and record their observations. Students must have some prior...

Matching and fill-in-the-blank exercises give biology whizzes a chance to practice vocabulary associated with evolution. Terms to be reviewed focus on evidence for evolution, natural selection concepts, and some genetics words. You could...

Pupils examine how the climate and environment affect people in Alaska. They identify the five regions of Alaska on a map, conduct Internet research, write a report on the climate differences in the five Alaskan regions, and write a...

Crazy fact: Some animals can survive months without oxygen. An online resource describes some unique ways animals collect oxygen and even live without it for an extended time. Learners read about these special animals and use pop-up...

Oceans represent more than 80 percent of all habitats, yet we know less about them than most other habitats on the planet. The instructor introduces the epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, twilight, and midnight zones in the ocean....

Eugenics philosophy takes survival of the fittest to a whole new level. With a research-focused lesson plan, young scientists examine the history of the eugenics movement and its impact on society. Pupils engage with a video clip,...

Charles Darwin and Jean Baptiste Lamarck are credited for developing the theory of natural selection. After teaching your beginning biologists about acquired characteristics, they read the included selection and answer questions that...

What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in...

The odds that readers will enjoy a summer reading project will be in your favor if you choose Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games as the anchor text. The richly detailed plans included in this resource make it easy to volunteer...

Young biologists discover that plants and animals have protective parts that help them to survive during periods of harsh conditions. After a meaningful class discussion, pupils complete three worksheets by working in pairs to reinforce...

Fifth graders, after viewing a PowerPoint on different mammals, analyze what a biome is. Then they choose a mammal to research and go outside to feel the grass and leaves and hypothesize about which biome they live in as well as its...

Students explore adaptation by participating in a lab activity. In this bird characteristics lesson plan, students discuss the different purposes birds have for their beaks and conduct an experiment testing which beaks collect food best....

Students work in small groups to explore the FEMA for Kids site. They take the role of FEMA officials. Student list three items they may need to survive an earthquake. They complete a worksheet and discuss their results with the rest of...

Students study organisms found in Class Insecta. They examine the different adaptations these organisms have developed over time to survive and prosper in their respective habitats. They research the origin of the names of several orders...

Learners explore animal characteristics by examining water currents in person. In this animal strength lesson, students discuss tides and currents and attend a field trip in which they are in contact with flowing water. Learners create a...

Focusing on the wildlife in their area, learners identify endangered and threatened species and what these animals need to survive. While this lesson involves animals in the Long Island area, it could be adapted for use with any area.

If your upper elementary or middle school marine biology learners are going to visit an aquarium, then here is a field trip activity guide for you. It is written specifically for The Maritime Aquarium, but the idea can be adapted to...

Fourth graders investigate the bison's struggle for survival. They discuss the importance of bison while participating in an role playing activity showing how important the food supply and surroundings are to their survival.

Eighth graders discover how animals adapt to their surroundings. They identify physical traits and behaviors that are important to survival. They examine the results of an organism's failure to adapt.

Fourth graders identify behavioral and structural adaptations to plant and animal life. For this unit overview, 4th graders discuss the importance of variation and adaptation in a species survival. This is a unit overview and does not...