Ventura County Air Pollution Control District
Effects of Global Warming
Your learners have probably heard of climate change, but do they really understand what it is? Study the history, details, and future implications of global warming and the greenhouse effect with a set of activities designed for an...
Michigan State University
Friend or Foe?
What one person thinks is a pest may not be a pest to someone else. Here, scholars examine the characteristics of living things and pests through grand conversation and a variety of activities. Class members play a game of pest or not a...
K5 Learning
Survival in the Wild
How do animals survive in the wild? Read about the different adaptations such as camouflage and self-protection that animals use to survive.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Help or Hype: The Ethics of Bio-Nanotechnology
Ethical concerns are not always black and white. A well-designed lesson presents learners with scenarios for which ethics may come into question. Scholars learn to consider the different sides of a situation and make an unbiased...
Montana State University
One Mountain, Many Cultures
Americans may think of Mount Everest as a region dedicated to adventurous hikers, but many cultures have flourished there! Learners read informative books, watch videos, participate in classroom discussion, analyze folk tales, and...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Stickleback Evolution Virtual Lab
How quickly do animals evolve? Can comparing different samples of the same fossil answer timeline questions? Scholars use virtual labs to examine fossils and learn about stickleback evolution. They compare pelvic morphology in lakes...
Curated OER
Weather Emergency Safety
Students identify different types of weather emergencies that may happen during the seasons. They list the steps involved when taking cover and fleeing dangerous weather patters. A comprehensive list of service agencies that can...
Curated OER
Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict
Story elements such as conflict, character analysis, resolution, and moral are discussed and charted as elementary children read folktales involving animals. An element of science is also introduced as learners discover what a keystone...
Curated OER
Amazon Food Chain
Explore food chains in the Amazon Rainforest using this resource. Learners discuss the predator vs. prey relationships in the food chain. Then, they create a food web to describe this relationship. This is a simple and effective way to...
Curated OER
Functional Homes
Students observe and reflect on habitats built and used by various life forms. They discover the benefits of the "homes" to the creature and its life and apply the natural designs to human uses.
Curated OER
Survival Strategies and Adaptation in Insects
Third graders investigate insects and their adaptations that help them survive. In this survival strategies lesson, 3rd graders view photographs of insects and discuss the adaptations that each one uses to survive, including camouflage...
Curated OER
Costa Rican Food Chain
Discuss the animals and plants in the rainforest food chain using this lesson plan. Learners talk about and do research on the top predators from the Costa Rican region and create a model of one of them in class. They also make a visual...
Curated OER
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
With The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry as the hook learners discuss the rainforest, the animals that live there, and conservation efforts. Then, students write a letter to the man in the story asking him not to cut down the Kapok...
Curated OER
Writing A Storybook
Students create a storybook using vocabulary from the topic "urban and rural life". They write about past events in a children's story. They present their story to the class at an author's tea.
Curated OER
Farms And Cities
Students differentiate the differences of living on a farm or in a city. They do this with the use of coloring pictures and have group discussion about each picture to identify characteristics and identify where the picture is from. The...
Curated OER
Bats
Students investigate bats. In this animal science lesson, students use several websites and suggested bat books to write an informative paragraph. Students should be able to write with 90% accuracy.
Curated OER
Navajo Rug
Navajo art incorporates many fascinating shapes and designs. In this shapes lesson, students explore how shapes may be combined to create art and architecture. They also discover shapes in the world around them.
Curated OER
Name that plant!
What is a dichotomous key? When your kids ask, hand them a learning exercise like this one, to explain it. They use the key to identify four different trees, based on the budding twigs they've produced. Tip: Have learners extend this...
Curated OER
De"compost"ition
Students develop an understanding of the decomposition process and the parameters which influence the rate at which it occurs.
BBC
Coasts
Youngsters study the variety of ways that coastlines can be eroded. They do this by accessing a website, embedded in the plan, and answering questions found on the pages. This activity is meant to be done individually, so everyone in the...
Curated OER
The Rain Forest of Costa Rica
Fifth graders examine and discuss the topography, climate, natural resources and artwork of Costa Rica. They develop a diagram of the layers of the rain forest, and design a tourist brochure or advertisement promoting Costa Rica's...
Curated OER
Prairie Plant Investigation
Students carefully observe prairie plants and record their observations in a science journal. They examine the root systems of grasses and flowers and surmise how these plants can grow together on the prairie.
Curated OER
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
We All Live Together
First graders examine the lifestyle of classroom and family pets in their natural habitat. They determine the needs of plants and animals, and how those needs are met. They listen to read alouds, sing songs, and draw using computer based...