Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Invertebrate Phyla

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learners explore the invertebrate phyla. They discuss the characteristics of the invertebrate Phyla in the Kingdom Animal. Students classify organisms into Phyla based on their characteristics. They distinguish radial symmetry, bilateral...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using a Matrix to Compare, Contrast, and Analyze Connections

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars explore writing techniques by comparing fiction vs. non-fiction. In this literature analysis lesson plan, students read stories from Aesop's Fables and compare the themes and characters to stories from their own life....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Farm Babies

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students use flash cards to match the mother names to the baby names for farm animals. In a designated "barn" in the room, students simulate being mothers, fathers, and babies. The baby must find his mother and father. Students visit...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"I have a Bone to Pick With You"

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore dinosaur classifications and how animals of long ago became extinct. They conduct research, classify dinosaurs, and in small groups, develop a name of a new dinosaur, create a poster, and present the information to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Veterinarians (Community Helpers)

For Teachers K
Students color animal pictures and make a class web chart about veterinarians to explore what a veterinarian does on a daily basis.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classifying Living and Non-Living Objects

For Teachers K
Students investigate living organisms and define the properties of a living species.  In this life characteristic lesson, students examine plants in their class and discuss whether or not they are alive.  Students create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Natural Connection to the Azores

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students use primary sources to examine whaling voyages, biology, and geography. In this geography lesson, students analyze ship logs and plot locations of animals and determine routes using latitude and longitude.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Big Cats Sounds

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students explore the sounds of big cats. In this animal science instructional activity, students listen to the sounds of the big cats, such as lions and tiger, on a suggested website. Students research how the big cats use their sounds...
Lesson Plan
Out of Africa Wildlife Park

A Thematic Learning Guide to Lions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Written as an accompaniment to a field trip to the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Arizona, this is an interdisciplinary, themed lesson on lions. Even if you cannot take your upper-elementary kids to this attraction, there are a few...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Under The Sea

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
In this resource lesson plan, students use non-fiction books to research ocean animals. Students discover the many features of non-fiction books and how to use these features to help them conduct research. Students then categorize...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life at Risk

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the characteristics of the peregrine falcon. They investigate endangered and extinct species, and how the environment affects the process.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Corps of Discovery

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students assess their knowledge of the Corps of Discovery through a written pretest, follow the journey of Lewis and Clark on the internet, record data on events, dates, places, people, animals, distance traveled, and geographic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What do Bison Eat?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the three major categories of food eaten by bison. In groups, they collect examples of grass and forbs and press them. They complete a chart of the percentages of each type of food the bison eat in a day. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classifying Deep-Sea Organisms

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scientists access the EARTH Web site in order to engage in this lesson life forms found in the ocean. Student groups of 3 - 4 choose one set of deep-sea organism images. The groups decide how they would classify their organisms and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's A Mammal?

For Teachers K - 5th
Students examine mammals understanding what a mammal is and reviewing the eleven mammal groups. In this science lesson, students play a game known as Mystery Mammal Game. Yet, first students research about the mammal and then give...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's Alive

For Teachers 1st
First graders critically analyze living and nonliving objects, then develop a list of characteristics to classify objects on a science walk. They make a book to close out the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Biology Corner

Biology Corner: Taxonomy Project

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A teacher lesson plan that allows young scholars to pretend to be an alien taxonomist working with fictitious animals to create their scientific name, classification chart, design a dichotomous key, and create a food web.