Curated OER
Dynamic Wetlands
High schoolers construct and observe a model of two different types of wetlands. In this wetlands lesson, students create a model of a wetland with constant drainage and a wetland that maintains a well-saturated soil. High schoolers...
Curated OER
Life Cycle of Trees
Turn your students into young tree-tectives with this fun science investigation into the life of trees. To begin, a class volunteer gets dressed up in a tree costume as the different parts of trees are introduced. Then, the class...
Curated OER
Factors Affecting Plant Growth
Students determine the physical and chemical factors that affect plant growth. In this biology lesson, students explain the role of hormones in plants. They investigate how competition with other plants affect their growth.
Curated OER
BATS: NEED NECTAR, WILL TRAVEL
Students play the role of nectar feeding bats on their annual migration
and try to avoid the different hazards that hinder their progress. They describe the annual migration of long-nosed bats including key elements such as: where the...
Curated OER
Totally Tundra
In this tundra worksheet, students read about tundras and the plants and animals that live in tundras. They then use what they learned to answer the 10 questions on the page. The answers are on the last page.
Curated OER
The Bulbs: Camas and Daffodil
Fourth graders become aware of the importance of the camas bulb to the Nez Perce people, they learn the parts of plants, and gain understanding of the interdependence of Nature. They study about the possible causes and outcomes of global...
Curated OER
Deserts Crossword
In this geography crossword puzzle, students answer twenty-one questions about deserts. Among the topics are plants, animals, and terrain.
Curated OER
Natural Gardening
Young scholars study the effect of pesticides on plants and insects. In this gardening lesson plan, students discuss the importance of insects. They define pesticides, evaluate their effectiveness and the problems they might cause. ...
Curated OER
Roxaboxen
Third graders discuss the story "Roxaboxen." In this reading comprehension lesson, 3rd graders discover new vocabulary words, discuss the story using story mapping, and take a reading test. Students investigate safety in the desert and...
Curated OER
Arizona Grown Specialty Crop Lesson Plan: Where Do They Go?
Pupils explore biotic and abiotic factors in landscape design. In this landscaping lesson, students create 3-dimensional models that represent landscape designs taking into consideration climate and planting requirements.
Curated OER
Comparing Local, National, International Biomes
Learners calculate averages of climate sets of data. In this ecology lesson plan, students analyze data to determine identity of a biome and collect meteorological data to understand process. Learners also compare data sets.
Curated OER
The Great Plant Escape-Plant Parts
In this plant parts worksheet, students use provided links to compete questions about plant and their parts. Suggestions and links for additional resources are given.
Curated OER
Bats
Students examine the migration patterns of the long-nosed bat. They identify threats to the animal and the plants bats help pollinate. They participate in a game to help them with the information.
Curated OER
Field Trip to San Bruno
Students contrast a weedy annual grassland of introduced species with an undisturbed, ancient plant community of native bunchgrasses and wildflowers.
Curated OER
Deserts Puzzle
In this geography activity, students complete a crossword puzzle referring all to deserts. They identify the various types of desert land and what plants and animals can survive in these lands. Also, students identify the people who...
Curated OER
Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife
Young scholars examine the role of Purple Loosestrife in Illinois and Indiana rivers. In groups, they collect a wide variety of plants in a wetland and raise beetles in a controlled environment. They introduce the loosestrife into the...
Curated OER
Predicting the Greening of Spring With Red Emperor Tulips
Learners examine seasonal changes by watching tulip plant growth across the continent utilizing the Journey North website. They develop hypotheses as to why the plants emerge and grow where they do.
Curated OER
Population Ecology
Here are some ideas to help students understand population growth in ecosystems.
Curated OER
Bats: Need Nectar, Will Travel
Beginning wildlife biologists become adult bats, baby bats, snakes, owls, bobcats, or land-clearing developers in a grand role-playing activity. In a large open space, they play a game in which they move to designated areas based on what...
National Wildlife Federation
Power Pellets! Nuclear Energy in the United States
Nuclear power provides about 20 percent of the energy generated in the United States. The seventh activity in the series of 12 tackles nuclear power. After sharing what they know about nuclear energy, scholars complete a...
Curated OER
Arkansas Festivals of the Land
Middle Schoolers research Arkansas community festivals which are tied to the landscape. They create brochures that reflect the festival from a geographical and historical perspective and share them with the class. This ambitious and...
Carnegie Mellon University
Transportation
Teach your environmental studies, life science, or engineering class how an internal combustion engine works using the first few slides of the accompanying presentation. Then, focus in on the resulting carbon emissions. Finally, take a...
Curated OER
Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones
Using NASA's Live Access Server, earth scientists compare the temperature, precipitation, and normalized difference vegetation index for four different locations. They use the data to identify the climate zone of each location using...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Plant Phenology Data Analysis
Beginning in 1851, Thoreau recorded the dates of the first spring blooms in Concord, and this data is helping scientists analyze climate change! The culminating instructional activity in the series of four has pupils graph and analyze...