Students identify the functions of various body parts. They participate in the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" song, draw a picture of themselves and other mammals, and create a traced outline of their body that they add features to....

Jump into the classification of animal and plants cells, through this inviting lesson plan comparing Elodea leaves and Epithelial cells. Middle school learners will create wet mounts, write journal entries that compare specimens, and...

Young scholars acquire a general knowledge of fossils and paleontology, the study of evidence of life in the past and identify the major invertebrate groups (phyla) commonly found in the fossil record.

Students are taken on a simulated "voyage" backward in time, to the beginning of our planet. They "witness" that beginning, the origin of life, and a number of key events from then to the present.

Learn about dichotomous keys, plant identification, and how to care for the planet with a lesson that includes several hands-on and innovative activities. Kids go on a plant scavenger hunt and classify the plants that they find...

Learners identify and interpret the life of the Indians on the Plains during the 1800's through artworks of George Catlin and others during this time period. Students examine life of the Pawnee Indians and interpret conditions that...

Students compare and contrast classification systems used throughout the world. They also examine the importance of preserving biological diversity.

In this vertebrate worksheet, students review the different adaptations for the 5 groups of vertebrates: birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. This worksheet has 12 matching, 1 fill in the blank, and 7 short answer questions.

Students identify the basic components necessary for biodiversity, the critical and countless benefits of habitats, as well as the serious present and future threats to their ongoing existence.

Most chordates are easy to identify because of the specific classification criteria of their phylum. But what about tunicates? Young scientists read a short explanation about why tunicates, or sea squirts, are considered to be members of...

Students test tap water for hardness and mineral content. For this environmental science lesson, students identify the different stages of the water cycle. They classify plant and animals according to the rules of taxonomy.

Students create a bird identification game. In this classification lesson, students work in pairs to collect information about a specific bird. They use a bird field guide to aid in the research. They challenge other students in their...

Students determine which animals belong to the vertebrate phyla.  In this classification lesson, students are given large papers with the names of the phyla of vertebrates. They must work together to place organisms into their...

Mammals of the ocean unite! Or not. The 20th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates how warm-blooded marine mammals survive in water. In the class activity, learners use...

Lead young scientists to discover insects outdoors. After investigating, students will record observations, learn about these fascinating creatures, craft, and role play.

After making a list of top 10 brightest stars, your class will learn to classify the colors of the hottest and coolest stars.  The spectral classes will help with understanding of nuclear fusion and the life of a star.

Germs, parasites, and viruses, oh my! Facilitate a lesson on viruses as individuals explore functions of Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. They learn how viruses compare with other organisms in nature and how they contribute to health...

In this animal kingdom worksheet, students compare and contrast the 10 different phyla including the description and approximate number of species found in each one. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.

Eighth graders study how and why animals are classified into eight groups in the animal kingdom. They work together to identify organisms. They use the key to determine the phylum for the included problems.

Students examine various insects. They discuss the parts of an insect and the environments in which they live. Students explore the importance of insects to our environment. They draw an interpretation of their insect and label its parts.

In this ocean worksheet, students answer questions about ocean life, the plants and animals of the ocean and their classification, the major life zones of the ocean and questions about an animal of their choice that lives in the ocean.

In this biology worksheet, students fill in the description of a plant or animal. They write answers to 8 blanks and draw the organism's life cycle diagram.

Students research sea life using laptop computers. In this sea life lesson, students participate in a field trip to the beach and enter observations into their laptop computers. Students classify shells and sea life.

Learners examine invertebrates. In this animal classification lesson, students discuss invertebrates and bilateral symmetry. They discuss the importance of horse shoe crabs in medical science.