Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Effects of Agricultural Fertilizer Runoff Upon Aquatic Ecosystems

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners measure the toxic levels of runoff and discuss the effects it would have on the aquatic system. In this runoff lesson plan, students answer questions to how runoff would affect the animals in an aquatic system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biosphere

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners examine the basic biosphere and its components.  In this ecology lesson students complete several experiments including designing a system that is balanced to sustain life.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Find the Speed of a Protist

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students identify protists under a microscope, and using a stopwatch calculate the speed of a protist from a pond water sample. They use distance and time to identify the speed of a protist, and create a distance versus time graph to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plants and Animals Depend Upon One Another

For Teachers 1st
First graders study plants and animals and how they depend on one another. They also study that plants give energy to animals and provide oxygen needed for life. Finally, 1st graders give examples of the roles plants and animals play...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Discovering Rainforest Locations

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
How many rainforests are there, where are they, and do global factors effect their locations? These are great questions that have great answers. Children in grades four through eight use several different maps to determine why...
Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

What's the Deal? Addiction Card Game

For Students 9th - 12th
Addiction is a big deal! Playing a game of cards helps learners understand the concept of addiction. Through their analysis, they examine the potential for addiction and how it varies for each individual.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Ecosystems

For Students 7th - 12th
In this ecosystems worksheet, students define the components that make up an ecosystem. Students focus on the forests found in Ireland. This worksheet has 30 fill in the blank and 7 short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Chemistry of Coal

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students investigate the chemistry of coal. This lesson plan serves as a review of conservation of mass, simple reactions and equation balancing. During the lesson plan, students research chemical components of coal, as well as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Norman Suburban Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the factors affecting organisms in the pond ecosystem. In this environmental science instructional activity, students perform an experiment to determine pH, nutrients and temperature of different pond sites. They present...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology and the Conservation of Natural Resources Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students compare and contrast abiotic and biotic factors. They discuss how these factors effect ecosystems. They answer questions to complete the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Structure of Earth

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders study and make a model of the significant formations of the ocean floor. They examine images and illustration and apply their imagination while creating the model. They are challenged to complete further research as an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to the Ocean World

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students comprehend how the organisms that exist within the ocean biome, and categorizing each into producer, consumer, or decomposer. They place various human actions under the headings of "hazard" or "help," illustrating how humans can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Under Our Feet

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students investigate the forest ecosystem to learn of the living and non-living elements of the soil. In this ecosystem lesson, students examine soil for twigs, moss, fungi, leaves, roots and other matter.   Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dirty Decomposers

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Learners explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Learners utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Apply Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Habits of Mind

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers review the components of the scientific inquiry method. In groups, they develop hypothesis on the issue given to them by their teacher and inquiry questions. They state the data in terms of qualitative and quantitative...
Activity
National Science Teachers Association

Adopt-a-Dino

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Earth historians research a specific dinosaur, write a paper about the Mesozoic era that it lived in, create an artistic rendition of the environment, and give a presentation in class about what they learned. Be aware that there are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Field Guide to Schoolyard Insects and Their Relatives

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Your entire class works together to create an illustrated insect field guide. The intent is that they venture outside of the classroom, find a critter, and then research it using reference materials, insect books, and the Internet for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compettion at its Best

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders role play predators, prey and other parts of the aquatic ecosystem. They show inter and intra-specific competition as well as the link between abiotic and biotic components in an ecosystem. Students play games about the...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Sustainable Forestry

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers evaluate a forest for timber harvest and discuss potential impacts of logging. In this sustainable forestry lesson, they work in groups in a forested plot to choose trees to cut based on species and stem diameter and then...
Lesson Plan
1
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University of Florida

Unhealthy Forests and the News

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Everyone knows a tree makes a sound when it falls, but what do we know about dying trees? Class members learn background information about Laurel wilt disease from a teacher-led presentation. Team members work with partners to read and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grid Frame Mapping

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students map and describe small area of the schoolyard and discuss habitats.
Interactive
Curated OER

Ecology Vocabulary Exercise: Wetlands

For Students 7th - 8th
In this ecology vocabulary exercise:  wetlands instructional activity, learners read the definitions of 8 words, then categorize a species found in a wetland in their region.  This page has numerous links to helpful web resources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

PA Watersheds, Many Ways to the Sea

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the water cycle and the factors that interact with watersheds.  In this watersheds lesson students describe the purification process, trace the flow of infiltrate water through aquifers, and research the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transpiration

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explain the function of the hydrologic cycle and demonstrate how transpiration rates can be experimentally changed.