Pennsylvania Department of Education
Animal Classes and Their Ecosystems
Students explore animal characteristics by participating in an environment identification activity. In this animal habitat lesson, students discuss a range of different wild life and the ecosystems that they are a part of. Students view...
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Diving the Deep
Children research plant and animal components of marine ecosystem, visualize undersea life, and picture themselves wearing scuba-diving equipment needed to explore underwater. Learners then create underwater scene in which they explore...
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Art: Coral Reef Ala Oil
Students investigate Australia's Great Barrier Reef and create oil paintings of it. After their research, they apply various painting techniques to depict air bubbles, sun's radiation, and color blending. For older students, the...
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Dirty Decomposers
Students 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. Students utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
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Sea Scape
Students learn about and make models of coral reefs. In this reef ecosystem lesson, the class locates a number of coral reefs on a map. They learn how a coral reef is a balanced ecosystem that depends upon all of it's plant and animal...
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Introducing Biodiversity
Young scholars investigate biodiversity by creating reports with their classmates. In this ecosystem instructional activity, students utilize the Internet to research the different types of life in our environment and different...
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Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave
Fifth graders investigate the food chain by viewing video clips. In this food web lesson plan, 5th graders investigate populations and ecosystems by viewing a video in class as well as visiting web sites. Students utilize the Internet to...
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Something Fishy - Bioaccumulation of Mercury
Students explore the dangers of eating high levels of mercury and how small amounts of mercury in water accumulate in greater quantities in organisms higher in the food chain. They list the health of effects of high levels of mercury on...
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Dinosaurs 1: Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students study dinosaurs. In this dinosaur lesson plan, students watch a web based video about dinosaurs before discussing what they liked about the dinosaurs, telling about the sounds they heard, and explaining what the Earth looked...
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Where Are the Dinosaurs
Students explore the concept of extinction. In this dinosaur lesson, students view a video and have a class discussion about the extinction of dinosaurs. They create a dinosaur egg and imagine what life would be like for a dinosaur.
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Choose Your Defense: Spines, Vomit and Camouflage
Students investigate defensive mechanisms of insects and organisms. In this biology activity, students draw imaginary caterpillars as well as imaginary parasites that will harm the caterpillar. Students utilize the Internet...
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Make a Rain Stick
Students create a rain stick to imitate the nature sounds in a rainforest habitat. In this rainforest habitat lesson, students create a rain stick to mimic the cultural tools used in the South American rainforest. Students use paper...