Rainforest Alliance
My Forest or the Rainforest?
The differences between tropical and temperate rainforests range from animals and flowers to climate and landscapes. Kindergarteners compare and contrast characteristics of their local forest to a tropical rainforest.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resoures
Minnesota’s Forests
The forests of Minnesota provide middle schoolers with an integrated learning opportunity. They examine the three biomes and their histories, conduct experiments, read stories, and draw pictures. A lovely lesson about trees.
Curated OER
Forest Habitats
In this identification lesson, 3rd graders view photographs of different kinds of forests, learn where forests are located, and discuss seasonal changes in forests. Students read Look What I Did With a Leaf, collect leaves, identify what...
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My Forest or the Rainforest?
Students explore the flora and fauna of temperate forests and rainforests. They examine the environmental conditions that allow certain plants and animals to live in the rainforest.
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A Walk in the Woods
Eighth graders observe and identify the different levels of the forest. In this forest zones lesson students observe, identify and name a variety of forest components and describe how humans impact the forest ecosystem.
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Knock On Wood
Pupils investigate the trees of the Mississippi Valley, specifically looking at the coniferous and deciduous forests. The research of the area is part of a field study when students conduct a survey of local forests in order to create a...
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Community Tree Contest
Students observe trees in their neighborhood. They practice tree identification and incorporate math skills to determine the winner of a 'Tree-mendous Tree' contest in which they determine which is the biggest tree.
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Ecological Citizen
Students examine the interconnectedness of living and non-living things that constitute an ecosystem. They examine fallen trees,insects, living trees, leaves, food webs, and forests. They conduct various activities and write poems about...
National Park Service
Aspect, Treeline, and Climate
Head to the treeline and beyond to examine how this feature of the landscape affects weather and climate, which gives scientists clues about its health. Class members' observations of photographs provide the data that drives the...
Curated OER
Botanical Garden Field Trip
Students take a field trip to a botanical garden. In this habitat lesson, students walk through the garden and see various species of plants and animals. Students take a canopy walk and see coniferous trees. Students write about what...
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Western Red Cedar
Students explore the First Nations uses of the Western Cedar tree. In this nature lesson students compare and identify four conifer species. The students go on a nature walk.
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All About Trees
Second graders examine the artwork of Robert Harris and discuss how trees are an important part of their lives. In groups, they discover how people's use of the environment has changed over time and describe the climate and vegetation...
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A Closer Look at Wood
Young scholars examine forests as a renewable resource and conservation practices. In this conifers activity students complete a lab activity on the different types of wood.
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The Tree Detective - Basic Dendrology
Students identify tree species by their leaf characteristics. In this dendrology lesson, students learn leaf vocabulary and collect leaves. They identify the leaves using the leaf characteristics and the vocabulary that they learned.
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The Prairie Climate
Ninth graders research the average temperature and precipitation of a prairie region to determine the type of climate it is, and how it differs from other biomes. They examine the types of adaptions animals have made to live in the...
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Biomass Energy
Junior ecologists relate how food chains and food webs route matter and energy through an ecosystem. They trace feeding levels of a food chain or food web through a pyramid of energy. As a reinforcement activity, learners construct three...
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Exploring the Biomes of South America
Sixth graders complete a five-week unit investigating the eight major biomes of South America. They conduct Internet research, collect short-term and long-term climate data, and create a HyperStudio slideshow stack about a selected biome...
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Land Associations
Students identify and explore life forms of various biomes, define transitional regions, examine effects of abiotic and biotic interactions, research a biome, and produce newspaper that features environmental information. Lessons all on...
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Habitats of the World
Students discover that the Earth supports many different animal habitats. In this habitat lesson students research different habitats of the world. Students show how the animals in their habitat are adapted.
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My Tree Book
Learners "adopt" a tree and throughout the year record and examine its characteristics and the changes that it goes through.
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Ecology
Fourth graders research an ecosystem and its endangered species. They create a PowerPoint Presentation, oral report, poster or a booklet based on their research. They research on the internet and in biology texts in teams of 4.
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Succession and Microclimate
Students compare the population of insects in different microclimates. In this biology activity, students collect data using probes to tabulate temperature and soil data. They predict how certain parameters change as an area goes through...
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Tree Identification
Students list four ways to identify trees. In this tree identification instructional activity, students use tree identification techniques such as leafs, bark, wood grain, soil type, and climate to create tables and graphs.
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Identifying Trees Using Their Leaves in the Summer
Students discover how to identify trees. In this research lesson students use dendrology to decipher what a trees classification is and explore each trees traits.