Curated OER
Coral Mania
Students examine deep-sea coral. In this coral lesson, students identify the structure and function of a coral polyp. Students then create a model of a coral polyp.
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Seals, Corals, and Dollars...
Students explore the interdependence of animals and their habitat. In this Hawaiian ecology lesson, students work in groups to research the necessity of preserving precious coral as a habitat for monk seals. Students prepare...
Curated OER
Classroom Animals and Pets - Insects and Co.- Walking Sticks
Students observe walking stick insects. They prepare a habitat for a walking stick. Students discuss the characteristics of these insects. They examine the parts of the body.
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Sea Turtle Savvy
Young scholars explore sea turtles. They create paper plate sea turtles and brainstorm other organisms that live in the sea turtle's habitat. They role-play scenes from a nonfiction book, A Baby Sea Turtle's Journey. They play a game...
Curated OER
Let's Go to the Video Tape!
Pupils examine biological diversity and see how it relates to the concepts of variety and relative abundance. In this investigative instructional activity students view a video on biodiversity and complete an activity.
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What's Down There?
Students analyze data on coral reefs and use this to help characterize reefs. In this mapping coral reefs lesson students identify and explain the major threats to coral reefs.
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Design a Reef!
Students design a functional model of a coral reef ecosystem. In this coral reef instructional activity, students identify the energy sources and material cycles of a coral reef. They write an essay about their niche in their own ecosystem.
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Ocean Exploration
Students explore a simulated ocean floor. For this environmental lesson plan, students take on roles of an ocean dive team exploring the ocean floor. Dive logs will be created and the students will explore their sections of simulated...
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Big Fleas Have Little Fleas!
Young scholars study seamounts and learn the importance of structures to species. In this ocean explorer lesson, students participate in an activity that teaches them how to modify a seamount so that they are more suitable for...
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Easy as Pi
Students examine structural features. In this life science lesson students complete an activity and quantify the impact of various modifications.
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Feeding in the Flow
Students examine current flow and describe ways in which it may effect food of reef building corals. In this coral instructional activity students identify two environmental factors that may affect the morphology.
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Pond Water
Students explore a creek environment. They make observations, identify the living and nonliving factors in the environment and collect a plankton sample to take back to the classroom. In addition, they look at plankton under a microscope.
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Are You Related?
Students study microsatellite markers and explain how they might be used to identify populations. They use data to make inferences about the populations of deep-sea corals.
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Who's Your Neighbor?
Pupils recognize and identify some of the fauna groups found in deep-sea coral reef communities. They describe common feeding strategies used by benthic animals in deep-sea coral reef communities.Students be able
Curated OER
What Lives in Oceans and Wetlands?
In this habitats worksheet, students compare and contrast what lives in an ocean habitat and a wetland habitat. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.
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Mallard Ducks
First graders discuss the habitat and needs of a Mallard duck. In this lesson on ducks, 1st graders examine what a Mallard ducks needs to survive and the wetland habitat that the duck is usually found in.
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It's For the Birds
Fifth graders examine how anatomical adaptations make it possible for a bird to survive in various habitats. They discuss and list birds and their unique characteristics, and create an imaginary bird, illustrating the environmental...
Curated OER
Goals of the Diversity of Life Unit
Students are introduced to the unit on the importance of diversity of life and the role that interdependence plays in our worlds. this is part of a multi-lesson unit on the diversity of life.
Ocean Explorer
Easy as Pi
Seamounts are large, extinct volcanoes that rise up from the bottom of the ocean floor. They are a relatively new landform in the scientific community, and this instructional activity invites students to learn about the amazing diversity...
Curated OER
Praire Biome Models
Fifth graders, in groups, list the physical characteristics of a biome and think of ways in which animals might have to adapt to live there and make a biome mobile ball that show the different types of habitats that shape the praire biome.
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Anchialine Cave Species
Ever heard of a stygofauna or a stygobite? How about an anchialine cave? Set your young biologists on a quest to find information about organisms that live in and have adapted to life in caves located near the water. Class members then...
Montana Natural History Center
Studying Grassland Ecosystems
At first glance, grassland ecosystems might seem dull and uninteresting, but once you start to explore it's amazing the things you'll find! Through this series of engaging lessons, activities, and experiments, elementary students examine...
Biology Junction
Energy Flow in an Ecosystem
Every living thing requires a food source, thus the interconnections in ecosystems become complex. Scholars learn about these interconnections in a presentation on energy flow. It starts with the sun and moves through many different...
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World of the Pond
Field trip! The class will review what they know about organisms that dwell in freshwater ponds, then trek down to the old water hole to collect specimens for examination. This includes several web links, useful tips, and an excellent...