American Museum of Natural History
What's the Big Deal About Water?
It may seem simple, but water is one of the most unique substances on Earth. An interactive online lesson describes its properties and importance in so many different situations. Learners interact with the lesson to learn the role water...
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Flight for Survival - Avian Adaptations
Students create imaginary creature that has some of the adaptations birds have.
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Plant Explorers
Students investigate how plants take in water, nutrients, and light. They create artwork showing how plants survive in different environments.
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Comparing Environments
In this natural environment comparison activity, students use a chart to compare two environments. The savannah and rain forest are given as examples. No information is given beyond the format of the chart.
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Grounded for Life
Second graders become familiar with the lives of penguins including their life cycles, habitats and basic needs. Students will experience the lives of penguins through stories and video.
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Mother Nature's Laboratory
Students research how various plants and animals adapt over time to specific habitats and for specific purposes. Students produce a pictorial report on an example of an animal or plant's adaptation.
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Oceans-Coral Reefs
Second graders investigate coral reefs. In this oceanology lesson, 2nd graders discuss what constitutes a coral reef and the wildlife that lives there. Students watch a video about coral reefs and take an online quiz.
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Wildlife Burrows
Burrowing animals are busy! Get your middle school ecologists busy as well by having them create a scale model of a burrowing population. They also design a PowerPoint or poster to explain their models.
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Extreme Environments
Students examine extreme environments and the characteristics that make them. In this adaptation lesson students see how animals have adapted to these environments.
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Food Chains and Webs
In this food chains worksheet, students identify the producers and consumers in the given food chains and describe how contaminants can biologically accumulate. This worksheet has 4 short answer questions.
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Animal Adaptations
Students use items from boxes to dress up classmates as animals adapted to a given environment.
Aquarium of the Pacific
Ecosystem Comparison
Fifth graders examine plants and animals in two ecosystems and compare them. In this ecosystem survival lesson, 5th graders compare and contrast a coral reef and kelp forest ecosystem. Students investigate the abiotic and biotic factors...
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Ecology - Ecosystem
Third graders research ecosystems, the work of ecologists, John Muir's contribution to the environment and an endangered species of their choice. They read books, participate in discussions, and write reports.
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Making a Terrarium
Students construct and maintain model of natural habitat, suggest improvements to the model of the natural habitat to make it more realistic and habitable, and demonstrate careful observation and recording of how animals survive in their...
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No Place Like Home?
Students investigate the impact of the physical environment on an endangered species. They create a plan for the ideal care of the species and develop an advertisement to promote awareness about the need for its protection.
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The Great Horned Owl
In this recognizing facts about the Great Horned Owl worksheet, students read fun facts, match illustrations with adaptations, sequence life cycle cards, and read what to do if they find an injured bird. Students solve 16 answers.
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Yummy Plant Parts
Students examine plant parts. For this botany lesson, students examine various edible plants and how their adaptations help them to grow. They observe stems, leaves, roots and flowers of plants and discuss the relationship between the...
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Forests, Deserts, & Grasslands
Third graders complete activities to become familiar with the content and vocabulary related to biomes and ecosystems in order to mainstream into the classroom.
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Learning From Leaves: From Observation to Inference
Young scholars examine the adaptation of plants to their environments. They analyze and observe the structure, shape, and internal structure of various leaves, and make inferences about the structures.
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It's not just pretty - it's a survival method!
First graders write explanations for why certain animals can only live in certain environments. In this animal survival lesson plan, 1st graders take pictures of animals and place them into the right environment after a lesson on the...
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Design-A-Weed
Students create a "super weed" that prospers in teh harsh conditions on plant Weediv. They comprehend how weed adaptations give the plants an advantage over native plants. Students define the term adaptation. They give three examples...
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Rainforests: What Are They?
Second graders investigate rain forests by reading a habitat checklist. In this environment lesson plan, 2nd graders read the book The Great Kapok Tree, and discuss what characteristics make up a rain forest. Students explore a habitat...
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Google Earth on the Range
Eighth graders use Google Earth to study the landscape of Utah. In this Utah landscape lesson, 8th graders view landscape photos and work in partners to analyze the pictures. Students write a paragraph that describes the landscape and...