Curated OER
Species and Specimens: Exploring Local Biodiversity
Students practice skills essential to all scientific investigation: carefully observing and collecting data. They become field biologists in a series of hands-on activities to collect and identify specimens, and survey and calculate the...
ARKive
Penguin Diversity – Mask Making
Penguins are very diverse and well-adapted birds; they live on islands, in warm and cold climates. Little ones examine penguin diversity and discuss the highly functional adaptive traits that have helped them survive in some of the...
It's About Time
Diversity in Living Things
How diverse is the world we live in compared to the way things used to be? Young biologists explore diverse organisms and relate the structure of each organism to its ability to survive in our current environmental conditions....
ARKive
Species Discovery
How many of your students know that even today new species are being found all over the globe? Introduce them to the amazing diversity our planet houses with a creative activity about animal variation and classification. They'll use a...
ARKive
Species Discovery
How do you classify a newly discovered species? Learners view a presentation and complete research about biodiversity and the classification hierarchy. The lesson includes activities with dichotomous keys and work on classifying both...
Sea World
Endangered Species
Study different endangered species with several activities that incorporate math, science, language arts, and research strategies. A great addition to your instructional activity on conservation or Earth Day.
American Museum of Natural History
Life in the City
Believe it or not, biodiversity exists even in areas of disturbed habitat. An interactive activity challenges learners to look for species with a magnifying lens in an image of a city habitat. Pop-up images and descriptions explain how...
Curated OER
Charting Diversity
Students organize different species of plans and animals according to various characteristics. Students then determine what characteristics enable them to survive in their habitat. Game ideas and activities are included.
Curated OER
Species Charades
Young scholars are introduced to a unit on endangered species. They study the diversity of endangered animals through a game of charades. After the game, students will discuss the animals that were acted out and why some of them are...
Curated OER
The Lesson: Species Under Threat
Students consider the plight of endangered species. In this global studies lesson plan, students research selected websites about endangered animals and identify global issues that contribute to their demise.
Curated OER
Invasive Species
Students study exotic and native species, and examine how exotic species can impact native ones. They study how the mute swan effects native species.
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Young scholars define the terms endangered and threatened. They identify the factors that can cause species to become endangered. They discover how animals are protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Curated OER
Species on the Edge
Young scholars study science. For this endangered species lesson, students examine sea turtles and actions that can be taken to help keep them alive. They work in small groups to research different species of turtles and share their...
Curated OER
Species on the Edge
Students examine sea turtles. In this endangered species lesson, students analyze sea turtle habitats. Students hypothesize why sea turtles could go extinct.
Curated OER
Animal Communication
Students understand that all species have some capacity for communication. Students are exposed to the fact that all species have a capacity for communication. They are enlighten to the fact that communication abilities range from very...
Curated OER
Species Diversity in Ecosystems with Different Techniques of Land Management
Learners visit numerous places to help in their understanding of Ecology. In this biology lesson plan, students will learn about characteristics and how to identify numerous plants and animals. This lesson allows for many field trip...
Curated OER
Let's go to the Video Tape!
Using actual data from a deep-sea video survey, high school marine biologists consider the biodiversity, compare species richness between two communities, and learn to calculate the diversity index. The lesson plan is all-inclusive,...
Curated OER
Snake in the Grass: Capture/Recapture Activity
Learners estimate the total number of species in Ecuador using the capture/recapture method. They collect data about each species and act as members of a science expedition to determine the total number of species by using mathematical...
Curated OER
Sustainability and Extinction
Galapagos Penguins are the only penguins on earth that live north of the equator (in the wild). In this last lesson plan a discussion on how the Galapagos islands developed their populations and diversity sparks the introduction. Two...
Curated OER
The Loneliest Animals
Students examine the different species that are headed towards extinction. In this animal population lesson students compare the causes of extinction, research an endangered species and present an oral report.
Curated OER
Biological Diversity and Conservation
In this biological diversity worksheets, students will use a word bank to fill in the blank of 8 statements about biological diversity. Then students will decided if 7 statements about the importance of biodiversity are true or false....
Curated OER
Species at Risk: Recovery Teams to the Rescue!
Sixth graders discuss how certain species and plants are deemed endangered. They work together in conservation recovery teams to research an endangered species. Then they explore efforts to make sure that the existence of these species...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Measuring Biodiversity in Gorongosa
Take your biology class' understanding of biodiversity to a whole new level! Ecology scholars use data to calculate three different diversity indices based on the organisms in the Gorongosa National Park. The four-part activity uses an...
Curated OER
Sustainable Forestry
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...