Curated OER
Design a Reef!
Here is an ambitious, but highly valuable undertaking: set up a miniature coral reef in your classroom. Young marine scientists research coral reef ecosystems and ensure all vital factors are included in their functioning model. The...
Curated OER
U.S. History: Antebellum Heroes and Villains
Eighth graders research and write reports on key figures of the Antebellum Period. The projects also include pictures, bibliographies, and timelines about their assigned figure. In addition, 8th graders present oral reports to classmates.
Curated OER
A STEP IN SPECIATION
Students place different subspecies of a CA salamander are placed on grid map of CA according to where samples were collected. Then discuss patterns of their distribution, their likely evolutionary relationships, and probable sequence of...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Critters of the Water
Students examine different organisms in various marine habitats. They identify any adaptations that have allowed the organisms to survive. They develop an imaginary organism and describe its life cycle.
Curated OER
Studying Fossils
Students study the Evolution in the Light of Fossils. Activities in this activity range from quantitative measurements of hominoid skulls to the comparison of hominoid bone structures. They hypothesize dinosaur size and speed by looking...
Curated OER
Ape Cave Exploration
Students simulate online the formation of Ape Cave, in order to better explain its construction. They observe, illustrate and discuss geological features of this lava tube.
Curated OER
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow....?
Understanding the effects of an introduced species on the population of native species
Curated OER
Have You Seen Me? An Introductory Lesson on the Loss of Biodiversity
Pupils investigate environmental law and policies involving endangered species as well as discuss human impact on biodiversity through an Internet research project. Students create a milk carton of their "missing" endangered species.
Curated OER
Mouthpart Madness
Young scholars explore the basic biology of a pest. They identify the four major kinds of insect mouthparts and explain how they work. Students examine the specific mouthparts and how they can limit food resources and in what environment...
Curated OER
Island Biogeography and Evolution
Students develop likely phylogenies for seven related populations of lizards living on the Canary Islands using real data. They organize charts, and record the data for geography, geology, morphology, and molecular genetics.
Curated OER
An Interdisciplinary Deer and Human Population Study
Students answer the question, "What environmental problems arise due to animal and human overpopulation and what might need to be done to combat these problems?" They play games, graph data and write proposals about the question.
Curated OER
The Tree of Life
Learners discover the amount of diversity that exists in a local area using simple techniques that make observing biodiversity easy and enjoyable. They select a tree to study, collect vials of specimens, then identify the arthropod.
Curated OER
The Environment and Interactions of Living Organisms
Young scholars study the environment and interactions of living organisms. They identify abiotic and biotic factors and create a foldable and vocabulary cards. They create a poster illustrating soil and watch a video to study symbiosis.
Curated OER
Ecosystem Organization
Eighth graders engage in a lesson about ecosystems with the intention of looking at how it is organized. They cover the biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem while looking at the seven types of terrestrial biomes. Students write...
Curated OER
Species Diversity and Phylogeny
Students explore the classification system of organisms: taxonomy. They examine prepared slides of Protozoans and record information on a Taxonomy Recording Sheet. Two additional classifying activities are also included in this lesson.
Curated OER
Birds of Different Feathers: Species Specialization
Students identify differences in bird species and explain the concept of species specialization. They attain the knowledge that different birds occupy different habitats.
Students identify characteristics and features of birds that make...
Curated OER
Aquatic Insects: Water Quality Index & Diversity Index
Students search stream beds to study the life cycle and adaptations of stream insects. They explore creeks and streams to see the diversity index of creeks or streams and to find the water qualit index.
Curated OER
Invertebrates
Young scholars identify insect body parts and look for local insect life. They create an insect using recycled material and design a classroom mural with bug facts. They study Monarch butterflies and dragonflies.
Curated OER
Life in Extreme Environments - Lakes Under Ice
Students collect chemical, physical, and biological data from a local lake throughout the year. In addition, students discuss the design of an experimental structure for water collection at several specific depths as well as assess the...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Open Course Ware: Courses: Civil Environmental: Ecology I: The Earth System
College-level online course highlighting the fundamentals of ecology. Course topics include coevolution of the biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere; photosynthesis and respiration; and the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles....
Open Curriculum
Open Curriculum: Science of Ecology
This illustrated article helps students identify levels of organization in ecology.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Computer Simulation of the Sonoran Desert Community
The computer program's simulation of a Sonoran desert community should ultimately strengthen the student's comprehension of what is required for a natural ecosystem to sustain itself (remain in balance). This computer simulation program...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Episd: Ecosystems
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Explore ecosystems and ecology on an introductory level uncovering fact about types of ecosystems and the competitive exclusion principle.