Students discuss how the Hudson River is an ecosystem made up of both biotic and abiotic factors. They view the PowerPoint the Journal Down the Hudson River. Students become aware of where the Hudson River begins and ends, the plant and...

Students identify the different organisms in the food web. In this biology lesson, students create food chains using the information on cards. They explain what happens if an organism is removed or added in the web.

Fifth graders research life in Alaska and compare life there to their lives in this activity. They read "Julie of the Wolves." They research through the novel and other reference books facts about the Alaskan climate and geography. ...

Ninth graders describe the six levels of ecological organizations and give examples of each. They also differentiate between food chains and webs and identify trophic and consumer levels in food chain and food webs.

Students examine living and non-living things in their environment. They identify trees, plants, and grasses in their neighborhood and those that originate in Illinois in this unit of lessons.

Students construct their own diagrams outlining the pathway of carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere. Students explain their diagrams outlining the pathway and teacher checks for accuracy and completion.

Students identify some common wetland plants. they use the scientific method of surveying the plant community to record accurate data that they observe. they cut a sample of each plant and save in plastic bags to identify and preserve...

Students investigate the ecological relationship of worms and plants. They discuss the experiment of observing worms in a jar with plants. Then record the data every few days. The students write an imaginary story about their...

Students understand the importance of saving seeds. In this saving seeds lesson, students dry out seeds for later use planting. Students recognize that one plant may have many seeds.

Eighth graders select ordinary objects, determine their uses, and write poems about them. Once they select an object, they create a web about its uses to serve as an outline. Once they have written their own odes, 8th graders meet in...

Students describe the characteristics of wetlands and identify their ecological functions. They inspect items and use them to create metaphors about wetlands.

Fifth graders identify how a pond can change into a grassland. An ecosystems lesson where learners identify pioneer and climax species, and recognize that ecological succession can take up to 100 years or more. Some excellent activities...

The general characteristics that affect classification of fungi and other organisms in the domain Eukarya are detailed for the students on 12 attractive slides.  Teachers can access individual slides to cover life cycles or...

Students collect and identify plant species and construct herbariums both at school and at home. By gathering data from both locales, they draw conclusions and make predictions about plant diversity. Upon completion of the exercises,...

Students compare the land cover and temperatures in different microclimates to begin to explain why organisms live where they do. While exploring microclimates, students record temperature readings and detailed observations.

Young entomologists construct three types of insect traps—pitfall, pollinator, and panel—before setting their traps out and observing what they caught. They then observe what types of insects the different traps attract.

Students interpret and name the vocabulary termed acted out by the mime. In this science/language arts/physical education lesson, students are given a set of vocabulary terms to discuss within their group. Next, students place all...

Many people think of bugs as annoying pests to be squashed, but most insects and spiders are beneficial, eating the actual pests or pollinating plants. After reviewing some of the common bugs in your area (they may differ from those...

Young scholars design and execute a lab through which they study the distinctions between density, buoyancy, and volume.

Using a miniature coral reef aquarium kit, young ecologists model this unique ecosystem. They research various coral reef organisms and their niches, and they culminate the project by working together to write a report. Use this activity...

Second graders examine the interdependence of organisms using the book "Go To Sleep, Gecko!" They examine a variety of food chains, listen to the book, and answer story comprehension questions. Students then conduct research on food...

Simulated acid rain, a dilute sulfuric acid solution, needs to be prepared for this demonstration. After a condensed lecture on acid rain, you will apply the solution to a sample of granite and a sample of limestone. Your young...

Young scholars perform an activity in which they discover what happens when food chains overlap in an ecosystem and discover the three components of a food web.

Learners investigate the decomposition process and the parameters which influence the rate at which it occurs. They design a "controlled" experiment by comparing decomposition rates between two compost piles. Analysis questions include...