Desert Museum
Daisy Ecology
Here's a fine lesson that combines poetry with life sciences. Learners carefully listen to a poem that's all about a food chain. As the poem is read, learners name the producer, the herbivore, the carnivore, and the omnivore. Lots of...
EngageNY
Close Read: Epiphytes of the Rainforest and the Creatures That Call Them Home (Pages 24–26)
It's all connected. Scholars use pages 24-26 of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World to identify the relationship between the plants and animals in the rainforest. They answer and discuss questions about the relationship with a...
Curated OER
Schoolyard Jungle: What's Out There?
Eighth graders create a plant study guide using their outdoor classroom environment. In this ecology instructional activity, 8th graders take photographs of plants they collect from the outdoor classroom and create plant field...
Curated OER
Biotechnology: An Agricultural Dilemma
Students investigate the types of genetically modified crop plants there are and the benefits and risks of such plants. The agricultural needs in developing nations for this biological knowledge to resolve societal issues is also...
Curated OER
In the Wild
Third graders examine the concept of ecology and how animals are suited to their habitats. For this animal adaptation lesson, 3rd graders identify a variety of plants and animal species that live in a Beech forest.Students create a food...
Curated OER
Personal Ecosystem
Students build an aquatic ecosystem using large glass pickle jars. In this ecology lesson, students build and ecosystem then observe and collect data on the habitats. In this long term project students observe a...
Curated OER
Water Pollution
Young scholars investigate a variety of pollutants that can affect water and the plants and animals that live in the water. In this water pollution lesson plan, students identify pollutants in a bog, marsh, stream or other wetland area...
Curated OER
Conserving Resources by Watering Efficiently
Students determine a watering schedule that promotes healthy grass growth. For this plants and natural resource conservation lesson, students plant grass seed in liter bottles and follow two different schedules that include "more...
Curated OER
Invasive Aquatic Plant Identification
Students observe aquatic plants and animals and identify their systems. For this plants and animals lesson plan, students compare systems of organisms and orally express how plants and animals rely on each other.
Curated OER
It's A Jungle in Here!
Fifth graders research rainforest destruction. In this geography and ecology lesson, 5th graders work as a group to research the effects of logging, farming, and mining on the rainforest. Students gather and display data and information...
Curated OER
Comparing Local, National, International Biomes
Students calculate averages of climate sets of data. In this ecology lesson, students analyze data to determine identity of a biome and collect meteorological data to understand process. Students also compare data sets.
Curated OER
The Great Pond Safari
Students study pond life by visiting a pond and completing an associated worksheet. They play an online game based on the pond learning experience.
Curated OER
Endangered Species 1: Why are Species Endangered?
Emerging ecologists examine endangered species by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency website. They consider human contribution to the decline of different species. They research an endangered animal and then craft a poster...
Curated OER
Beaver Ecology
Learners explore the lives of bgeahvers. They identify the physical and behavioral adaptations that help beavers survive in their environment. Students compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic...
Curated OER
Life Beyond the Fifty Yard Line -- An ecological look at our backyard
Learners, in groups, stake out and rope off their study area, do population counts and density studies. They construct a map of the whole area, collect plants and insects, and mount and identify the organisms using keys.
Curated OER
Flowering Phenology: How Do Plants Know When to Flower?
Students study the process of plant reproduction and the biotic and abiotic factors that affect flowering phenology. In this plant reproduction activity, students describe the interaction of environmental factors as it relates to...
Curated OER
Ecological Communities:The Prairie
Students study the meaning of ecological community and recognize its complexity. For this ecology lesson students diagram a food web.
Curated OER
Dissolved Oxygen and Respiration
Students are presented with the question, "Do plants that grow underwater use oxygen?" They create an experiment to test the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water using provided materials. Student experiments include a control jar as...
August House
Go to Sleep, Gecko
Use this multidisciplinary lesson to delve into these subjects: English language arts, math, science, drama, and character education. After reading, discussing, and making interpretations about Go To Sleep, Gecko!: A Balinese...
Curated OER
Alien Invasions!
Students use video and Internet components, to gain an understanding of non-native invasive plants and animals and the ecological and monetary problems they cause.
Curated OER
What Lives in the Forest?
Students investigate nearby forests and record their interactions with trees as well as wild life. In this ecology lesson, students read the book, In the Woods: Who's Been Here?, and attend class observational field trips through...
Curated OER
Rain Forests
Middle schoolers investigate claims of medicinal plants found in the rain forest. In this research skills lesson, students examine the validity of Internet sources as they visit websites in search of information about rain forest plants...
Curated OER
Collecting and Classifying Pollen
Students collect and analyze pollen from different species of plants. In small groups, they classify pollen according to shape, size and physical characteristics. They draw the basic anatomy of flowering plants and create a dichotomous...
Curated OER
Making Predictions
Students collect and classify items. In this making predictions lesson, students go outside and collect specimens of plants, insects and minerals. They classify each item and place them in a Venn Diagram. Students compare and contrast...