Michigan Sea Grant
Invasive Species
Learners identify invasive species to the Great Lakes and analyze their impact on the ecosystem. Using photo cards with pictures and facts, young scientists work in small groups to match invasive species with their corresponding...
Georgian Court University
Introduction to Marsh Ecology
Compare and contrast the characteristics of fresh and salt water marshes. After exploring the typical plants and animals found in each marsh type, participants use a set of flash cards to sort into fresh and salt water marsh life. Their...
Serendip
Changing Biological Communities – Disturbance and Succession
After cutting down a forest to make a farm, how long would it take the environment to turn an abandoned farm back into a forest? Scholars study this exact scenario while they interpret many charts and graphs of the changing ecosystems as...
Curated OER
Coastal Ecology of the Bahamas
Sixth graders investigate the Bahamas through presentations and charts. In this ecology lesson, 6th graders utilize their library and Internet to research the life forms and species that inhabit the Bahamas. Students observe a...
Curated OER
Invasives and Marsh Birds
Pupils are taught that invasive plant removal can have a variety of impacts. They are shown this by using graphs. Students view maps of vegetation change on Iona Island. They discuss implications of changes on marsh birds using data and...
Curated OER
Becoming the Great Lakes Invasive Species Czar: A Game to Show the Difficulty in Controlling Invasive Species
Tenth graders explore different ways to control aquatic invasive species. In this ecology instructional activity, 10th graders play the role of a member of the Dept of Natural Resources. They decide whether money should be spent on...
Curated OER
Student Peer Review Through a Discussion Board to Develop an Invasive Species Paper
Students develop electronic communication skills through a discussion board while peer reviewing a paper on invasive species. Students work in groups of three to provide constructive feedback on a classmate's paper.
Curated OER
Great Lakes Ecology
Students are able to use a secchi disk to measure the turbidity of water by determining the depth at which the sechi disk is no longer visible and using the data in a formula to quantify the results. They are able to use Vernier probes...
Curated OER
Ecology
Learners explore, experience and experiment identifying the human impact on the environment of vegetative differences within the same biome. They assess what causes deserts, rain forests, savannahs, tundras and saguaros and how these...
Community Resources for Science
Food Webs/Clipfish
Human impact on habitats can be alarming. A hands-on activity has learners explore the impact of human interactions with different environments using a gamified approach. They simulate the impact of a species' abundance under different...
Curated OER
Investigative Case - "Malama Keone'o'io"
Students study techniques for conducting a local environmental assessment in an ecologically sensitive area. Identification of native plants and methodologies for sampling is taught in the classroom and then reinforced in the field. The...
Curated OER
Population Growth
Students grow duckweed, observe what happens when an organism population is allowed to grow without predation or competition, view videos about invasive species, and develop a proposal for controlling the growth of an invasive species in...
Curated OER
Invasive Species
Eighth graders explain the impact of exotic species to an ecosystem. In this environmental science activity, 8th graders brainstorm ways to eliminate invasive species. They share their ideas in class.
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...
Curated OER
Non Native Species: English Ivy-Landscape Plant or Deadly Killer?
Young scholars study the impact that invasive species have on biodiversity and more natural areas.
Curated OER
Mussel Movements
Young scholars consider the impact of invasive species on local environments. In this ecology lesson plan, watch the video, Arizona Wildlife Views, which focuses on invasive species. Students develop vocabulary, relate to meaningful...
Curated OER
The Wingra Marsh: A Purple Population Problem
Learners engage students in an ecological inquiry. They author a presentation to the Grounds Management Committee of their school giving their recommendation for the control of the invasive species purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)...
Curated OER
Blue Mud Shrimp Mystery
Students explore invasive species on an environment. In this exploratory lesson students hypothesize why shrimp are on the decline and make a brochure or poster showing their results.
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island Restoration Narrative
What would you be willing to do to save an animal from extinction? After re-viewing a video about the restoration of the Island Fox on Santa Cruz Island, individuals adopt the point of view of one of the key players in the debate and...
Curated OER
Repopulating Michigan's Waterways
Eleventh graders identify the parts of an ecosystem and how communities change over time. For this ecology lesson students formulate a habitat restoration plan.
Curated OER
Water Chestnut Graphing Activity
Students are taught how to format and enter data into an Excel spreadsheet. They make a graph and interpret graphed data. Students discuss possible impacts of water chestnut invasion. They graph data on water chestnut. Students report...
Curated OER
Primary And Secondary Succession
Learners cover the topics of primary and secondary succession with interest to its ties in the study of ecosystems. They study how the introduction of an insect can effect the ecological balance. Students make predictions and write them...
Curated OER
Cypress/Tupelo Swamps
Young scholars study the geologic history of terrain, soils, and drainage patterns. They recognize ecological processes that determine the dynamic nature of habitats. They investigate the influence of human activity on the landscape.
Curated OER
Forest Ecology
Students examine the different plants and animals in British Columbia. In this forest ecology instructional activity students explore how ecosystems work, classify animals and investigate food webs and chains.