Curated OER
A Coastal Arctic Food Web
Learners create a food web of the arctic ecosystem. In this biology lesson, students explain how global warming affects this ecosystem. They explain how losing a species affects the entire community.
Curated OER
Environmental Action
Students investigate an environmental problem in order to find and propose possible solutions. The problem is real to add to the engagement of the instructional activity. This is found through conducting research and then brainstorming...
Curated OER
Food Webs
Learners investigate the concept of an ecosystem and how they are interconnected according to a hierarchy. Students are exposed to the "Lion King" as an example of a food chain and this is very relevant. They answer several key...
Curated OER
Phytoremediation
Students participate in a lab designed to facilitate the clean up and remove of substances ranging from heavy metals to dynamite. They focus on the remediation of copper. They discuss their results of this open ended inquiry experiment.
Curated OER
Biotechnology
Learners explore biotechnology through various activities. In this biology lesson, students analyze its pros and cons. They study and read informative articles about biotechnology.
Curated OER
Human Populations Studies: the Ghost of Populations Past
Students compile data on population distribution and develop survivorship curves using information from cemetery tombstones and obituaries. They develop inferences on the changes in population age distribution in their area over time.
Curated OER
The Environments of Big Sur:Which Do We Protect?
High schoolers examine the California environments. For this environmental lesson, students examine the various ecosystems of California, creating a presentation on how these environments impact Big Sur. They write a paper defending...
Curated OER
Forest Ecosystem Field Trip
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class field trip. In this botany lesson, students attend a field trip through their local park or forest while listening to a nature guide. Students practice using their 5 senses...
Curated OER
Cool Corals
High schoolers explore corals and polyps. For this coral reef lesson students divide into groups and prepare a written report.
Curated OER
The Environment and Interactions of Living Organisms
Students 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
Aquatic Foodweb
Students explore what a food web is. In this science instructional activity, students examine how nutrients and other pollutants enter a lake and play a food web game whereby students pretend they are either zooplankton,...
Curated OER
Building YOU from MOO
Students build protiens according to whether they are suppose to be a plant, a cow, or a person. They discover that all proteins are made from the same amino acids and it is just the order of these amino acids that change.
Curated OER
The Greenhouse Effect
Seventh graders investigate the temperature change in open and closed containers. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders relate this lab activity to greenhouse effect. They create a line graph from data collected in the experiment.
Curated OER
Pollen & Pollination
Young scholars identify the different ways things are pollinated and how to manage pollen. In this pollination lesson students complete an experiment on how moths pollinate flowers.
Curated OER
Population Density
Learners use the scientific method to conduct an experiment and use varied methods to gather background information. They correctly use lab equipment and prepare tables and graphs that organize, conclude, and present their findings. ...
Curated OER
Bluebirds Ecology Vocabulary Exercise
In this bluebirds worksheet, students categorize bluebird species found in their state and define vocabulary related to it. Students complete 6 vocabulary words.
Curated OER
Biome-Ecology Unit with a "Design a Zoo" Extension
Young scholars participate in a three part unit about biomes. Part one, students research the biomes of North America and part two consists of research on zoos and a field trip to a zoo. While part three ties together the first two...
Curated OER
Mangrove Ecology and Adaptations
Students create a plant or animal that would be well adapted to a habitat they selected. They first learn about Mangroves and their specific adaptations that help them survive in their habitat.
Curated OER
Marine & Aquatic Habitats Activities - Marine Ecology
Students enact the life cycle of a sessile animal and quantify the possibility of survival under the conditions given. They then present to the class a new adaptation which will increase the animals chance of survival.
Curated OER
Anthropogenic Biomes
If you teach a man to fish, he will never go hungry—or he will overfish and permanently damage the ecosystem? Address the traditional biomes as well as the human-included ecosystems and contrasts the biotic and abiotic factors in each....
Chicago Botanic Garden
Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
Unplugging from technology for one day per week will decrease your carbon footprint—are you up to the challenge? Part two in a series of three allows individuals to explore their personal carbon footprints. By first taking a quiz at home...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Unit 4 Pre-Assessment
Pre-assessments are great to help teachers determine what information their classes lack, what misconceptions they have, and how in depth to teach specific concepts. The first in a five-part series is a pre-assessment of middle...
Channel Islands Film
Human Impact on the Food Web of Santa Cruz Island
What happens when a non-native species is introduced onto an island? Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Island chain located off the coast of southern California, provides the perfect laboratory for young environmental scientists to...
National Park Service
Living & Non-Living Interactions
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in...