Virginia Department of Education
Ecosystem Dynamics
Searching for an eccentric way to enhance lessons on ecosystems while ensuring pupils remain creative and motivated? Upon viewing The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, designated groups design and construct a pop-up book that...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate on Forest Succession
Part two in a series of four explores the effects of climate on succession or the changing of plant species in a forest. Groups review how to identify trees and then spend a day in the field collecting extensive data on trees to...
Virginia Department of Education
Succession
The final lesson in a two-part series prompts scholars to create newspaper articles and succession events. Applying their knowledge of the ecosystem and the past examples of succession, they predict what will happen in the future...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Introducing Ecosystem Services
Ecosystems provide many things humans not only use but also need in order to survive. The last lesson in the series of seven introduces scholars to the idea of ecosystem services, that ecosystems provide humans with many things we need....
Global Oneness Project
The Consciousness of Nature
Scholars voice their opinions about animal consciousness with an article that challenges common ideas about nature. After reading the article, learners engage in a thoughtful discussion before writing out their arguments...
Curated OER
A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens
Students explore botany by participating in a language arts activity. In this garden poetry lesson, students read the classic poem "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and discuss the imagery and rhyming methods used. Students examine their own...
Curated OER
Which Fish Where?
Here is a lesson plan outline that prompts elementary young scholars to graph and analyze data regarding fish caught along the Hudson River. They will review vocabulary and complete 2 worksheets which can be accessed by clicking on the...
Curated OER
The Chesapeake Bay in Captain John Smith's Time
When Captain John Smith visited the Chesapeake Bay in the summer of 1608, what types of animals and habitats did he encounter? Your young historians will analyze primary source documents to answer this question, as well as compare...
Curated OER
Something Rotten in West Bloomfield!
Student groups seek a possible ecological problem in the West Bloomfield area then either photograph or videotape the problem. They investigate how to measure the extent of the problem and do it.
Curated OER
My Favorite Meal
Pupils investigate ecological systems and the multiple uses of the environment by studying the osprey population.
Curated OER
Asexual versus Sexual Reproduction
Learners explore reproduction. They research organisms and groups of organisms to determine whether they reproduce sexually or asexually. In addition, they determine the organism's habitat.
Curated OER
Freshwater Habitats
Middle schoolers take samples from local freshwater sources and examine them for macroinvertebrate life. They take samples from both shallow and deep freshwater environments, measure temperatures, and classify organisms found in their...
Curated OER
Forest Food Webs
Students consider the interdependency of life in a temperate forest by studying selected organisms from an Asian temperate forest and creating a food web.
Curated OER
Biome Exchange - Send the "Stuff" Not The Kids
Students exchange ecological information with students from different geographic biomes. They box up the "unique ecologically significant features" of their area, send the box to another class in another area and then receive a similar...
Curated OER
Separating Soil from Dirt
You can use these lesson ideas to teach students about the importance and ecology of soil.
Curated OER
Alien Invasions!
Learners 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
Pika Chew
Learners work in collaborative teams with specific roles, use the Internet to research the behavior and ecology of pikas, make predictions about survival rates of pikas in different habitats and organize their data in graphs.
Curated OER
Corals & Coral Reefs
Students describe a coral reef, how it is formed and its inhabitants. They explain the ecological and economic importance of coral reefs and discuss its present-day threats. Lesson contains adaptations for all levels.
Curated OER
Protecting Holy Cows
Students study the interrelationships of organisms and their environments. They study ecological communities and determine what is necessary for survival. Students discuss and answer questions concerning a group's biome, habitat, food...
Curated OER
Food Web Mobile
Students explain the main concepts of food webs and food chains. They
describe the role of animals, plants, and other organisms in cycling energy and matter through a food web by creating mobiles. Lesson contains adaptations for all levels.
Curated OER
Living in Extreme Environments: Havens on the Deep Sea Floor
Students identify the characteristics of an extreme environment in the deep ocean and consider what organisms need to survive in these elements. They research sampling and data collection methods in this environment.
Curated OER
Drama in the Salt Marsh
Students are introduced to the various organisms that live in a salt marsh. They recognize adaptations of organisms that live in the salt marsh. Pupils review concepts of the ecosystem and niche. Students explain the different roles...
Curated OER
The 8 Realms - Hawaiian Vegetation Divisions
Students study the attributes of the 8 realms of Hawaiian vegetation. For this Hawaiian vegetation lesson, students read project cards to determine the elevation, rainfall, and organisms that live in each realm. They make a poster that...
Curated OER
Ecosystem Tumble
Students create visual representations of ecosystems. In this ecology instructional activity, students discuss the interdependence of plants and animals in various ecosystems. Students cut pictures from magazines and glue them on...