Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Backyard Wildlife Conservation

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students survey local wildlife. They distinguish between permanent and migrating or seasonal species. Students identify species and describe the ecological niche. Students research the food chain and food web for the backyard...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mouthpart Madness

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore the basic biology of a pest. They identify the four major kinds of insect mouthparts and explain how they work. Students examine the specific mouthparts and how they can limit food resources and in what environment...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Threatened, Endangered & Extinct Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine the basic needs of living organisms. In this science instructional activity, students study ecosystems and discover that organisms have basic needs that must be met.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Studying a Piece of an Ecosystem

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students carry out an outdoor land study in which they identify organisms living in the soil, and any other animals living within the site. Groups also examine abiotic factors. They respond to a series of questions concerning their data...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Eats Whom in the Open Ocean?

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Learners examine how organisms interact with one another in the ocean. In this science lesson plan, students discuss predators and prey in the ocean. Learners discuss food webs and how organisms interact with each other.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine Food Webs

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners examine how food webs illustrate the ways in which organisms depend on each other for energy and nutrients, and make food webs showing the feeding relationships among organisms encountered in the Gal??pagos coastal waters.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to the Ocean World

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students comprehend how the organisms that exist within the ocean biome, and categorizing each into producer, consumer, or decomposer. They place various human actions under the headings of "hazard" or "help," illustrating how humans can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning About Classification

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the three main organismal divisions. Students classify organisms by invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. They observe the differences and similarities between these groups.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Species Diversity and Phylogeny

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore the classification system of organisms: taxonomy. They examine prepared slides of Protozoans and record information on a Taxonomy Recording Sheet. Two additional classifying activities are also included in this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Chains

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars investigate the food chain. In this ecology lesson, students define producers and consumers. Young scholars use organism cards to demonstrate how the food chain works.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Choose Your Defense: Spines, Vomit and Camouflage

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate defensive mechanisms of insects and organisms.  In this biology activity, students draw imaginary caterpillars as well as imaginary parasites that will harm the caterpillar.  Students utilize the Internet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Role Do Forest Play in Continuing or Renewing Our Planet's Resources?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore the interaction between the forest and wildlife. In this forestry lesson, students collect data about forest ecosystems, species of trees, photosynthesis, and interaction of organisms. They prepare a lab activity to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clean Water vs. Dirty Water

For Teachers K
Students study the importance of clean water to the survival of organisms and what activiities and material pollute water. They measure the temperature of water samples and create a class graph.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigative Case - Living in an Alkaline Environment

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students are shown many ways in which Mono Lake water and distilled water are different. They demonstrate that the survival of common soil bacteria declines as pH increases. Students examine the behaviors, adaptations, energy transfer,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Identifying Quincy's Birds

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students compare a variety or bird characteristics. They identify and classify birds within their local area. Students investigate how to examine and scrutinize differences in features of organisms and understand variation in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photosynthesis

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discuss and identify the components of photosynthesis and the products of this process. They participate in a class discussion about the importance of oxygen, and in small groups act out the process of photosynthesis. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life on the Edge: Exploring Deep Ocean Habitats Cool Corals

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the basic morphology of Lophelia corals and polyps to determine the significance of these organisms. They detail the reasons that biological communities are focusing on the Lophelia corals as major conservation efforts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphing Aquatic Insects

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students identify aquatic insects. For this organism lesson, students locate aquatic insects near a local waterway and collect them. Students graph the amount of insects that they collected.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Termitology

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners engage in an inquiry-based study of the ecology of termites. Through hands-on investigations, they explore the life cycle of termites, the termite's role in the food web, and the unique social structure of termite colonies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Watersheds and Wetlands Lesson Plan

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study the characteristics of wetlands and watersheds. In this wetlands and watersheds lesson, students study the characteristics of wetlands. They investigate the plants and animals that live there and will tell the reasons...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mighty Macroinvertebrates

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders identify the names and features of macroinvertebrates found in Turtle River.  In this ecology instructional activity students use digital microscopes and take pictures of invertebrates. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hawaiian Hot Spots

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students describe how plate tectonics contribute to the development of volcanoes. In this earth science lesson, students examine the map of Hawaii and explore the physical and biological environment there. They write a story about an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hands on Biome--Building

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners create a model biome. For this ecology lesson, students use materials to create a model biome. There is an extension activity that allows learners to write about plants and animals and their specific biome.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transpiration

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students interactively explore the term transpiration. In this science/ecology lesson, students discuss what they would do if they were thirsty while conducting research in Brazil. Additionally, students write descriptive words to...