Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Toward a Sustainable Agriculture

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners analyze organic production systems. In this organic agriculture lesson, students examine key organic practices for both crop and livestock. This lesson includes 5 different activities, 4 critical thinking questions and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who's in my soil!?!...and just what do they think they're doing there?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover organisms that inhabit the soil, the beneficial an detrimental roles these organisms play, and the interactions between the organisms and their environment and other organisms. Students participate in four hands-on ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Effects of Water Pollution on Aquatic Organisms

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate water pollution. They develop an understanding of the behavior of organisms, of the structure and properties of matter, and of natural and human induced hazards by conducting lab tests. They present their data...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Digging up the Dirt on Soil Microbes

For Teachers K - 8th
Students are introduced to the idea of soil as a habitat for many different organisms. They are introduced to the links between the biological adaptations of an organism and the physical demands of its habitat. Pupils are introduced to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Activity 1: Please Pass the Energy, Food Webs in the Upper Ocean and Hydrothermal Vent Communities

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create food webs for two different ocean communities. They are given cards showing organisms from the surface of the ocean. They arrange them in order of who eats whom. After this class activity, students create a food web for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Salt Water Connection

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the various factors that influence the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay, California. They watch a video about Monterey Bay and take notes, and conduct research and write a report about a specific organism living...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Guetemala's Changing Forest

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders compare their local ecological zone to the tropical rainforest. In this natural ecology lesson, 8th graders complete an activity about the differences in ecological zones. They compare their biome to the Guatemalan...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Tree is That?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine leaves and the trees in their neighborhood that they came from.  In this ecology lesson, students read the book, I Can Name 50 Trees Today, and discuss how a tree goes from a forest to a wood shop.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I'll Stay Here if It Kills Me!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine coastal ecology. In this coastal resource lesson, students engage in several activities designed to examine the natural and cultural resources of coastal areas. Students then establish regulations to keep coastal areas...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers.  In this environmental lesson, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Guided Reading Organizer for Chain Reaction

For Teachers 10th - 12th
The class uses Chain Reaction, a magazine, to build a better understanding of Latin and Greek roots found in scientific vocabulary. They use two attached worksheets to help them read a scientific article, using visual clues and their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tracking Ocean Ecology

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students look at the data maps given to them about how chlorophyll affects the algae blooms and make predictions about the harm they will cause. For this data maps lesson plan, students manipulate data sets from the website.
Lesson Plan
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)

Arctic Smorgasbord

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Though the walrus spends roughly one third of its time on land, it eats organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean. The first in a series of five, the lesson uses a variety of plant and animal cards to have scholars build an arctic...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Ocean Acidification Mock Conference

For Teachers 7th - 12th
In a comprehensive role playing activity, teens play the parts of different stakeholders in the realm of acidic oceans. They research, debate, and create a presentation from the perspective of either ocean organisms, the fishing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Amphipod Ecology

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students count amphipods under kelp wracks of varying ages to explain how long it takes for them to find their food source. They collect and represent the data.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Australian Ecology and Bushfires

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discuss the different types of ecosystem. For this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain the benefits and harm of fire. They research articles about bush fires or controlled burn instance and share it with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Turning the Tide on Trash: Marine Debris Curriculum

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Seven pages of fascinating reading on marine debris preface the activities in this lesson plan. Four different activities are employed to simulate how the debris is distributed in the ocean and along beaches. Early ecology learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research an ecosystem and its endangered species. They create a PowerPoint Presentation, oral report, poster or a booklet based on their research. They research on the internet and in biology texts in teams of 4.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology 12 Human Effects

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars are able to respond to a reading passage concerning human effects (under development) in Madagascar. They have a quiz on primary and secondary succesion as their bell ringer. Students write an essay on the topic "No man...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Impacts of Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.    
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

CONNECTIONS

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students study the interdependence of an ecosystem that allows it to sustain itself. They examine the Western lowland gorillas for an example.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gulf of Maine

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the effect of limiting factors, especially when it comes to human beings. They examine data from the Gulf of Maine area.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Succession

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners research environmental change and why forests cannot stay the same for long.  In this environmental growth lesson, students discuss the life cycle of a tree and examine tree cookies to discover the age of these specimens....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What If There's No Light?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
young scholars discuss the importance of light and the consequences of living without it. Using a plant as a demonstration, students predict and observe what happens to a plant when it does not receive enough light. In groups, they...