Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Blue Mud Shrimp Mystery

For Teachers 7th - 10th
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. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recyclers to the Rescue

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine the concept of the food chain and define producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore. They draw a food chain for a mouse and discuss the different organisms involved in the chain, and conduct an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology and the Conservation of Natural Resources Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students compare and contrast abiotic and biotic factors. They discuss how these factors effect ecosystems. They answer questions to complete the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wetland Habitats

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the program Alice and the Internet to research wetland habitats.   In this habitat lesson plan students build their own Alice world that includes wetland habitats, food sources and ways to protect the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

INDUSTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders create a final project called Industry X (which was previously researched in the unit) has plans to build in town. There is a special town meeting scheduled to discuss this matter and allow everyone to express their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gulf of Maine

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine their own environments and make connections to larger ecosystems. They watch a video about the gulf of Maine and record the changes that have occurred. They research the gulf and create a food web.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land Use

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine ecosystems that covered Illinois 200 years ago, investigate some living and non-living components of ecosystems, identify components of prairie system, create food webs, and observe human effects on environment. Lessons...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Biology Vocabulary

For Students 9th - 10th
For this biology worksheet, students identify and locate various vocabulary terms pertaining to food webs and animal species. There are 52 biology terms located in the word search.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transforming Food Energy: A Balancing Act

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars explain their role as consumers. They use a purchased calorimeter or make their own simple calorimeter to measure the energy content in selected foods. This interesting lesson really gets students thinking about what they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Look Up - Birds

For Teachers K
Students investigate the concept of birds. They identify five different types of birds and name the characteristics that make them different than other living things. Students also name the different parts of the bird and how they are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imagine a Kelp Forest

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students write a story based on their research of the kelp forest. In this ecosystem lesson, students view a video and research the kelp forest ecosystem. They write a short story imagining the discovery of a new species in the kelp forest.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cycles of Life in an Urban Habitat: Changes in Biodiversity

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders compare and contrast animate and inanimate objects. In this environmental science lesson, 2nd graders create simple food webs. They observe their environment and create a collage about it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Great Lakes Ecology

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders identify the Great Lakes, and describe the habitat of life of a loon. They are able to point to and explain one of the major river systems that enters the Great Lakes with a focus on the Clinton River and the food webs...
Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

Living with the Heat

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young oceanographers study the Submarine Ring of Fire, which is a series of deep-water volcanic vents that come up from the ocean floor. Learners take a close look at the unique ecosystems that are associated with these areas, how these...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Web of Life Game

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in a web of life game. After reviewing new vocabulary, they play each round of the game and discuss the changes that occured in the last round. They are to survive in the game as long as possible given the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Most Troublesome Exotic Invasive Plant Species Web Quest

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students participate in a Web Quest activity in which they identify common exotic invasive plant species of the Southern Appalachian Region. After identifying the top 10 exotic invasive species, they choose one to research in depth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Trial of the Bloody Sucker

For Teachers 4th - 6th
A blood sucking what? Grade schoolers identify the characteristics of blood sucking parasites. They organize their information, identify their arguments, and present them to the class in persuasive arguments. They participate in a debate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water's Edge Café

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students observe water birds feeding at a local wetland, record what they see, and construct an appropriate menu for a "Waterfowl Cafe." They also play a "flocking" game.
Lesson Plan
WK Kellogg Biological Station

Sounds of Selection

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Do you want a creative and fun way to teach about natural selection? Hop to it by turning your middle school princes and princesses into frogs trying to catch as many bugs as possible in a Hungry Hungry Hippos style game. For high...
Lesson Plan
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It's all Interconnected

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students participate in a number of activities to investigate the food web, species extinction, predators and prey, and biological diversity.
Lesson Plan
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The Case of the Missing Steller Sea Lions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and analyze the various roles organisms play in food webs, populations, communities and ecosystems. Students assess the requirements for sustaining healthy local ecosystems. STudents evaluate human impacts on local...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Kapok Tree: A Social Studies Lesson

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Pupils examine how plants, animals and people need each other in order to survive. They simulate an ecosystem in a food web and role play certain animals or plants. They answer questions about their simulation to finish the instructional...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairies

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students identify the basic characteristics of the prairie ecosystem, and several commonly known prairie species. They create a classroom mural of a prairie ecosystem; and create reports about what they have found out.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recyclers to the Rescue

For Teachers 5th
Producers, consumers, food chains, and plants are the stars of this science lesson. Learners take part in an inquiry which helps them to discover the most effective and efficient way to grow a producer. They have a variety of containers...