Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Living Environment

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars explore the cycles of an ecosystem.  In this environmental science lesson, students work in groups to research the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, or the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Young scholars prepare a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine Ecosystems

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students identify producers and consumers and construct a food chain from four marine ecosystems. They describe the delicate balance among organisms in each environment. In groups, students discuss the human activities that upset the...
Activity
Discovery Education

Perfectly Decomposed!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
We all know someone who won't eat the banana with a brown spot, the grape with a dimple, and the apple with a bruise. Scholars use different fruits to explore what happens when fruits really start to decompose. They set up an experiment...
Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Photosynthesis and Respiration

For Teachers 7th Standards
Thirty percent of the world's oxygen is produced by rainforests found throughout the world. Seventh grade learners explore the processes of photosynthesis and respiration through 10 days of labs, manipulatives, and discussions. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Webs

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders discuss and describe consumers and producers. They discuss and describe predator-prey relationship. Students review food chains. They form a circle, and each student is given an ecosystem card. Student at the top is given...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Urban Ecosystems 4: Metabolism of Urban Ecosystems

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Cities are compared to living, breathing, metabolizing organisms. Fourth in a five-part series of lessons, this one focuses on the flow of materials through a city. Links to interesting websites and images make your delivery of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Field Crops in the Agro-ecosystem

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore how to apply ecological analysis to cropping systems.  In this agro-ecosystem lesson students study management practices including soil and fertility. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food webs and Energy Flows

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners become familiar with food chains.  For this food chains lesson, students understand that as consumers eat other consumers energy is passed. Learners understand the vocabulary associated with food chains.
Organizer
Curated OER

The Biosphere

For Students 7th - 9th
In this biosphere worksheet, students identify the different levels of organization that ecologists study. Students complete charts, sentences, and answer short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How do plant & animal cells make and use energy?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners show the relationship between the need for plants to undergo photosynthesis in order to generate oxygen. They see the flaws associated with this thinking because of the lack of CO2 and H2O and lack of sufficient gravity in order...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What A Tangled Web We Weave

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Learners of many ages discuss how all organisms rely on other organisms for their survival. They construct a food web and energy pyramids, and write an informative essay about the food web that they have designed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Chains & Food Webs

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders examine how energy is lost through different trophic levels.  For this trophism lesson students construct a food web and view a video. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Life on the Ocean Floor

For Students 7th - 10th
Why would water 2700 meters deep suddenly become warmer? Explore this and other ocean floor discoveries through this reading response worksheet. Scholars read information about the organisms discovered by Alvin, a deep-sea submersible....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Links in a Food Chain

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Little ones make costumes and act out a rhyme in which there are daisies, bugs, wrens, snakes, and foxes that all interact in a food web. This would be a memorable activity for primary life scientists to participate in as a wrap-up...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitat Basics

For Teachers 1st
First graders get out and explore two different habitats to examine how each one meets the needs of the plants and animals that dwell there. They discuss what they've learned about animal habitats as they explore the outdoor environment....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Long Island Beach Life

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Have your class learn about marine life through this resource. This comprehensive lesson has learners discuss marine life, learn key vocabulary, discuss environmental concerns, and play games related to migration and predator/prey...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Circle of Life

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students consider why we eat and where our food obtains its energy. They illustrate food chains that might be found on an open field, dissect owl pellets, identify the remains of animals in the pellets, watch videos and participate in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Reefs Endangered

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students identify different types of nutritional relationships in a coral reef system and trace the energy flow.  In this marine biology lesson students create a simulation of acidification of the coral reef. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Web of Predators and Prey

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the food chain by researching the Internet.  In this ecosystem lesson, students view the video "Competitor and Predator" and read a book from the series "The Magic School Bus."  Students utilize a worksheet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dirty Decomposers

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Learners explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Learners utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Heat 1

For Students 7th - 12th
In this heat worksheet, students determine the heat gained or lost when matter changes phases. Students review the energy flow through ecosystems by comparing trophic levels and food webs. This worksheet has 10 fill in the blank, 5 short...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oh Panther

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students play a game that replicates the balance of prey and predators in an ecosystem. In this physical education lesson, students follow the instructions to play "Oh Panther!" Students collect data regarding the game and discuss the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Systems Science

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students perform experiments designed to grow plants and bacteria in a controlled environment.  In this ecosystems lesson students investigate varying conditions for growing plants and bacteria. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Biomes

For Students 5th - 12th
In this biomes worksheet, students review the characteristics of aquatic biomes and terrestrial biomes. This worksheet has 12 fill in the blank, 6 multiple choice, and 4 short answer questions.