Curated OER
Exploring Ecosystems
Fourth graders investigate ecosystems. In this ecosystem lesson, 4th graders explore producers, consumers, and decomposers and study the interdependence of each.
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Dinosaur Bones (Barner)
Dig into some prehistoric vocabulary in Bob Barner's informative book Dinosaur Bones. This works best if you introduce the primitive words before reading the story. These are the focus terms in the text: ancient, climate, extinct,...
Columbus City Schools
The Mystery of Earth’s History
Every living creature can leave a fossil record, yet most fossils belong to extinct organisms rather than ones currently living. Scholars learn about dating rock layers, fossils, and the environment of the past. Pupils understand that...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
EarthViewer
Can you imagine Washington DC and London as close neighbors occupying the same continent? Learners will be fascinated as they step back in time and discover the evolution of the earth's continents and oceans from 4.5 billion years ago to...
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Endangered Species
This handout goes along with the slide show linked at the top of the of the resource. Depending on the computer availability in your school, this could be a WebQuest in which learners go through the slide show at their own pace, or you...
Curated OER
Creating New Forms of Life
Although not particularly educational, here is a creative group activity in which high school biologists will use their imaginations to create a new life form combining characteristics from existing life forms. Each group must come up...
Curated OER
Sato and the Elephants
Young scholars write a persuasive letter to the government of an African country that has elephants as a resource. Students research and debate the pros and cons of ivory use. Young scholars identify the value of ivory products versus...
Curated OER
Related Lessons Animal
Students examine the extinction of dinosaurs. In this dinosaur instructional activity students create their own dinosaur eggs, get into groups and complete a diorama activity.
Curated OER
Animals Word Search Puzzle
To make the classic word search more challenging and academic, this animal-terms puzzle has scholars solving clues to determine the words they find. Fifteen clues give detailed definitions of biology terms such as carnivore, reptile,...
Curated OER
Cougar or Human: Which Needs Protection?
Students research the biology and natural history of the cougar. Students conduct Internet research to determine how cougars have been protected by humans and how it is affected by human decisions. Students write about reconciling...
Curated OER
Dinosaurs 1: Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students explore dinosaurs. In this dinosaur identification activity, students watch video clips for different dinosaurs from the Discovery Kids website. Students discuss the clips with their teacher. Students may then role play the...
Curated OER
Fossils and our Past (part 1 of 3)
Third graders investigate how some extinct organisms resemble organisms that are still alive today. They watch and discuss the Magic School Bus video about fossils, then create clay fossil imprints, matching the imprints to plaster of...
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey
The Great Peregrine Scavenger Hunt - On the Internet
The story of one bird provides valuable insight into general animal behaviors and interactions. Young researchers investigate the peregrine falcon using a web search. They analyze the behaviors of the raptor including its migration...
Curated OER
"Making a Good Impression"
Learners are shown how fossils are formed and to learn how extinct organisms lived based on their remains and surroundings. They are shown TAKS review problems on the overhead related to evolution and fossil evidence. Students discuss...
Curated OER
Identifying Vertebrates
In this biology worksheet, students look for the answers to how to classify animals. They specifically focus upon the vertebrates while differentiating the characteristics from other organisms.
Curated OER
The Loneliest Animals
Students examine the different species that are headed towards extinction. In this animal population lesson students compare the causes of extinction, research an endangered species and present an oral report.
Curated OER
Endangered Species... It's Not Too Late
Students choose an endangered species to research and report on. In this endangered species lesson, students complete a worksheet to gather information about their endangered animal and then use to write a book about the animal and...
Curated OER
The Game of Life
Young scholars describe what it means for a marine animal or fish to be threatened or endangered after playing game simulating extinction.
Curated OER
The Value of a Garden
Students explore the history of taxonomy, the work of Carl Linnaeus, and the factors involved in the decline and extinction of a variety of botanical species.
Curated OER
Man's Struggle for Environmental Preservation
Students examine the way all living things are connected to one another. In groups, they participate in experiments in which they analyze the chemical processes through the biosphere and explain the role of energy. They also brainstorm...
Curated OER
Trait Variations for Survival
Young learners examine how different traits could give one organism an advantage over another. In groups, they view two different organisms in different environments. To end the lesson, they complete a Venn Diagram on the two organisms...
Curated OER
Vertebrate Dioramas
Students are able to describe the development of their chosen form of vertebrate life from the past to the present in a four to six page typed paper. They explain the use of phylogenetic tree. Students use the phylogenetic tree to...
Curated OER
Vertebrate Dioramas
Students describe the development of their chosen form of vertebrate life from the past to the present in a four to six page paper. They explain the use of a phylogenetic tree, and use this to exemplify an organism's evolutionary change...
Curated OER
Which Animals?
In this animal comparison worksheet, students will fill in a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the Sabre-toothed tiger and the Bengal tiger.