Curated OER
Species and Specimens: Exploring Local Biodiversity
Students practice skills essential to all scientific investigation: carefully observing and collecting data. They become field biologists in a series of hands-on activities to collect and identify specimens, and survey and calculate the...
American Museum of Natural History
What is Biodiversity?
Not all dogs are the same just like not all finches are the same. An interactive online lesson helps individuals learn about the causes and limitations to biodiversity. The clickable sections describe the basics of the genetics of...
Curated OER
Extinction Is Forever
Students observe models of two kinds of forests with low and high biodiversity. They observe and record the effects of habitat destruction or extinction rates. They also conduct research about mass extinction like that of the ancient...
Curated OER
What Are Endangered Species?
Learners explore the concepts of endangered and extinct animals. In this animal protection lesson, students discuss and define the words endangered, extinct, and habitat. Learners share why they think it is important to protect...
Curated OER
Endangered Species of PA
Students research and publish information about an endangered species on the school's web site. For this endangered species lesson, students choose an at-risk species to research. They publish their research information on the school's...
Curated OER
THE TRAVELS OF BABAR: An Adventure in Scale:Saving the Elephants and Other Endangered Animals
Students comprehend the concept and causes of extinction and endangerment. They identify extinct and endangered animals. Students coordinate a plan to help endangered animals through a poster and letter writing campaign.
Curated OER
The Game of Life
Students describe what it means for a marine animal or fish to be threatened or endangered after playing game simulating extinction.
Curated OER
Endangered Species Animal Masks
Young scholars research endangered animals. For this animal science lesson, students visit suggested websites to learn more about endangered animals and create animal masks. Young scholars need glue, cardstock, string and feathers to...
Curated OER
Endangered Species and Extinction
Eighth graders determine the difference between extinction and endangered species. Using the internet, they research one endangered species, identify its common and specific name, where it lives and what it eats. To end the lesson,...
Curated OER
Animal Species Richness in Tioga County, PA
Students compile an extensive list of animal species seen throughout Tioga County. In this data collecting lesson, students report daily any animal species seen during the course of their travels and adventures outdoors in Tioga County...
Curated OER
Duck Squad-Super Savers
Students "save" a rare duck (or goose, or swan) from extinction by "building" a sanctuary to protect and breed it in captivity. They research what the bird needs and draw the species and its enclosure.
Curated OER
Extinction Trade Questions
There are many ethical and moral issues surrounding critically endangered species. Use these higher-level thinking questions to help high schoolers examine ecological, socioeconomic, and political scenarios about human impacts on...
American Museum of Natural History
Going, Going...Gone?
Young environmentalists consider how scientists are attempting to save endangered species. They read about what causes extinction and steps to take to minimize the threats.
K12 Reader
Habitat Destruction
What happens when an animal becomes endangered or extinct? Explore the ways that human influence throughout the environment has threatened the existence of other species with a reading passage. After reading the paragraphs, kids answer...
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island Restoration Narrative
What would you be willing to do to save an animal from extinction? After re-viewing a video about the restoration of the Island Fox on Santa Cruz Island, individuals adopt the point of view of one of the key players in the...
American Museum of Natural History
Around with World with DNA
A mammalogist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, and a conservation geneticist share their work and their hopes that their research will help protect and save endangered species and their habitats.
Montana State University
Everest Extremes: Biodiversity
How many animals can live in a climate as cold as Mount Everest's? Find out with a science lesson all about biodiversity. Activities include research, presentations, group work, coloring maps, and a simulation of a food web.
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 4
Foster's Rule? Allopatric speciation? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation, class members use Venn diagrams to compare endemic species on the Channel Islands with mainland related species. They then create a...
American Museum of Natural History
Ask a Scientist About Dinosaurs
Who doesn't want to know more about the mysterious dinosaurs? Learners read about dinosaurs and the process scientists use to continue learning more about the animals in an interview-type format. A paleontologist responds to submitted...
Curated OER
What does 'Endangered' mean?
Students discuss a variety of teacher led discussion questions about what makes an animal endangered. They take a short field trip to an open area and set a boundary for each child for them to either write or draw about how the location...
Curated OER
ARE WE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MASS EXTINCTION?
Students identify and interpret the following: What is mass extinction, and what are some theories for why it happens? How often do species become extinct? What is the normal rate of extinction? Why are some species endangered? What...
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Students decide which of a group of animals should take priority over others for survival. They listen to a story of endangered animals and in groups or pairs complete a worksheet to save three of the animals on the worksheet as the...
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Students explore the various reasons for animals becoming endangered and threatened with extinction. Within this instructional activity, students choose an animal to research and then creativity introduce their animal to the rest of the...