Three activities introduce upper elementary ecologists to photosynthesis and food webs. In the first, an experiment is set up to determine how plants respond to different types of light. In the second, they connect organism cards with...

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.

Students participate in an activity that demonstrates the principles and dynamics of food chains. They discover that the sun's energy is captured by individual plants and transferred to animals.

Students study healthy food choices and the energy it creates for physical activity. In this food energy lesson, students complete multiple activities to learn about the benefits of healthy eating upon physical activity.

Building on prior knowledge of the pervious lesson in the series, pupils explain the previous lesson to each other. Then they write a simple guide for a young child to read on the same topic. 

Tag, you're eaten! A lesson on predator-prey relationships uses the game freeze tag as a model. Learners become either a predator or prey and play a game of tag as the prey tries to reach areas that house food and shelter. During the...

High schoolers discuss how energy is transferred to different trophic levels. In this biology lesson, students solve a theoretical problem and debate on a solution. They explain how energy is lost during cellular respiration.

Students explore forest ecological systems. In this ecology lesson, students classify forest plants and animals according to their ecological roles. Students play a related vocabulary guessing game.  Students choose a card on which...

In this science activity, students read about enzymes and nutrition. Students also answer 2 comprehension questions about the reading.

Second graders make spinning color wheels to determine how energy effects what colors look like. They paint or color a color wheel with the seven colors of the spectrum. Next, the spin the wheel to determine what happens. In order to...

Learners use internet resources research more about how eating good and bad food can affect their health. Students study the food pyramid and examine how important it is to eat from all food groups. Discussion questions are provided,...

Are you a koalafied biologist? The lesson begins with research about human survival and our ecosystem. Then, an online training module simulates the effects of changes to the plants and animals in an ecosystem. Finally, scholars research...

Students examine how food provides them with energy and materials for their body. In groups, they identify good and bad foods to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Using the internet, they research how food can affect their overall health.

Students construct a food web to learn how living things in an ecosystem are interconnected. In this food web simulation lesson, students will be assigned an animal and the teacher will represent the sun. Students and teacher discuss...

Students explore the interconnectedness of living things in an ecosystem. They use pictures and arrows to develop a food web, and participate in constructing a class food web with students representing various parts of the web.

Students examine the basics of starch and how it is used in food. In this photosynthesis lesson students experiment with variables that affect starch production in photosynthesis.

Information about digestion of various food components is given in this PowerPoint. The diets of herbivores and carnivores are compared, and there are many diagrams giving details of their digestive system specializations. The...

Grizzly bears can be up to 600 pounds and require a great deal of food, especially to survive hibernation. Comprised of multiple games, the third lesson of five only uses one setup. Pupils run around a large field, sorting and collecting...

Seventh graders cut and paste animal pictures to create a food web and trace the path of energy. They write a paragraph explaining the importance of photosynthesis in all food webs.

In this food web relationships activity, students click on the links to learn about the food web relationships in the wetlands and answer short answer questions about it. Students complete 8 questions total.

students analyze the place of humans among the tropic levels by observing what we eat. They calculate the caloric content of several foods commonly eaten by humans and calculate the total energy cost to grow, process, transport, store...

Students analyze the trophic level of humans by first calculating the kilocalories in own their lunch. They then calulate the kilocalories in a wide variety of foods found in grocery stores and compare the kilocalories needed to acquire...

Students explore the differences between food webs and food chains.  In this wetland lesson students play a food web game and go on a scavenger hunt. 

In this ecosystem worksheet, high schoolers answer questions about energy pyramids, food chains, consumers, producers, decomposers, biotic and abiotic factors in an environment, natural selection and the importance of biodiversity in an...