Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant Adaptations

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students identify parts of prairie plants. They sketch the plants indicating its adaptive parts and write brief descriptions of them. They present their findings to the class.
Lesson Plan
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Forest Food Web

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students explore the elements of a forest ecosystem. They examine the elements needed to form a forest food web. Students construct and describe food webs that include nonliving elements of the ecosystem.
Lesson Plan
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Ecosystems II

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners engage in a lesson that is about the concepts related to the careful balance of an ecosystem. They identify the beneficial and harmful relationships that can exist with diverse populations in an ecosystem. The lesson includes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting a Handle on Your Bee

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers observe dried bees, carefully glue them to toothpicks, and use them for cross pollinating their Brassica plants. They also describe reasons why two similar investigations can produce different results. Finally,...
Lesson Plan
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Sock Walk (Seed Dispersal)

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students collect seeds from field plants as part of understanding seed dispersal.
Lesson Plan
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Butterfly Bonanza

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students describe life cycle of the butterfly after reading and singing about butterflies.
Lesson Plan
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Make Your Own Garden

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students explore gardening. In this Quiet in the Garden lesson plan, students read the picture book by Aliki and extend the instructional activity by taking part in up to 5 hands-on activities.
Lesson Plan
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If It Smells Good, Is Edible, and Attracts Wildlife, Then It's a Practical Garden

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore landscape design. In this practical gardening lesson, students design landscape plans that call for shrubs, trees, and plants that can be used for aesthetics, cooking, and wildlife.
Worksheet
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Plants Blackout Worksheet

For Students 4th - 6th
In this plants instructional activity, students read the definitions of words related to plants and then write the word on the line. Students write 15 words.
Worksheet
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Plants Vocabulary Crossword

For Students 4th - 6th
In this plants crossword puzzle worksheet, students use a set of definition clues about plants to complete a 15 word crossword puzzle. A reference web site is given for additional activities.
Worksheet
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Plants-Missing Letters Spelling Activity

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this plant spelling worksheet, students are given definitions of words related to plants and fill in the missing letters to finish the matching word. A reference web site is given for additional activities.
Worksheet
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Prairie Ecology Internet Activity

For Students 4th - 6th
In this prairie ecology worksheet, students respond to 11 questions that require them to consult selected Internet sources and answer questions about prairie animals and their habitats.
Lesson Plan
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Life Cycles: A Never-Ending Story

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders describe the sequence of events in the life cycles of a butterfly, frog, and a deer. They observe the differences and similarities of parents and babies. They also discover that at different stages the animals can be...
Lesson Plan
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Chinese Proverb on Honesty

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students are introduced to concepts of honesty and responsible conduct after listening to a Chinese proverb. After sequencing the story and learning about Chinese culture, students plant marigolds. The children will monitor plant...
Lesson Plan
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Sock Walk

For Teachers 1st
First graders, after brainstorming all the ways seeds are scattered and viewing a multitude of examples of seeds, explore how seeds travel by taking a walk outdoors wearing socks over their shoes. In addition, they assess how seeds...
Lesson Plan
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Classifying Living and Non-Living Objects

For Teachers K
Students investigate living organisms and define the properties of a living species.  In this life characteristic instructional activity, students examine plants in their class and discuss whether or not they are alive....
Interactive
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Explorit's Fruit Salad Quiz

For Students 5th - 8th
In this online interactive plant quiz activity, students respond to 6 multiple choice questions that require them to identify the Latin names of plants.
Lesson Plan
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Outdoor Survivors

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete a survey to decide what are most popular plants among the class. They test the water quality in a nearby pond. Studnts test the quality of soil samples taken from their homes. Different plants are moistened with...
Lesson Plan
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Dichotomous Key for Identifying Pine Trees

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers identify the species of pine trees that are found in their area. They use unlabeled "mystery" samples and a dichotomous key to identify the pine trees to species. After identification, they use a field guide to answer...
Worksheet
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Plants Spiral Puzzle

For Students 4th - 6th
For this plants crossword, students solve clues for parts and definitions of plants to complete the crossword. Students complete 8 spaces in the crossword.
Lesson Plan
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Layers of the Rainforest

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify, compare, and contrast the rainforests' climates. After reading Jane Yolen's Welcome to the Green House, they create a rainforest bulletin board.
Lesson Plan
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Leaf Identification

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students identify different leaf types. They examine their patterns, shapes and colors. They complete a worksheet to end the activity.
Lesson Plan
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Big Fat, Juicy Worms

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners collect and study information about worms. They discover how an earthworm helps process and loosen the soil. They write in their journals as well.
Lesson Plan
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Corals and Coral Reefs

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learners label the continents, oceans, and seas on a provided world map and use it to determine where they would expect most of the world's coral reefs to be found based on provided information the teacher has read to them.