Curated OER
In the Company of Wild Butterflies
Students discover the life cycle of a butterfly and explain the different stages. In this exploratory lesson plan students watch a video and create insect art and they will get an opportunity to view live specimens of butterflies.
Curated OER
Seed Dispersal
Young scholars explore seed dispersal by designing their own wind dispersed seed structure. Using one piece of paper and a box fan, they construct a seed dispersal structure, record the distance their seed travels, and answer discussion...
Curated OER
Go With the Energy Flow
Students explore energy and nutrient flow. In this science activity, students diagram the flow of energy through food chains and food webs. Students discuss the importance of energy flow in Earth's ecosystems.
Curated OER
What Should I Know about Biosphere?
If your class is learning about the biosphere, you may find a study guide or reading guide helpful. Focusing on vocabulary, processes, and interactions, the Word document is easy to edit as needed to fit your needs. Another great option...
Curated OER
Where are Koalas on the Food Chain?
Take a field trip to observe Koalas, absolutely! Budding scientists become familiar with the Koala's position in the food chain. They answer questions based on what they see and draw a food chain explaining the Koalas position. Tip: A...
Curated OER
Cycling of Matter and Energy
These twenty various types of questions related to the cycling of matter and energy require students to match each definition in column 1 with the correct vocabulary term from column 2. Then, students explain what is being demonstrated...
Curated OER
Food Chains & Webs
Fourth graders examine roles of animals in food chain, explore roles of humans, plants, and animals in ecosystem, create their own food webs, and role play producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Curated OER
Food Chains
Learners describe food cahins and the role of organisms. Using a set of organism cards, they color code the organisms on their cards by their role in the food chain. Once a complete chain is identified, they glue it on a sheet of paper.
Curated OER
Recyclers to the Rescue
Producers, consumers, food chains, and plants are the stars of this science lesson. Learners take part in an inquiry which helps them to discover the most effective and efficient way to grow a producer. They have a variety of containers...
Curated OER
Ecosystem Interactions in Refuges
Seventh graders, using national parks as models, illustrate the energy flow in ecosystems. Working in groups, they use murals, flow charts, or other visual displays to record their findings. Students represent the food chains and webs...
Curated OER
Animal Sorting & Matching
In this animal sorting worksheet, 5th graders first match animal pictures with their names and a fun fact. Students must then fill in 15 blanks based on information given on the matching cards.
Curated OER
Visualizing Vocabulary in an Ecosystem
Sixth graders observe the pond ecosystem. In this ecosystem instructional activity, 6th graders observe the organisms at the pond and create a poster that illustrates the pond.
Curated OER
Rainforest Food Chain
Students investigate a rainforest food chain. In this ecology lesson, students are shown pictures of plants and list what animals might eat the plants. Students continue to think of what other animals might eat those animals. Students...
Curated OER
Animal Adaptations
Students focus on the pelts of fur-bearing animals native to Iowa to discover their different adaptations. In this animal adaptation lesson plan, students work in groups and examine various pelts to find information about the animals...
Curated OER
What Kind of Eaters Were Dinosaurs?
Second graders use a database to gather more information on dinosaurs. Using the information, they discover how the database is organized and how to get different information from it. They complete a worksheet with comprehension...
Curated OER
Animal Nutrition - Variations, Adaptations, & Regulation
Colorful pictures and graphics make this a visually-appealing presentation on animal nutrition. Be aware that two of the sixteen slides include blank graphic organizers, so you will need to find the other existing version of this...
McGraw Hill
Chapter 21: Mammals
Although the instructional activity found here is designed to accompany a particular textbook reading, it is a good basic review or study guide when learning about mammals. If you have a text that covers these concepts, young scientists...
Curated OER
Amazon Food Chain
Explore food chains in the Amazon Rainforest using this resource. Learners discuss the predator vs. prey relationships in the food chain. Then, they create a food web to describe this relationship. This is a simple and effective way to...
Curated OER
Costa Rican Food Chain
Discuss the animals and plants in the rainforest food chain using this lesson. Learners talk about and do research on the top predators from the Costa Rican region and create a model of one of them in class. They also make a visual model...
Curated OER
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Students, in groups, create a slide show about the ecosystem and answer critical thinking questions based on their research.
Curated OER
Food Chains
Students investigate the food chain. In this ecology lesson, students define producers and consumers. Students use organism cards to demonstrate how the food chain works.
Curated OER
Constructing A Food Web
Students identify and explain the relationships within a food web. They use index cards to glue pictures of producers and consumers. On the back of the card, students name the organism, list the type of biome in which it is found.
Curated OER
Food Webs and Chains
Fifth graders examine how simple food chains and food webs function. They examine an illustrated food chain/food web and identify the producers and consumers. Students then sequence pictures of animals into a food web, and create their...
Curated OER
Let's Create an Ecosystem
Seventh graders discover how an ecosystem works by creating one in class. In this Earth science lesson, 7th graders study vocabulary terms associated with ecosystem and read environment handouts. Students create an observatory...