Curated OER
It's a Gas - Natural Gas
Young scholars use plastic bottles, water, and condiment packets to simulate how natural gas comes from decaying ocean plants and animals. In this natural gas lesson plan, students also fill out lab packets and answer exit questions.
Curated OER
The Chemistry of Fertilizers
Young scholars use a series of hands-on labs and activities, practice problems, discussions and writing assignments, students investigate about fertilizer chemistry as they break compounds into ions, make a fertilizer and test various...
Curated OER
How Do Cells Reproduce?
Middle schoolers examine cell division and the process of mitosis. In this cell reproduction lesson students grow yeast and observe the results, and learn about the career of scientific illustration.
Curated OER
WET Science Lesson #11: How Light Affects Water
Scientists listen to the story of Wadja Egnankou who works to save African mangrove forests. They experiment with refraction and the introduction of particulate matter to water. They conclude with creative writing about the need for a...
Curated OER
How 'bout them bones!
After a lesson on the human skeleton, hand out a worksheet that requires learners to identify the pelvis, rib cage, skill, spine, and thigh bones. They draw a line from the name of the bone to its location on the skeleton. Tip: Instead...
Desert Discoveries
Keepers of the Prairie
Young ecologists examine the case of the prairie dog, and their near extinction. They read a terrific student handout embedded in the plan, and engage in a class discussion that's based on what they read. Learners perform research on...
Curated OER
Specialized for the Sea
Students use pictures and make a mural to investigate how ocean animals are adapted to certain parts of their environment.
Virginia Department of Education
DNA Extraction from Strawberries
Has your class ever been astounded by the complexity of DNA analysis? Have they ever asked why genetic engineering has become so important to our daily lives? Young scientists perform DNA extraction on strawberries and explore how the...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Cycles, Systems, and Webs
Fourth graders review the parts of the plant and their functions. In this plant lesson plan, 4th graders recognize that plants must transfer energy to make food. Students understand the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Food Chains and Food Webs
In this biology worksheet, learners read about food chains and food webs. They then answer 4 questions regarding the information they just learned. The answers are on the last page in the packet.
Curated OER
Fun with Plants Flower Power
Students understand the parts of the flower. In this flower lesson, students perform experiments to see where seeds come from. Students complete a data sheet about the experiment. Students understand the terms pistil and stamen.
Curated OER
Rainforest Complexity and Diversity
Second graders investigate the diversity of plants and animals in a rainforest. They watch an online story developed by the Rainforest Alliance, observe and record animals in their local area, explore various websites, and compare and...
Eastern Michigan University
Energy Flow in a Wetland Ecosystem
How is energy transferred within an ecosystem? What would happen to a food web if one of the organisms was removed? Elementary or middle school ecologists examine these questions and more in a comprehensive 5E learning cycle lesson....
Science Matters
Blubber Gloves: It’s All About Insulation
Instill the concept of adaptation with the help of Blubber Gloves—ziplock bags, shortening, and duct tape. Scholars discuss how animals and plants keep warm in polar regions, record their predictions, and try on their Blubber Gloves to...
Biology Junction
Protists and Fungi
It's alive, but what is it? Protists share similarities with plants, animals, and fungi without being classified as any of those three. Learn more about protists and the kingdom fungi with a short presentation. It describes the parts of...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Seasons of a Plant
The third in a series of six lessons is an engaging three-part activity defines that discusses phenology, focusing on the cyclic seasons of plants. Pupils then observe phenology outside before determining how climate change can...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Plant Phenology Data Analysis
Beginning in 1851, Thoreau recorded the dates of the first spring blooms in Concord, and this data is helping scientists analyze climate change! The culminating instructional activity in the series of four has pupils graph and analyze...
Curated OER
Classifying Deep-Sea Organisms
Young scientists access the EARTH Web site in order to engage in this lesson life forms found in the ocean. Student groups of 3 - 4 choose one set of deep-sea organism images. The groups decide how they would classify their organisms and...
Curated OER
School Forest
Sixth graders explore the concept of biodiversity. In this biodiversity lesson, 6th graders discover a variety of planets and animals that live in forests, and how a rotting log benefits that environment. Students also locate seven...
ARKive
Darwin and Natural Selection
A presentation on Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection could be a good addition to your biology class. It provides general information about how animals adapt to their surroundings, as well as how organisms create more...
K12 Reader
Ecosystems
Examine how living and non-living things work together in a reading passage about ecosystems. Class members read the text and then respond to five response questions that relate specifically to the content of the passage.
Curated OER
Bean Plant Growth
Students identify, monitor, and analyze how seeds grow into plants and reproduce seeds at a quick rate. Students record the rate at which plants grow. Students identify what plants need in order to grow. Students share and discuss their...
Curated OER
Learning From Leaves: Adaptations To Differing Light Levels
Students, in groups, examine plants with different light levels. They are given plants from a tropical and desert region. They write a hypothesis at the beginning of the experiment.
Curated OER
Be Nice to Spiders Lesson Plan
Students share their own pages with the rest of the class while they learn about spiders. In this Be Nice to Spiders lesson plan, students learn how spiders are living creatures just like people.