University of Southern California
What Lives In The Ocean?
One of the most diverse environments on Earth is the ocean. Young scientists explore the living things found in the ocean during an exciting seven-lesson unit. Their study includes organisms from plankton to invertebrates...
Serendip
How Eyes Evolved – Analyzing the Evidence
Octopodes existed for hundreds of thousands of years before humans, yet our eyes share many similarities. Scholars analyze the evidence to determine if the evolution of eyes best fits a homology or analogy model. They discuss the issue...
Curated OER
Population Patterns
Students study patterns of population growth in an ecosystem and why populations must remain in balance. They interpret basic population graphs and suggest scenarios about different population growth patterns in an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Web of Life Game
Pupils participate in a web of life game. After reviewing new vocabulary, they play each round of the game and discuss the changes that occured in the last round. They are to survive in the game as long as possible given the conditions...
Curated OER
City Animals
Students, in groups, conduct research, including interviews of people in various animal related occupations, to identify and describe how animal populations of cities have changed over time, to outline the benefits and problems...
Curated OER
Wild Dog Debate
Students participate in a mock conference addressing the possible extinction of African wild dogs. In this wild dogs lesson plan, students state their arguments and ask questions about the issues they have researched.
Nuffield Foundation
Biodiversity in Your Backyard!
Take your enthusiastic ecologists outdoors to explore the biodiversity right in their own schoolyard! In preparing for this activity, it may be worthwhile to research websites with local flora to help in the plant identification...
Curated OER
Illinois On Tour
Eighth graders participate in the Illinois Mystery Activity (from the ENTICE materials) to study additional interesting facts about Illinois. Using the DNR poster "Illinois' Natural Divisions" and printed materials from ENTICE, 8th...
Curated OER
Bats
Students investigate bats. In this animal science lesson, students use several websites and suggested bat books to write an informative paragraph. Students should be able to write with 90% accuracy.
Curated OER
Froggy Fun
Learners use downloadable pages to sort the stages of the frog life cycle into the correct, labelled sequence.
Curated OER
Totem Mask
Sixth graders study totems of the Northwest Native Americans and design their own.
Curated OER
Aquatic Life
Sixth graders work in pairs to research information related to aquatic life using references from the World Wide Web. They present their findings in the form of an oral presentation to the class.
Curated OER
Indian Languages
Fifth graders explore the different types of Indian languages used today in the United States.
Curated OER
Flight Formation: The V's Have It!
Read, revisit, and reflect. Older elementary learners summarize main idea 6using key details. They consider the V formation that birds fly in, summarize an informational text, and write critical thinking questions.
Curated OER
DinoWorks
DinoWorks is a paleontolgy kit that you can order from skullduggery.com. This resource has directions that come with it. Primary paleontolgists examine bone replicas of the Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus, and Triceratops that you prepare...
Curated OER
The Floristic Relay: A Game to Teach Succession
Students investigate the concept of succession and plant community dynamics. They play a game in order to conduct multiple experiments while playing. The interest of the game is useful for keeping student interest throughout the activity.
Curated OER
Functional Homes
Students observe and reflect on habitats built and used by various life forms. They discover the benefits of the "homes" to the creature and its life and apply the natural designs to human uses.
Curated OER
A Journey with a Scientist
Pupils work in groups as they read chapters of Charles Darwin's, Voyage of the Beagle. They take notes on the chapter and in their group make a timeline of the chapter. They tape the timelines together in order to depict the entire...
Curated OER
All Ears for Adaptation
Learners discuss different characteristics that enable animals to adapt to their environments. They work in pairs with one partner standing about one foot behind the other partner and cup their hands around their ears with palms forward....
Curated OER
Forestry and Forestry Products
High school and college learners identify forestry career opportunities. They identify the parts of a tree cross-section and trees based on their leaves and characteristics. Pupils calculate board feet and explain safe methods of...
Curated OER
DNA Technologies
After giving some of the basic characteristics of the DNA molecule, the slides provide process information and many detailed diagrams about plasmids, vectors, and their application in cloning genes.
Curated OER
Which Fish Where?
Here is a activity outline that prompts elementary students to graph and analyze data regarding fish caught along the Hudson River. They will review vocabulary and complete 2 worksheets which can be accessed by clicking on the provided...
Curated OER
Zebra Mussels
In this zebra mussels worksheet, 7th graders read an article about zebra mussel populations in United States' lakes and rivers. Students read about the negative effects and some positive results and then answer several questions about...
Curated OER
Meet the Animals
The class will examine a series of live or stuffed animals in order to learn how different animals survive in distinctive habitats. As they examine each animal, they will be asked a series of critical thinking questions geared at getting...