Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Ecosystems

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
A critical look into the structure and function of ecosystems is here for young learners as a series of lessons and worksheet activities. Topics covered include land-based and marine ecosystems, connections to the water cycle, food...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing a Real Life Ecosystem!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research abiotic and biotic factors concerning the concept of an ecosystem. Record and analyze data collected. Write a lab report in proper and scientific format with thinking and analytical skills. Work as a cooperative team.
Lesson Plan
MENSA Education & Research Foundation

Ecosystems

For Teachers 5th Standards
Explore the Earth's different ecosystems through four lessons, an assessment, and extension activities. Lessons include informative text and step-by-step instructions to apply knowledge in interactive, and thought provoking ways; such as...
Lesson Plan
World Wildlife Fund

Arctic Food Chain

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Explore the food chains that support Arctic ecosystems. A class discussion on interdependence and the different roles plants and animals play in ecosystems provides students with the knowledge to complete a worksheet asking them to...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introduction to The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Why does Meg Lowman Research the Rainforest? (Pages 2–4)

For Teachers 5th Standards
Let's go for a walk. Scholars take a book walk through the text The Most Beautiful Roof in the World and create an anchor chart to list the features of informational text. They then take a close look into the character Meg Lowman by...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Cool Corals

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Young oceanographers research deep sea corals that thrive on chemosynthesis. The lesson plan focuses on the biology of the animal, preferred habitat, associations, and interactions.
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Tropical Belt

For Teachers K - 4th Standards
Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystems of the World

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are able to list different ecosystems and describe their environment and organisms. They have an understanding about the function and balance of the ecosystems. Students are able to tell what type of ecosystem the St. Mary's...
PPT
Curated OER

Introduction to Plant Science

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Although the formatting is less than perfect and some of the pictures are blurry, the information in this presentation on plants is pertinent. Viewers will be able to compare and contrast plants with animals. They will learn about...
Unit Plan
Montana Natural History Center

Studying Grassland Ecosystems

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
At first glance, grassland ecosystems might seem dull and uninteresting, but once you start to explore it's amazing the things you'll find! Through this series of engaging lessons, activities, and experiments, elementary students examine...
Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Introduction to Climate

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Begin a full lesson on climate change by demonstrating how carbon dioxide gas contributes to increased temperatures. Be aware that pressure inside the antacid-containing bottle in Activity 2 may cause the lid to fly off; keep viewers at...
Lesson Plan
World Wildlife Fund

Land of the Midnight Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...
Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Introduction to Water Chemistry

For Teachers 7th - 9th
What are the issues surrounding water quality? Viewers of this short presentation gain information about the importance of clean water, the lack of fresh water, water contamination, and ways that engineers treat water. 
Activity
Wild BC

Connecting Ecosystems & Climate

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Collaborators sort a set of cards into biotic and abiotic categories. Then, as a class, they discuss their work and relate each of the abiotic components to climate change. Finally, they form a web of components by connecting those that...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cycling of Matter and Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Ecosystems

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the characteristics of an ecosystem. They create their own landmass of an ecosystem and creating a map of the area. They develop a brochure sharing information about their new landmass.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In the Company of Wild Butterflies

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students discover the life cycle of a butterfly and explain the different stages.  In this exploratory lesson students watch a video and create insect art and they will get an opportunity to view live specimens of butterflies. 
Lesson Plan
WolfQuest

The Return of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park: Right or Wrong?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Should gray wolves be removed from Yellowstone National Park? After researching the complex relationships between the various habitats and species at Yellowstone National Park,  including humans, class members take a position...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: The Warming of Our Large Lakes - Reasons for Concern

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Another A+ lesson on the impact of climate change comes to you from the National Earth Science Teachers Association. In this installment, learners model the stratification of water in lakes due to temperature differences. The lab also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Tour Down the Hudson River

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss how the Hudson River is an ecosystem made up of both biotic and abiotic factors. They view the PowerPoint the Journal Down the Hudson River. Students become aware of where the Hudson River begins and ends, the plant and...
Activity
Curated OER

Introduction to Watsonville Wetlands

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Identify the different plants and animals found in wetlands, your class will explain the importance of wetland ecosystem and locate the different wetlands in their area.
Lesson Plan
University of California

Plankton

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Plankton: so much more than just a SpongeBob character. Three different activities have kids looking at both phytoplankton and zooplankton in pictures, as well as collecting their own samples (depending on your access to a saltwater...
Worksheet
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K12 Reader

Taking Care of Earth

For Students 4th - 5th Standards
Provide a brief introduction to ecology and conservation with a reading passage. Learners can read the text, answer the five related questions that are included on the page, and discuss the reading.
Interactive2:52
Scholastic

Study Jams! Ecosystems

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
With the forest as an example, Sam and Zoe talk about the components biotic and abiotic of an ecosystem. They also discuss the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers. This concise clip covers all of the basics. As an introduction...