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...
Curated OER
Oyster Gardens - No Soil Required!
Explore the practice of oyster gardening. Because oysters play a vital role in marine ecosystems and their populations have declined, biologists are transplanting oyster seed to repopulate reefs. After learning about this practice,...
California Academy of Science
Conservation Island
Why not walk in the footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt and become a conservationist? After discussing issues and reasons for animal extinction, the class creates their own conservation plans. Each small group is given mock data regarding a...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Can Small Pollutants Harm Aquatic Organisms?
Nanoparticles have toxic effects on plant and animal life—even though you can't see them. The second instructional activity of a two-part series has young scientists conduct an experiment that exposes plant and animals to nanoparticle...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
Sixth graders perform various labs, create presentations, and do hands on activities to explore the ecosystem.
Curated OER
Lakes
Students role-play members of an ecosystem. In this lake ecosystems lesson plan, students simulate various organisms within an ecosystem to discover the impact on the environment.
Curated OER
Go Green!
Students use this outdoor sensory activity as a self-guided or as part of a facilitated programme. It encourages individual observation and exploration in the forest. Students can choose to work as an individual or work in pairs. They...
Curated OER
Understanding Our Planet's Food Web
Sixth graders, in groups, examine how humans have a tenuous position as part of an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Environment: Arctic Climate and Geoscience
Students conduct a thorough investigation of the Arctic and how climate change affects it. After listing a KWL chart, they record their findings on a bulletin board. Finally, in an Arctic Alive! interactive instructional activity,...
Curated OER
Ecological Communities:The Prairie
Students study the meaning of ecological community and recognize its complexity. In this ecology lesson students diagram a food web.
Curated OER
Endangered Species- Florida Panther
Learners investigate the concept of the conservation of the Florida Panther and examine the effects of the Everglades water restoration project. They conduct a web based activity that includes the following: Listing what they know,...
Curated OER
Classroom Composting
Students observe and describe the cyclic nature of life. They identify and appreciate the importance of a balanced ecosystem. Finally, students compare and contrast biodegradable and non-biodegradable resources in nature and describe the...
Curated OER
Biodiversity Trust Games
Learners make a tight shoulder-to-shoulder circle. They are asked to turn to his or her right. Students squeeze in tight, they are explained that on the count of three, everyone slowly sits down. Once they are successfully seated,...
Curated OER
Identifying trophic levels and the skeletal system through Owl Pellets
Students identify a food chain sequence. They compare, identify, and record the rodent skeletal parts to a rodent skeletal diagram. Students construct a rodent skeleton from the skeletal parts found in the pellet. They are given the...
Curated OER
Brine Shrimp Feeding
Third graders study the diet of the brine shrimp. This is an introduction to a math measurement of a micrometer because of the size of the food brine shrimp feed upon. They make predictions about the types of food shrimp eat based on...
Curated OER
Wilderness
Students examine the wilderness of New England. They create in their journals what they believe wilderness is.
Curated OER
What Is Sustainability
Students investigate the concept of how people are dependent upon natural resources and how they can apply them to be maximized in usefulness. The students are encouraged to develop an appreciation for the environment. They conduct a...
Curated OER
Peeled Trees Tell The Story
Students investigate the diversity of life that is found in Montana. They research some of the different interactions that organisms have with their environment. The lesson plan includes an extensive introduction for teacher information....
Curated OER
Lesson: Journey of a Tree
Third graders explore the operation of a Christmas farm and how trees are shipped. After taking a tour of a Christmas tree farm and researching transportation, location and cost issues, 3rd graders create a map to show the distribution...
Curated OER
Simulation Test
Students evaluate an ecosystem and consider how it would respond to varied events. For this Earth science lesson, students work in small groups to analyze an ecosystem's response to teacher created scenarios. Student's compare...
Curated OER
Reflecting and Observing on the Field Trip to the Pond
Learners create an informative caption for photographs taken on a field trip to a pond. In this pond ecosystem lesson, students take photographs and create captions for them. Learners write a reflective essay on a...
Curated OER
Water Contamination Mapping Lab
Students are introduced briefly to the Biscayne Bay Ecosystem, observed microbe distributions and water current maps are introduced. They measure water current speeds to predict the movement of pollutants based on the type of the tidal...
Curated OER
Endangered Species of PA
Students research and publish information about an endangered species on the school's web site. In this endangered species lesson plan, students choose an at-risk species to research. They publish their research information on the...
Curated OER
Topic: Military/ Defense
Students examine ancient military systems. In this history of defense lesson, students research the weapons employed defending ancient cities and territories. Students describe how they would defend themselves following a plane wreck...