Third graders practice brainstorming with their classmates as they discuss a role-play situation.  In this group discussion lesson, 3rd graders must present ideas of ways to survive on a deserted island by discussing with their...

Students identify the seven basic needs for survival. They describe the symptoms and treatment for frostbite and hypothermia. Students compare and contrast the value of different materials in a survival situation. They use their...

Students discuss the pros and cons of being deserted on an uninhabited island. Then they write their own survival stories and complete a story jacket.

You don't have to visit The Maritime Aquarium to use this plan, but you would need to find a location where a variety of bird species live, re-write the activity worksheet to incorporate the local species, and purchase field guides for...

Teens experience natural selection firsthand (or first beak) in an activity that has them act as finches foraging for food. Using different household items  to act as different beak styles, your little finches will collect as much...

Students research an inhabitant of a Caribbean coral reef using a list of common organisms that live on or near it. Students then write a description of their organism and draw a picture or a 3-D model of it. Eventually they all work...

Learners discover the uniqueness of deep sea hydrothermal vent organisms through an exploration of the NOAA Galapagos Rift Expedition. They study the genetics and evolution of a shrimp species that lives near the vents then they...

In this Island of the Blue Dolphin activity, students identify vocabulary words from chapters one and two in this book. They match the vocabulary word to the best definition Students complete six problems.

Here’s a clever way to combine language arts and social studies. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is believed to have been inspired by the wreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda in 1609. The class views a brief scene from Castaway in which Tom...

As part of their study of the restoration projects on Santa Cruz Island, class members demonstrate their understanding of the connections among plant life, animals, and the actions of humans by crafting a model that reveals these...

How do plants and animals survive in habitats with very little water? Explore arid ecosystems and the way their inhabitants have adapted with a lesson and science experiment. After kids listen to a presentation about adaptation, they...

Penguins are very diverse and well-adapted birds; they live on islands, in warm and cold climates. Little ones examine penguin diversity and discuss the highly functional adaptive traits that have helped them survive in some of the...

Using a Florida map from 1597, young explorers consider the physical characteristics they would need in a site for a new colony and the resources they would need to survive. After selecting a site, class members research to discover the...

Using a variety of novels about survival, such as Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George, pupils create author's studies using wikis. First, learners are placed in groups to study a particular novel. Then, they create a page...

What was the most significant tool used by the Chumash? How did the environment make the tool possible? What group behaviors allowed the Chumash be be successful for thousands of years? After watching West of the West's documentary Once...

Middle schoolers consider the future of endangered species. In this conservation activity, students view a slide show and use mathematical data to construct a prediction for the survival of an endangered species. This activity includes,...

If you were stranded on a desert island, what items would be the most important to have with you? Decide whether you'd want a five gallon can of water, a radio, shark repellent, or any other item with an activity designed to prepare kids...

Thanks to Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, teen readers now know it's possible to survive in the wilderness. A study guide for the novel discusses common topics and vocabulary words found within the text. Additionally, readers get the chance...

Students analyze and discuss how they would prepare for a trip to a desert island. They write a paragraph explaining why they chose their three items and how each help them to survive.

Sixth graders write a short story about being stranded on a deserted island. After a brief geography review of locations at various latitudes and longitudes, 6th graders draft their story about being stranded. They use sensory and...

Students, in groups, create a project to display examples and non-examples of basic needs. They answer what is needed for basic survival of all living things.

Ninth graders compare events in the story "Lord of the Flies" to real life events in our world. They create a manual and text describing the elements of survival. They create a poster of a conch shell that includes the scientific name, a...

Students discover the harm and benefits of microbes. In this biology instructional activity, students explore water, nitrogen and carbon cycles. They investigate the factors affecting bacteria growth.

Students examine photographs of closely related species found in the Gal??pagos environment, observe differences and similarities between species, and form hypotheses about species differences and the relationship to the environment of...