ProCon
Vegetarianism
What do Mike Tyson, Ellen DeGeneres, and Paul McCartney have in common? They're all famous vegetarians. Using the resource, scholars learn about the pros and cons of eating a vegetarian diet. They read a fascinating history of...
Learning Games Lab
Nitrogen in Pollutants
Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules...
American Museum of Natural History
Web of Life Game
Get caught in a web of learning. Classmates play a game to build a web to model the interaction of species that live in a specific ecosystem. They each assume the role of one species and work together, passing a ball of twine to indicate...
American Museum of Natural History
Extreme Mammals
Extreme characteristics can create some unusual mammals. Learners flip through a slide show of some of the most interesting mammals that are both living and extinct. Implement as a remote learning resource or use in-class to review...
Desert Discoveries
Sonoran Desert ABC's
Third graders make alphabet cards that depict the wide variety of life forms found in the Sonoran Desert. A terrific lesson plan that combines language arts, visual arts, and life science all into one wonderful package. Each of the cards...
Curated OER
Ruminating on the Digestive System
Students compare the digestive systems of the buffalo and of the zebra, diagram their systems, and compare their lengths. In this digestive system lesson plan, students learn about their diets as well.
K12 Reader
Competing for Resources
Young biologists examine the concept of scarce resources with a reading comprehension passage. After finishing the paragraphs, learners turn to the questions to demonstrate what they have learned about what is beneficial and what is...
Starry Night Education
The Year and Seasons
Turn your classroom into a live demonstration of how the earth and sun interact to create the four seasons. Using a globe, a light source, and a series of constellation cards, super scientists discover how the...
Global Change
The Carbon Cycle and its Role in Climate Change
So how does the carbon cycle work? Kids participate in a hands-on activity that allows them to understand the chemistry behind climate change and global warming. They act out the process of photosynthesis by labeling themselves as...
Curated OER
Field Guide to Schoolyard Insects and Their Relatives
Sometimes all you need to complete your perfect lesson plan is an awesome hands-on learning experience. Here is an extension activity that is sure to excite your learners. They'll head outside to observe the local insect community. When...
PACER Center
Student Action Plan Against Bullying!
Mighty changes are possible and are often the result of the actions of individuals. Like the high hopes that let the ant move a rubber tree plant, the determination of one person to take a stand against bullying can make a difference....
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Help or Hype: The Ethics of Bio-Nanotechnology
Ethical concerns are not always black and white. A well-designed lesson presents learners with scenarios for which ethics may come into question. Scholars learn to consider the different sides of a situation and make an unbiased...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Stalking the Genetic Basis of a Trait
Need an a-maize-ing lesson to show your class how regulatory genes work? If you use the well-written resource, they'll be all ears! Biology scholars discover the gene responsible for the evolution of the modern-day corn plant through a...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Teosinte Hypothesis
Don't want to sound corny, but your class will be a-maize-d by an engaging activity! Explore the history of the modern corn plant through a video and Punnett squares. Junior genetics experts get hands-on experience with actual research...
Curated OER
Cells
Students learn about cells. In this cells lesson plan, students take several days to learn about plant and animal cells and make their own edible cells with a cookie and icing.
Curated OER
Structures Slide Show
Fourth graders investigate basic plant anatomy. They create an effective slide show showing the plant anatomy and life process of a plant of their choice. Students use PowerPoint to create their presentations.
Curated OER
S-O-I-L Soil
Fifth graders research soil, its nutrients, and plant growth. In this soil lesson plan, 5th graders create soil journals, trace flowers, and include nutrient information on each petal. Students read an excerpt from "McBroom Tells the...
Curated OER
Sprouting Sprouts!
Students plant sprout seeds and make observations. In this lesson about planting, students make observations, predictions, and record information. Students analyze how the sprout plants grow and determine if any of the four sprout seeds...
Curated OER
Caterpillar Camouflage
Students list animals, plant parts, and reasons for caterpillars to camouflage themselves. In this animal and plant adaptations lesson plan, students also play a game where they use colors as camouflage.
Curated OER
The Great Migration
Sixth graders explore the uses of herbal plants. They read the book Pharmacy in the Forest and discuss the vocabulary words that pertain to the structure of a plant. Students create a summary of what they have read and watch a video on...
Curated OER
Plants Reproduce and Grow in Various Ways
Third graders take a walk around the outside of the school and examine their clothing to see if they picked up any seeds while on their walk. They discuss how seeds travel and how a new plant thus can form. They then observe root...
Curated OER
A Growing Market
Young scholars research plants and the bedding plant industry and then make a list of materials they need to plant seeds. In this planting lesson plan, students then plant their seeds, chart their progress, and write what they have learned.
Curated OER
Cell Reviews
Students draw cells, make a cell, and list organelles in plant and animal cells. In this cells lesson plan, students create edible cells.
Curated OER
Why Are Bees Important?
Students identify and analyze pollination and how bees play an important part in the life cycle of flowering plants. They also identify the process of plant pollination and how bees play an important part in the life cycle of flowering...