Curated OER
Niches and Adaptations
Learners present information about a species, its niche, and adaptations. In this lesson on animal environments, students explore how surroundings can affect a given population resulting in adaptation.
Curated OER
Our Forest is Changing
Students read a story and solve a problem about an unhealthy population of trees. In this forest lesson students study tree disease and then research it online and present what they found.
Curated OER
What If There's No Light?
students discuss the importance of light and the consequences of living without it. Using a plant as a demonstration, students predict and observe what happens to a plant when it does not receive enough light. In groups, they experiment...
Curated OER
Water Chestnut Graphing Activity
Students are taught how to format and enter data into an Excel spreadsheet. They make a graph and interpret graphed data. Students discuss possible impacts of water chestnut invasion. They graph data on water chestnut. Students report...
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island - Visible Thinking Routines
Visible Thinking Routines are designed to help learners deepen their understanding of what they are learning and enable them to communicate their understanding of concepts to others. Individuals adopt one of these routines to use to...
Curated OER
Mathemafish Population
It's shark week! In this problem, young mathematically minded marine biologists need to study the fish population by analyzing data over time. The emphasis is on understanding the average rate of change of the population and drawing...
Curated OER
Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Learners explore the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this extinction lesson, students watch dinosaur video clips or complete a puppet finger play about dinosaurs. Learners may then complete a dinosaur diorama or a...
Curated OER
Cicada Invasion
Students consider how some animals, periodical cicadas, survive well in a particular environment due to the species' life cycle.
Curated OER
In From Out of Town
Students explore how the introduction of foreign species negatively affects native Hawaiian bird species. For this science lesson, students discuss how various species were introduced to Hawaii and the effects of these species on native...
Curated OER
Musical Milfoil
Learners play a game that is a version of musical chairs to introduce them to invasive aquatic plants. In this aquatic plants lesson plan, students play 4 rounds of this game.
Curated OER
Profiling the Enemy
Tenth graders examine different invasive species in Lake Michigan. In this biology lesson, 10th graders research how these species get into the lake and how they survive there. They analyze their effect on the food web and existing...
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Geocaching
Using GPS units, small groups participate in a scavenger hunt to find an object that you have hidden. They use coordinates for stopping points along a pre-planned path to get to the final cache. This is a terrific activity to include in...
Curated OER
My Giving Tree
Students identify native and invasive trees. In this ecology lesson, students survey trees in their schoolyard and identify the species. Students adopt a native tree sprout and record the growth in a journal.
Curated OER
Please the Trees, But Not These, Please!
Students study trees. In this forestry lesson, students complete a variety of activities where they learn the basic parts of a tree and their functions.
Curated OER
Physiological Adaptations
Students investigate the concepts of genetics and how it is tied to the variations found within different species and how it is tied to adaptations. They review the theory of evolution and factors found to help create variation. The...
Curated OER
Zebra Mussel Population Simulation
Students are taught how to format and enter data into an Excel spreadsheet. They make a graph, and interpret graphed data. Students discuss the possible impacts of zebra mussels on the Hudson river. They graph zebra mussel data.
Curated OER
Great Lakes Ecology
Eighth graders identify the Great Lakes, and describe the habitat of life of a loon. They are able to point to and explain one of the major river systems that enters the Great Lakes with a focus on the Clinton River and the food webs...
Curated OER
It's (Not) Just a Bug
Students explore, examine and reflect on challenges facing produce farmers. They study about invasive species and how they affect the agricultural industry by reading and discussing the article "Tiny but Hungry, Moth May Peril California...
Curated OER
Natural Inquirer
Students explore the research process. In this scientific method lesson plan, students analyze data from an article, write their own informational article and express what they have learned. Students create their own article using the...
Curated OER
Frogs Losing Ground
Learners explore an exhibit through an interactive program on frogs. They can listen to the different sounds frogs make and the different types of frogs. They search for the types of frogs they find in their local area.
Curated OER
Voyage to Kure Viewing Guide
Students complete a worksheet while viewing a video about the oceans. They locate the oceans on a map and identify positive and negative ways in which humans have impacted them. They discuss any questions at the end of the...
Curated OER
Hawaiian Natives Disappear
Students explore parts of the Hawaiian Islands to get a examine the exotic invasion, and see what challenges the natives face in reclaiming their territory. They identify the changes in the environment that have been the hardest on the...
Curated OER
Allelopathy Experiments
Learners explore how allelopathy works in plants. In this botany lesson plan, students explain how this phenomenon affect other organisms. They read and analyze an article about allelopathy and discuss its flaws.
Curated OER
Who Gives a Hoot?
Students look at owl migration and its impact on the environment and the food chain after reading an article from The New York Times. Students then apply this information to and research different food chain situations for other species...