How do viruses hijack our cells to produce more viral particles? Junior immunologists model how viral RNA integrates into a host cell's DNA using pop beads and use interactive tools to explore a virus' genome. The teacher's guide...

Students are able to respond to a reading passage concerning human effects (under development) in Madagascar. They have a quiz on primary and secondary succesion as their bell ringer. Students write an essay on the topic "No man is an...

For this carbon cycle worksheet, students will read about the carbon cycle and study a diagram showing what creates carbon dioxide and what uses carbon dioxide. Students will then complete 4 short answer questions.

Students construct a food web to learn how living things in an ecosystem are interconnected. In this food web simulation lesson, students will be assigned an animal and the teacher will represent the sun. Students and teacher discuss...

Students get a look into the life of dogs-from their origins and basic biology, through selective breeding, and into how dogs have become intricate parts of everyday life for many people worldwide.

Introduce your class to one of the ways that technology is benefiting humanity. The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission involves the data collected by nine satellites from different countries with a united focus on studying world...

Fourth graders observe mealworms over a period of time and record any changes they observe. They record any changes in color, length, behavior, and any other noticeable changes, identify the stages of the mealworms, and create a chart...

Students discuss what to do with a very sick fish and help it to die without much pain. As a class, they answer questions about the fish and if they believe it is suffering or not. Using their own experiences, they share how they dealt...

Students explore physical education by researching biology. In this survival techniques lesson, students discuss the methods turtles use to survive dangerous encounters and conduct a sea turtle role play exercise. Students identify the...

Students learn about the biological carbon cycle. In this carbon cycle lesson plan, students access the web site and mouse over the diagrams to follow the carbon cycle. They read about what happens to humans and plants during this cycle.

Fourth graders examine how a jar of pickles impacts the Earth. They make predictions on how it can effect their quality of life and suggest improvements in different fields. They share their suggestions with the class.

Students realize that aging is a "natural, continuous process" and develop sensitivity to the needs, desires, and capabilities of the elderly by interviewing elderly community members and photographing age related things.

Learn about the factors that affect the way oxygen dissolves in salt water with a chemistry lab. After studying the molecular structure of water, young scientists figure out how aeration, temperature, and organic waste affect...

Earth or environmental science pupils are assigned to be carbon sources or sinks. They ask yes-or-no questions to try to figure out which one they are. Then they discuss ways people can have positive effects on the changing climate by...

Students study the lifestyles and habitats of raptors that live in Minnesota. They play games associated with their study.

Students take a field trip to a farm or observe pictures of farms and animals in the classroom. They paint a mural of a farm setting with animals. They practice phonetic skills with farm stories and songs. They explain how milk becomes...

Young scholars compare and contrast legislation passed in Japan and the United States in regards to the elderly. Using the Internet, they research how the government has put programs into place to improve the health of older citizens....

Students go on a salmon scavenger hunt to find out about threats to salmon populations. They gather information about some of the reasons wild salmon have gone from such incredible abundance to relative scarcity, and about some of the...

Third graders investigate the wonderful and wondrous world of plants. They examine the inside of a seed, explore the different parts of a seed, plant their own seeds, watch them sprout and then eat them! They describe, using their...

Students create their own environment. For this environmental protection lesson, students pretend they are the owners of a tropical island. They create jobs for the citizens and develop the island as a model environment.

Students investigate the manufacture of aluminum cans and consider the energy and resources saved when the cans are made from recycled material. They explore the concept of closed-loop recycling using charts, worksheets and discussion.

Students examine how water changes state, from a liquid to a solid.  In this water activity students study the water cycle and how temperature and pressure effect it. 

Second graders participate in a three part lesson in which they identify and describe forms of moisture in the environment. Part one of the lesson involves the three stages of the water cycle, part two focuses on creating humidity by...

Students participate in a webquest about the plants and animals that inhabit an estuary. They role play as environmentalists researching this habitat and present the results of their research in a creative way.