Curated OER
Pond-life Safari
Students determine the living and non-living parts of pond life. In this pond life lesson plan, students examine the plants, animals, and insects that live in ponds. They look through a variety of print media, cut out pictures, and...
Curated OER
Life Cycles
Students explore the parts of a flower and pollination of flowers. In this plants instructional activity, students use an interactive whiteboard to label the parts of a plant and the functions of each part. Students complete a worksheet...
Curated OER
Raising Plants
Students investigate the life cycle of plants by growing their own in class. In this botany lesson, students practice using plant vocabulary while they grow their own Wisconsin Fast Plants. Students collaboratively build a light box...
Curated OER
The Marvels of Mud
Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine the role that...
Curated OER
Life In the Soil: Home Sweet Home: Red Worms
In this soil worksheet, learners complete 2 pages about the importance of soil in plant growth. Students read about red worms and answer 2 questions about composting. Learners fill out a chart with their observations of plants planted in...
Curated OER
Growing a Native American "Three Sisters" Garden
Students explore plant life by creating their own gardens in class. In this food growing instructional activity, students discuss the types of gardening methods Native Americans used in order to keep healthy. Students plant corn seeds in...
American Museum of Natural History
Finding Fossils
How does one go about finding fossils? Find out with an informative webpage that looks at the digging process, showcases rocks and common fossils, helpful tips, and a list of archeological do's and don'ts.
Curated OER
Cherishing the Water of Life
Students work in small groups to brainstorm a list of all creatures, plants, natural, and artificial processes that use or depend on fresh water. The class views an aquarium filled with water representing all the water in the world. The...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Beginner Ages
Explore a day in the life of a water droplet. An interactive infographic helps scholars learn how water cycles work from precipitation all the way around to condensation. Learners hover over each step of the cycle to read more as they...
Curated OER
The Way a Tree Works
Students explore nature by conducting botany experiments. In this plant life activity, students define the necessary resources for a plant to thrive on our planet while defining scientific vocabulary terms. Students utilize different...
Curated OER
Making a Soil Separator
Young scholars investigate botany by creating a soil separating device. In this plant life lesson, students identify the needs of plants and how important the right soil is in the growing process. Young scholars define different soil...
Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – Soil
Do great gardeners really have green thumbs—or just really great soil? Environmental scholars discover what makes Earth's soil and soil quality so important through research and experimentation. Learners also develop an understanding of...
Curated OER
Water
In this water worksheet, students read an excerpt about the effects of pollution on the life cycle of a lake. Then they describe how lakes are affected by the pollution. Students also define why pollution has become such a problem for...
Curated OER
Vermicomposting
Fourth graders explore insect life by viewing a soil presentation in class. In this composting lesson, 4th graders read assigned text about the process of composting soil and the necessity of soil in plant life. Students view video clips...
Curated OER
Using Environmental Models to Determine the Effect of Acid Rain on an Ecosystem
Demonstrate to your middle school science learners how chalk breaks down in a weak acid. Discuss what affects acidic rain might have on ecosystems. Lab groups then choose one of two questions: "How does acid precipitation affect an...
Curated OER
Fossil Impressions of Ancient Life
Students make a mold using Plaster of Paris and then make a cast using that same mold. They pick a fossil and describe how it looks. They write a fictionalized story about its life, or burial. (
Curated OER
Ocean Water and Life
In this ocean water and life worksheet, students match the vocabulary term with the correct definition. Also, students answer questions by deciding if the statements are true or false. Finally, students complete concepts maps while using...
Kenan Fellows
Terrarium in a Bottle: Modeling the Atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect, and Water Cycle
You've heard of farm to table ... but what about farm in classroom? Junior agriculturalists embark upon a two-week journey into the science of growing things. Based upon the classic terrarium in a two-liter experiment, the lesson plan...
Curated OER
Fun with Fossils
Second graders explore the geologic process of fossil formation. In this geology lesson, 2nd graders discuss the job of a paleontologist and make their own model of a fossil. This lesson includes teacher directed questions.
Curated OER
Photosynthesis Lesson Plans
You can teach students about the importance of plants and the process of photosynthesis with motivating lesson plans. Follow along and find out how one science teacher uses experiments, stories, and her love of plants to get kids excited...
Curated OER
Autumn Bulb Planting Outside - Making a Daffodil Spiral
Students plant daffodil bulbs. In this gardening activity, students work outside to plant daffodil bulbs in the autumn so that they can grow roots and emerge by spring.
Core Knowledge Foundation
A Time for All Seasons - Fall
The weather is cooling down and the leaves are starting to change color; fall is right around the corner. Celebrate this special time of year with this earth and life science lesson series that teaches children about the causes of...
Curated OER
Classifying Living and Non-Living Objects
Students investigate living organisms and define the properties of a living species. In this life characteristic lesson plan, students examine plants in their class and discuss whether or not they are alive. Students create a living...
Core Knowledge Foundation
A Time for All Seasons - Summer
The sun is shining and the birds are singing, what better time to teach young learners about the fun season of summer. In this week-long science series, children learn how the rotation and orbit of the earth influence the days and...