Curated OER
Centipede or Millipede?
Students discuss millipedes and centipedes in terms of their classification as arthropod. Using a diagram, students categorize and compare and contrast the characteristics of millipedes and centipedes based on their discussion of...
Curated OER
Be a "Peder-Reader" - A Discovery Activity
Students investigate millipedes. In this math and physics lesson plan, students examine the millipede's physical structure and characteristics by observing its behavior in given activities. Pupils will hypothesize whether they think the...
Curated OER
Is it an Insect?
Students identify insects based on their characteristics. In this insect characteristics lesson, students study the 3 images of the millipede, housefly, and woodhouse insect. Students complete the insect characteristic chart.
Curated OER
Backyard Critters
Students explore the characteristics of invertebrates in their backyards. They observe, describe, and classify specimens. They conclude with a "snail race."
Curated OER
Jewel of the Earth
Students investigate several organisms, set sticky traps to collect them, and attempt to identify and classify them using a variety of sources. The origins of the organisms are traced and their adaptive features examined.
Curated OER
Chasing Metaphors
Students use metaphors in order to see commonly experienced objects, events, and people in new and more meaningful ways.
Curated OER
Unidentified (Flying?) Arthropods
Beginning biologists learn the characteristics of the five classes in the arthropod phylum. A student handout lists characteristics to help them identify five specimens. You will need to collect an example of each: arachnida, crustacea,...
Desert Museum
Daisy Ecology
Here's a fine lesson plan that combines poetry with life sciences. Learners carefully listen to a poem that's all about a food chain. As the poem is read, learners name the producer, the herbivore, the carnivore, and the omnivore. Lots...
Curated OER
Bug's Eye View
Investigate the life of bugs and how they interact with the environment in this integrated science and language arts lesson. Young scientists construct mini environments in cages in order to make observations. This data forms the basis...
Curated OER
Where are Koalas on the Food Chain?
Take a field trip to observe Koalas, absolutely! Budding scientists become familiar with the Koala's position in the food chain. They answer questions based on what they see and draw a food chain explaining the Koalas position. Tip: A...
Curated OER
Challenge Game - Team-A-Pod
This is an intermediate level challenge game that comes from a ropes course curriculum. As with most challenges for a ropes course, there is focus on communication, trust, decision making, and mostly, cooperation. There are links that...
Curated OER
Insects
Second graders brainstorm and identify several types of common insects. They play bug bingo, building bugs and an insect tree, observing real insects in the classroom and examining some of the things insects make.
Curated OER
Create An Insect
Students create a new species of insect. They create a list of insect characteristics and use this as a springboard to draw an insect of their own. Students write a brief descriptive paragraphs about their insect, giving particular...
Curated OER
Temperate Forest : Pacific Spirit Field Trip
Students examine nurse logs with hand lenses and identify animals. In this ecosystem lesson, students gain understanding of the rainforest by studying nurse logs. Students become familiar with vocabulary through their study of nurse logs.
Curated OER
Layers of the Forest- Leaf Litter
Students conduct an experiment. For this temperate forest lesson, students discuss what kind of animal life can be found in the forest. They read The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book About Decomposition and complete an...
Curated OER
Under Our Feet
Students investigate the forest ecosystem to learn of the living and non-living elements of the soil. In this ecosystem lesson, students examine soil for twigs, moss, fungi, leaves, roots and other matter. Students complete a...
Curated OER
Dirty Decomposers
Learners explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Learners utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
Curated OER
Meeting an Earthworm
Students inspect the anatomy of earthworms. In this earthworm lesson, students participate in a hands-on experiment as they analyze the structure of earthworms. Students demonstrate mastery through differentiated products. Lesson...
Curated OER
Can You Identify Arthropods?
Third graders sort and classify the four Arthropod classes. They are given puzzle pieces of one Arthropod example. Each group is to put their puzzle together, glue it on a piece of construction paper and label the ir puzzle.
Curated OER
Create a Soil Aggregate
Students simulate the conditions which occur in a soil aggregate. They explain how IPM affects the environment. They identify the cast of characteristics to develop their aggregate.
Curated OER
Classroom Composting
Learners discover the benefits of composting. They identify the steps of decomposition as well. They are read a book and discuss what items decompose.
Curated OER
Dirty Decomposers
Seventh graders design and conduct experiments to determine what environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They use chunks of carrot for the materials to be decomposed, and their experiments are carried out in plastic...
Curated OER
Oddball Out
In this science worksheet, learners examine 4 pictures in a row and circle the invertebrate that is different from the others. There are 4 rows of pictures. Answers are provided upside down on the page.
Curated OER
Observing Compost Invertebrates
Second graders examine compost piles and what invertebrates help decompose the organic matter. In this compost invertebrates lesson students collect invertebrates found in a compost pile and examine them.