Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Investigating Evidence
Explore the scientific process through nature. Scholars become scientists as they develop a question, design an experiment, collect data, and analyze their results. A two-week lesson guides your classes through the process and provides...
Curated OER
What is a Community?
Students explore the characteristics of their community. In this communities lesson, students read Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story and discuss how the community came together to solve a problem. Students identify services within...
Curated OER
Nature's ABC's
Students will recognize objects in nature that are similar in shape to the letters of the alphabet. For this digital camera lesson, students will find objects in nature that look like letters of the alphabet. They will create a poster of...
Curated OER
BIOMIMICRY, Housing Naturally: Habitat as Model
Students explore natural animal habitats. In this lesson on biomimicry and habitation design, students will use classroom and field examples to examine animal habitats. Students will construct a model of a natural animal habitat. This...
Curated OER
Boy Scout Merit Badge: Nature
In this boy scout merit badge: nature worksheet, 8th graders research the topic using the websites listed, answer 4 detailed questions about plants, animals, and the environment, then perform specific tasks of identifying in the field,...
Teach Engineering
Service-Based Engineering Design Project
Do some good for the community while learning about engineering. Groups complete a service-based engineering design project over the course of five weeks. The resource provides guidance on how to conduct the project and help pupils get...
Curated OER
Spirit and Nature
Students examine sources of spirituality. In this religion instructional activity, students investigate ties between the spiritual and natural worlds. Students design community and personal projects that feature relationships to the...
Curated OER
Natural Collaboration: Building With the Five Elements of Art
Students assemble found natural objects into an artistic arrangement. They photograph their arrangement and Photoshop to enhance their artwork.
Curated OER
Political Choices
Students, in small groups, investigate and present a strategy for waste management in their community using a simulation activity in which each group represents a sector of their community.
Curated OER
Modeling Patterns and Cycles in Our Lives
Students explore how building a model can help them better understand the natural world. They identify common cycles or patterns in nature as well as examples of models in the classroom. After discussion, they choose a pattern or cycle...
WE Charity
High School–Module 2: Circular Economy and Nature
Everyone's heard the popular slogan reduce, reuse, recycle, but there may be a better way to talk about sustainability. Using the second lesson from the five-part WE Are Innovators—High School Modules series, learners explore issues...
Curated OER
Comparing Theories: Lamarck and Darwin
Students compare the evolution theories of Lamarck and Darwin. They use self-assessment and a video to increase their knowledge of evolution theories. They research questions and present them to the class.
Captain Planet Foundation
Rotting Away
What happens at the end of a plant's life cycle? Show kids the natural way that plants show that they're decomposing, as well as the importance of compost, with a activity about living organisms. After reading Log Cabin by Anne...
Cornell University
Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers
In the Skin of a Monster
Kathryn Barker's In the Skin of A Monster explores how a school massacre impacts a community. Unfortunately, the events depicted are all too familiar to many. This teacher's guide for Barker's novel offers activities that enable readers...
Curated OER
Observation: It's A Natural!
Students play the role of naturalist in their own community just as Thoreau was in his. They observe their communities looking for positive and negative aspects on the environment. They work together in groups to complete a model for...
Curated OER
Create a Community Tree Tour
Students study tree identification. In this tree identification lesson, students design and assemble a tree tour booklet describing 5 trees found in their community. The booklet should feature common and Latin names of the species, a...
Curated OER
My Community
Learners engage in a instructional activity about the community in order to find out what different things go on within it on a daily basis. They conduct field research and look up information in order to answer some key questions...
Curated OER
Farming and the Services of a Community (Lesson 5)
Students identify different types of farms and services of a community. They use a pretend farm scenerio and a worksheet to distinguish between the different types of farms. They also practice using new vocabulary.
Curated OER
Prairie Voices: Community Development, Investigating Local History
Students investigate local history. In this research skills instructional activity, students examine historic landmarks, tax records, fire maps, town plans, historic photographs, newspapers, and other primary sources to learn about local...
Curated OER
What Can We Do About Trash in Our Community?
Fourth graders examine how to deal with the amount of trash in their community. They discover alternate ways of managing waste. They develop their own solutions to the problem.
Curated OER
The Lorax
Third graders identify environmental problems. In this natural resources instructional activity students participate in several activities that support critical thinking about the environment and natural resources. The students write,...
Curated OER
Land as a Valuable Resource
Students investigate why the soil is important to our lives. In this natural resources lesson, students have a farmer as a guest speaker. Students begin to understand how farmers use and protect our natural resource. Students write...
Curated OER
You Be The Census Taker
Students interpret information from an excerpt of the 1870 U.S. Census and compare that data to economic data they collect about local businesses in their own community. Students then evaluate how closely linked their community's economy...