National Park Service
Reduce Our Carbon Footprint, Let’s Compost!
Roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty with this elementary and middle school compost lesson plan. All you need is a large plastic container, a couple old newspapers, some organic waste, and a few hundred worms and you're ready...
National Wildlife Federation
What's Your Habitat?
How are third graders like rabbits? They both live in habitats and require food, water, and shelter to survive! An educational science lesson encourages your learners to think about their own habitats and survival needs, before comparing...
Curated OER
Micro-Organisms
Learners investigate micro-organisms with an on line activity. In this micro-organism on line lesson plan, students identify bacteria, viruses and fungi projected onto a white board. Learners work in groups and use a computer and an on...
Curated OER
Observing Motion
First graders explore movement and motion. In this motion lesson, 1st graders how objects can move as well as how the Earth is in constant motion and the force of gravity. Students complete a coloring sheet.
Curated OER
Science Processes
Fifth graders observe a dry piece of bread and a damp piece of bread in two separate sealed bags that have been sitting for several days that have been labeled. The observe the mold with a hand lens and record findings in their science...
Curated OER
Spore Drop
Students observe the pattern of the inside of a mushroom and write down what they see. In this mushroom lesson plan, students cut a mushroom at the top and draw what they see in the spore of the mushroom.
Curated OER
Who's Coming to Lunch: A Study of Mold Growth
Students participate in an experiment to determine where fungi and molds are formed, and create graphs documenting fungal growth.
Curated OER
Cells
Seventh graders look up pictures of viruses or pictures of models of viruses. Using pipe cleaners, beads, Styrofoam or other available materials make models of these shapes. They then observe a demonstration to show the effect of Tobacco...
Curated OER
Dirt Life
Students select and collect soil samples from a variety of locations (schoolyard, home, etc.). They do this lab after an interest-generating discussion about "dirt" and microbes. Students make a dilution in sterile water, plate it on a...
Curated OER
Don't Wait, Just Propagate
Students explore the process of growing plants from seed. In this propagation activity, students examine methods of propagation and determine how to rapidly propagate plant species. Students listen to a lecture informing them on the...
Alabama Learning Exchange
It's a Small, Small World
Young scholars compare and contrast the different characteristics of animal-like, plant-like, and fungus-like protists. They list examples and describe the characteristics shared by the three protist groups. They create a brochure or...
Curated OER
Your Body: A Bacteria Incubator!
Students use string, a petri dish, water, wipes, and other materials to collect bacteria from their body. In this bacteria lesson plan, students use ingredients to collect bacteria, observe it, predict what will happen over time, and...
Curated OER
Time Lapse Seed Germination with the QX3 Intel Digital Microscope
Young scholars use the time-lapse feature of the QX3 Intel Digital Microscope
to observe germination of seeds. They use the QX3 Intel Digital microscope to create time lapse video films of seed germination experiments.
Curated OER
Life in a Log
Young scholars identify insects living in rotting logs. In this decomposition lesson, students observe pieces of a rotting log, they look at the insects that have inhabited the log and create a chart that shows their findings.
Curated OER
Forest Floor Terrarium
Students study the aspects of a forest floor ecosystem, including decomposition, the water cycle, food webs, the needs of living things, and physical vs. chemical change over an extended period. In addition, students conduct observations...
Curated OER
World of Protists
Pupils observe a jar of pond water and predict how much life they think exists in the jar and watch a "Bill Nye: The Science Guy" video regarding protists. They participate in an online virtual pond dip where they begin to familiarize...
Curated OER
A Tree of Life Activity
Students solve a mystery of the identification of a unknown organism by comparing its morphological characteristics to those in a tree of life classification poster. They compare the observable characteristics of the specimen and...
Curated OER
Viewing Viruses
High schoolers view the characteristics of viruses following the 5-E learning model. By participating in discrepant events Students observe the impact of viruses over humans. By participating in discussion high schoolers examine the...
Curated OER
The Web of Life - Ecosystem
Students examine the concepts of ecosystems and interdependence. They construct block pyramids to demonstrate interdependence, and map off an area to observe and identify animals. They create food chain mobiles and play a web of life game.
Curated OER
Water Molds (Oomycetes)
Students explore a group of fungus-like organisms; the Oomycetes, by baiting them from natural sources (water and soil) and observing them.
Curated OER
Odyssey of Life, Part II-The Unknown World
Students complete an experiment in which they observe different natural sample in which they uncover the microbial world. They complete a two part worksheet that accompanies the lesson.
Curated OER
Looking at the Community Tree
Third graders review the characteristics of living and nonliving organisms. As a class, they observe a tree and describe the interactions between the living and nonliving organisms surrounding it. To end the lesson, they ask a question...
Virginia Department of Education
Prokaryotes
Lead your biology class on a cell-sized adventure! Emerging scientists construct models of prokaryotes, then design an experiment to properly grow a bacterial culture. They conclude the activity by viewing the culture under a microscope....
Curated OER
Spring
Students examine lichens in an outside field trip. Students explore the diversity of this organism and ask questions about them.