Curated OER
Micro-Organisms
Students investigate microscopic life by viewing video clips. In this organisms lesson, students view photographs and video clips on the internet of micro-organisms and discuss the harms and benefits of the creatures. Students complete...
Curated OER
Garden Scavenger Hunt
Second graders examine the metric system. In this metric system lesson, 2nd graders compare measurements of common objects in metric units. Students compete in a garden scavenger hunt.
EngageNY
Introducing The Lost Garden and Finding Evidence of Laurence Yep’s Perspective on What It’s like to Fit into Another Culture on Pages 66– 67 of Dragonwings
How does culture shape perspective? Pupils consider the question as they read an excerpt from Laurence Yep's autobiography, The Lost Garden. Using a graphic organizer, they gather textual evidence and make inferences about the author's...
EngageNY
Inferring Laurence Yep’s Perspective of Being Chinese, from the “Being Chinese” Excerpt of The Lost Garden
It's all about perspective! Using the resource, scholars read a third excerpt from Laurence Yep's autobiography, The Lost Garden. As they read, individuals complete graphic organizers using clues from the text to infer the author's...
Curated OER
Exploring Texture In the Garden
Students explore the garden environment. For this garden environment lesson, students investigate the needs and parts of a plant. Students discover the differences between fruits and vegetables while creating their own garden.
Curated OER
Haiku: Observation and Writing in the Japanese Garden
Students observe a Botanical Gardens. Upon returning to the classroom, students write their own Haiku based on their observations.
Curated OER
Pollination Power
Students go out into the garden and observe pollinating animals through hand lenses. In this pollination lesson plan, students also discuss how animals carry seeds to create new plants elsewhere.
Curated OER
How to Grow a Sunflower Plant
Learners explore botany by conducting a sunflower growth experiment. For this plant life lesson, students identify the anatomy of a sunflower plant and the essential nutrients it requires to grow. Learners utilize compost, soil, garden...
Curated OER
Making Field Journals
Students follow a bookmaking format to create a book and use it as a garden journal. In this science journal lesson, students follow book making directions to create a garden and science journal.
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 lesson about living organisms. After reading Log Cabin by Anne Schreiber,...
Captain Planet Foundation
Which Plant Is Which?
Learn about dichotomous keys, plant identification, and how to care for the planet with a lesson that includes several hands-on and innovative activities. Kids go on a plant scavenger hunt and classify the plants that they find...
Curated OER
Garden of Eden
Students view a video clip about animals and their habitats. They work together to discuss how different animals adapt to their environments. They create a new habitat for a specific animal and draw new adaptations for them.
Curated OER
Creating a Pollinator Garden
Young scholars build a pollination garden. In this pollination activity, students read directions and build a pollinator garden that will produce flowering plants for pollinator organisms to use in pollination of other plants.
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
Investigating Native Plants
Young scholars explore Earth science by participating in a gardening activity. In this botany lesson plan, students discuss a group of non-native plants that would grow well in a school garden. Young scholars complete a plant science...
Curated OER
Investigation 6 - Soil Profile
Fourth graders study the components of soil. They observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant growth. They record color, texture, and kinds of materials on their profile log (light color, denser, grittier -...
Curated OER
Mapping the Garden
Learners discuss maps, the features on a map, and why maps are important. They make a map of a garden they will be planting, complete with symbols that represent the various plants they choose to plant.
Curated OER
Planting A Garden On Campus
Students investigate the school campus area in order to plan the best spot for a class garden. They create a map of the school and research the different types of soil that exist in order to find the best spot. The class takes the...
Curated OER
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Students explore plant life by reading books about gardening. In this botany lesson, students read the books From Seed to Plant and Oh Say Can You Seed? while identifying the necessary elements to raising a healthy plant. Students view...
Curated OER
Color in the Garden
Third graders study color in a garden environment. In this color lesson, 3rd graders explore the colors of living and nonliving elements within a garden environment. Resources are provided.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Leaf Litter Ecology Lab
Some organisms spend their entire lives in leaf litter. The third in a series of six is a great lesson exploring the community of leaf litter. Groups gather and then spread leaf litter over white paper and remove leaves/twigs while...
Curated OER
Metamorphosis Magic
Students make different motions for each stage in the butterfly life cycle and plant a garden. In this butterfly life cycle lesson plan, students can take the mini gardens home and discuss how butterflies help gardens.
Curated OER
Habitat Hopscotch
Third graders explore animal characteristics by participating in a bat environment game. In this natural habitat lesson, 3rd graders identify the physical anatomy of a bat and discuss their eating and sleeping habits. Students conduct a...
Education Outside
Soil Composition & Discovery
Organic or mineral? How does the matter matter? Second graders use their knowledge of the rock cycle to label the different components in garden soil.