Curated OER
WET Science Lesson #11: How Light Affects Water
Scientists listen to the story of Wadja Egnankou who works to save African mangrove forests. They experiment with refraction and the introduction of particulate matter to water. They conclude with creative writing about the need for a...
Curated OER
Grounded for Life
Second graders become familiar with the lives of penguins including their life cycles, habitats and basic needs. Students will experience the lives of penguins through stories and video.
Curated OER
Harvesting and Threshing the Seed
Middle schoolers harvest and thresh the seeds. They count the seeds and compare that number with the original number of seeds planted (8) to determine their profit or loss. Finally, students think about additional questions they have...
Curated OER
The Biological Carbon Cycle
Students learn about the biological carbon cycle. In this carbon cycle lesson, students access the web site and mouse over the diagrams to follow the carbon cycle. They read about what happens to humans and plants during this cycle.
Curated OER
Why Are Bees Important?
Young scholars identify and analyze pollination and how bees play an important part in the life cycle of flowering plants. They also identify the process of plant pollination and how bees play an important part in the life cycle of...
Curated OER
How do plant & animal cells make and use energy?
Students show the relationship between the need for plants to undergo photosynthesis in order to generate oxygen. They see the flaws associated with this thinking because of the lack of CO2 and H2O and lack of sufficient gravity in order...
Curated OER
Fiber of Life
Young scholars examine the importance of plants to individuals and society through a multi-discipline set of activities. They observe and draw different leaf structures and then create a book about trees and photosynthesis. They explore...
University of Southern California
Mastering Microbes
Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging instructional activity asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.
Curated OER
The Cell - Internet Activity
In this cells worksheet, students click on the links to learn about the plant and animal cells complete a comparison chart and answer short answer questions about it. Students complete 10 questions total.
Curated OER
Eco-Logical: A Coastal Logic Problem
Fourth graders study the characteristics of five coastal communities. They use logic cards and matching activities to identify the proper community for plant and animal species.
Curated OER
Magical Metamorphosis
Students explore the life cycle of the butterfly and the process of metamorphosis through the creation of painted life cycle habitat. They place each part of the cycle in the correct location through the use of a visual diagram.
Curated OER
Change or Adaptation
Students identify the adaptive forces in the life cycle of plants, animals, and humans, isolate and identify the role that change and adaptation play in extreme environments and research and write a short term paper using MLA citations.
Curated OER
Beaver Ecology
Students investigate beaver adaptations, life cycle, and the effects of beaver behavior on ecosystems. They compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic ecosystems.
Curated OER
Cell (Biology)
Students conduct a series of activities to explore the nature of cells. In this biology lesson, students observe plant and animal cells under the microscope and compare them. They differentiate osmosis and diffusion.
Curated OER
The Seasonal Cycle
Students complete a unit of lessons on the four seasons. They examine the effect each season has on plants, animals, and people during the actual season, read magazine and newspaper articles, and create a calendar and poster about each...
Curated OER
Where the Red Fern Grows: A 4th Grade Literary Focus Unit
Fourth graders explore the human and animal connection along with the idea that death is a part of the life cycle. They read "Where the Red Fern Grows." Students examine the feelings and emotions surrounding death and they discover the...
Curated OER
The Three W's: Wind, Waves, and Wings
Students participate in hands-on acticities to understand how native plants and animals arrived on Hawaii from long distances without the assistance of man. They then identify what characterizes a plant or animal as native vs. non-native.
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...
Desert Museum
Daisy Ecology
Here's a fine lesson 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 of...
Curated OER
Native Chili Planting
Students discover the process of planting chili. After comparing two types of seeds students plant and with the use of a digital camera, record the seed progress. When ready for transplant, students take young plants to a retirement...
Curated OER
Gametogenesis and Fertilization
Pupils explore how this module focuses on part of the cycle of alternation of generations: meiosis to produce haploid spores and fertilization to produce a diploid zygote which grows into the adult plant.
Curated OER
Flutterings and Flowers
Fourth graders investigate the significance of natural resources and the habitats of butterflies. They create a list of their own favorite foods, then watch a video about habitats. Students identify things in the video that animals and...
Curated OER
Index of Organisms
In this biology worksheet, students fill in the description of a plant or animal. They write answers to 8 blanks and draw the organism's life cycle diagram.
Curated OER
Comparing Mitosis with Meiosis
Life science learners view an online animated mini textbook comparing two types of cell division. Working in groups, they use a digital microscope to capture images of cells in different stages of mitosis and meiosis. Then they create an...