Curated OER
Pollination of Flowers by Moths
Turn your classroom into a pollination station as your kids transform into moths or predators trying to survive and aiding in plant reproduction along the way. Using silent party blowers as proboscises, the moths will have two minutes to...
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Animal Life Cycle
Students conduct hands-on experiments. In this life cycle lesson, students are able to observe a variety of animals as they travel through their life cycle (brine shrimp, mealworms, frog eggs and chicken eggs). Students respond to what...
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Naming New Species
Students explore science of taxonomy and the Five Kingdoms of life,
categorize organisms into Kingdoms, and create multi-media presentations illustrating knowledge of a Kingdom. They collect data and related pictures on the Internet,...
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Food Chains and Food Webs
Fourth graders study intertidal organisms and their role in the food web. In this food web lesson, 4th graders read the book The Sea That Feeds Us and discuss food webs. Students study pictures of intertidal creatures and discuss their...
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Lewis and Clark in Your Local Park
Students read parts of the Journals of Lewis and Clark focusing on the descriptive writing of Meriwether Lewis. They examine pictures of animal and plant species, and listen to nature tapes. They simulate the experience of the explorers...
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Carrying Capacity
Young biologists identify how plants and animals are affected by changes in their ecosystem and environment. The concepts of succession, maintenance of habitats, interrelationships, and adaptation are all discussed. This...
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Endangered Species Scavenger Hunt
Seventh graders gain a better understanding of endangered species. This lesson plan requires a field trip to the North Carolina Zoological park. At the park, 7th graders use a worksheet imbedded in this plan to identify and categorize...
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Deep Jungle: New Frontiers
Students study the world's rainforests for unusual plant and animal species. They explore how biologists use infrared cameras to explore jungles.
Rainforest Alliance
Investments in Forest Carbon
One hundred metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time—that's a lot of carbon! In the activity, groups of middle school learners determine what makes forests important. They then solidify the concept by using a...
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Creating a Pollinator Garden
Students build a pollination garden. In this pollination lesson, students read directions and build a pollinator garden that will produce flowering plants for pollinator organisms to use in pollination of other plants.
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Have You Seen Me? An Introductory Lesson on the Loss of Biodiversity
Students investigate environmental law and policies involving endangered species as well as discuss human impact on biodiversity through an Internet research project. Students create a milk carton of their "missing" endangered species.
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Human Impact on the Environment and Pollution
Pupils illustrate the impact humans have on the environment through analogies and models. They observe demonstrations of human impact and pollution and create a composite picture of how people can have an impact on their environment.
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How Many Animals?
Students use their math skills to develop estimates for the population of several animal species native to the Austrailian rainforest. It is a simulation that researchers at the Center for Rainforest Studies in Australia perform to...
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Galapagos: Beyond Darwin
Students identify plants and animals endemic in their local area after learning about the plants and animals of the Galapagos Islands. In this plants and animals lesson plan, students create an endemic garden on school grounds.
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California Biodiversity
Young scholars examine several maps of California exhibiting features such as precipitation, topography, and vegetation. They look for patterns that might be the source of or influence biodiversity in different regions. They pay...
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Water Quality and Dissolved Oxygen
Students investigate the relationship between dissolved oxygen and organic materials and aquatic organisms. This is a 3-lesson series in which students explore dissolved oxygen and then design an experiment testing the effects of changes.
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Patterns and Adaptations in Plants and Animals
Fourth graders conduct research about some of the regions of Texas. They compare plants and animals to identify different adaptations. The statistics of survival rates are measured for changes.
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Illnois River and Lake Mussel Habitat Diorama Activity
Students identify the environmental elements of river and lake mussels. They compare the elements to the time before settlement and during industrialization. They also participate in a field trip to a mussel exhibit.
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Stream Scanners
Students investigate quality of water in a stream, lake, or pond by examining chemical, physical, and biological characteristics.
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Working for Water
Learners examine the ways that government works to help improve aquatic habitats. In this water habitats instructional activity students view a video and plan a school restoration project.
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Classify UT Plants and Animals
Students practice using 2 different plant classification keys to identify species. They make choices between the similarities and differences between their object and the classification scheme.
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Weather, Migrations, and Plants
Students research the effects of day-to-day weather on animal migrations, plant growth and other seasonal events. They consult maps, observe and record local conditions, keep journals and use their collected data check hypotheses.
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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...
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Threatened, Endangered & Extinct Lesson Plan
Students examine the basic needs of living organisms. In this science lesson, students study ecosystems and discover that organisms have basic needs that must be met.