Curated OER
Plant Explorers
Students investigate how plants take in water, nutrients, and light. They create artwork showing how plants survive in different environments.
Curated OER
Prairie Plant Investigation
Students carefully observe prairie plants and record their observations in a science journal. They examine the root systems of grasses and flowers and surmise how these plants can grow together on the prairie.
Curated OER
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 well-developed...
Curated OER
Bottle Habitat
In groups of four, learners construct aquatic habitats in pop bottles. They create charts and record data from observations over a four week period. Then they graph their data and write explanations for what they observed.
Curated OER
Explore Your Natural Habitat
Students identify habitats and understand why they are important to our environment. For this environmental lesson students design their own habitat, observe and record data on the impact their habitat has on the environment.
Curated OER
A Wild Chain Reaction
Students explore habitats. In this habitat lesson, students break into groups and are labeled as a part of a habitat. Students then do an activity with yarn that shows how all of the parts are connected and depend on each other....
Curated OER
Teaching Kids about the Environment
Fifth graders identify the species of plants and animals found in an environment. They compare these findings to plant and animal species found in an unlike environment. Students acquire and compare soil samples from the two sites chosen.
Museum of Science
Worm Farm
It is not a barrel of monkeys—it's a jar of worms! Scholars create a worm farm in a spaghetti sauce jar. Pupils layer moist soil, sand, and oatmeal to create a habitat for worms. Individuals place worms into the habitat, cover it with...
Curated OER
Plant Adaptations
Students identify parts of prairie plants. They sketch the plants indicating its adaptive parts and write brief descriptions of them. They present their findings to the class.
National Wildlife Federation
Butterfly Life Cycle
Caterpillars and butterflies each have their own unique challenges. While studying the life cycle of butterflies, learners focus on the threats to each stage. While some threats will be the same, each stage has its own unique challenge.
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Butterfly Gardening
Build a place for butterflies to call home. After identifying the needs of butterflies in terms of water, food, shelter, and reproduction, learners create a scale model of their ideal butterfly garden. Once the model is complete, they...
Curated OER
Invent an Invertebrate
Design a new organism with recyclable art materials! After learning about the coastal biome, learners brainstorm challenges that a plant or animal may face. They use their ideas to create a creature, complete with environmental...
Curated OER
Locating Echo
Students read the book The Adventure of Echo the Bat. In this animal science lesson, students read the book and create a chart labeled "Land Feature," "Habitat," and "Food." Students fill in the table according to where the character...
Curated OER
Venus Flytrap
Students study the Venus Flytrap including its habitat and how it eats. In this ecology lesson students complete several experiments using a Venus Flytrap to see how it reacts to various conditions.
Curated OER
Mountains
Explore the mountain habitat with this collection of slides. The climate is described, along with the associated plant and animal life. Some of the pictures are attractive, but some leave much to be desired. There is a generous amount of...
Curated OER
Praire Biome Models
Fifth graders, in groups, list the physical characteristics of a biome and think of ways in which animals might have to adapt to live there and make a biome mobile ball that show the different types of habitats that shape the praire biome.
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity C
Third in a set of lessons regarding reservoirs, dams, and hydropower, this involves a two-day hydropower plant simulation. Collaborative groups build, maintain, and finance the plant. The transparency of the reservoir setup can be...
Curated OER
Biodiversity Activity
Young scholars are introduced to biodiversiy. They use a simulation of two forests, one planted with only Douglas Fir trees, and one with diverse species of trees. Students also use the simulation of two forests, one a monoculture of...
Curated OER
Evolution of Plants
This is a wonderful PowerPoint! It gives excellent details of different types of ferns and their characteristics which help them to survive and produce spores in many varied habitats.
National Gardening Association
Migration Mishaps
Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...
Curated OER
Sensational Seaweed
Students compare kelp and land plants. In this sea plant lesson, students look at the role of algae in aquatic environments. They research the properties of kelp and explore seaweed.
Curated OER
Create a Habitat for an Animal
For this marine life worksheet, students label the ocean animal and each part of its habitat. Students then draw one of the habitats including the animals and plants that live there.
Curated OER
Caterpillar Camouflage
Students list animals, plant parts, and reasons for caterpillars to camouflage themselves. In this animal and plant adaptations lesson plan, students also play a game where they use colors as camouflage.
Curated OER
Suburban Ecosystems
Students conduct simple sampling of plant and insect biodiversity at ground level in two contrasting environments of their own choosing. They recognize and record different species then compare and contrast species numbers in the two...