Students examine ecosystems that covered Illinois 200 years ago, investigate some living and non-living components of ecosystems, identify components of prairie system, create food webs, and observe human effects on environment. Lessons...

Students, in groups, visit an exhibit and for a prairie scavenger hunt to locate sunflowers and name products made from them. After sketching a prairie dog, they find nature cues farmers use when growing plants and raising animals. The...

Young scholars practice problem solving techniques. They interpret data gathered by student researchers in Australia about the effectiveness of various strategies for controlling weed growth in a newly replanted rainforest.

Students view a video on a culture and list what would be preserved over time.  In this investigative instructional activity students study preservation and what gets preserved in different cultures. 

In this crossword puzzle worksheet, students read the 25 clues about Earth Day. Students then complete the crossword puzzle about Earth Day.

For this Dig Magazine archeology quiz, students answer 12 multiple choice questions complementing the October 2009 issue. Page contains answer and additional resources link.

Students play the role of scientists testing for water quality in the area. In this ecology lesson, students determine the water sample's pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. They write a journal reflection after the activity.

After reading a short paragraph about what makes up a woodland habitat, fifth graders attempt to identify the primary consumers, secondary consumers, and third order consumers in two separate food chain scenarios. They also name a hawk's...

Eighth graders research and write reports on key figures of the Antebellum Period. The projects also include pictures, bibliographies, and timelines about their assigned figure. In addition, 8th graders present oral reports to classmates.

Discover ways to measure items without standard tools. In this measurements instructional activity, learners estimate how long certain objects are by measuring with a non-standard measuring tool. Students check their estimates with a...

Third graders cut open a pumpkin. In this math lesson, 3rd graders complete the worksheet "From Seed to Pumpkin" and then clean out their pumpkins to see how many seeds are in it.

Students read information about George Washington Carver and outline the information. They are given peanuts in the shell, students examine them and eat them. Students discuss the following questions: Why did George Washington Carver...

Students create a time line. They research major events and advancements in the development of the plow. They describe and date at least ten major events and advancements in the development of the plow from prehistoric to present day....

Fourth graders participate in an activity dealing with the environment.

Students investigate how to create a vegetable garden and complete related activities. In this vegetable garden lesson, students receive agriculture notebooks to complete vocabulary for the gardening lesson. Students read 'Still-Life...

This PowerPoint enables students to review mathematical concepts that were addressed in fifth grade. This is an interactive review game where the class is divided into two teams. The team that answers the most questions right wins. Each...

Young scholars recycle discarded automobile tires and create gardening sites for limited space areas.

Seventh graders gain a better understanding of endangered species. This lesson 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 the...

Students analyze a primary source document (Jefferson's secret letter to Congress) and identify its objectives through the aid of focus questions. They complete a graphic organizer and write an article summarizing Philadelphia's...

Find out about the career of plant scientist from this Science Buddies career profile. If you are interested in biology, this specialization in soil and plant science might be for you. Read about the qualifications and education...

The goal of this plant biology science fair project is to make and test an herbicide made from the leaves of the black walnut tree and investigate the toxicity of black walnut trees.

Did you know that soils can be alkaline, neutral, or acidic? Most plants grow best in soil near neutral pH, but some plants prefer slightly acidic and others slightly alkaline soil. What is the pH of the soil in your garden? What happens...

An experiment to investigate the capacity of different soils to retain water, and how this impacts on the survival, evolution, and adaptations of plants. Extension activities are included.