Chicago Botanic Garden
Climate and Forest Ecosystem Services
Forests, through sequestration, capture excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and store it, aiding in climate change. The third installment in a four-part series on how climate impacts forests explores carbon sequestration....
Curated OER
Parts of the Plant and Their Functions
Delving into this slideshow will help the students understand the composition of plants and their structures. Each slide identifies certain structures and explores how they support the plant's survival along with assisting our...
Curated OER
See Our Collection
First graders classify plants and animals based on their characteristics using examples from the westward journey of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery.
Curated OER
What Do We Need In Our Environment To Survive?
Young scholars discuss and write about waste management to save the environment. In this environment lesson plan, students discuss what an alien coming to Earth would notice about the environmental needs of humans for survival. They...
Curated OER
Geography of Our Environment
Students explore geographical elements. In this geographical elements lesson, students create a map showing the geographical elements in their area. Students take pictures of these elements to glue to their map and present it to the class.
Curated OER
People and the Environment
In this environment instructional activity, students look at how different human actions can cause pollution and how the pollution effects the environment. This instructional activity has 6 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Seed Plants: Angiosperms
Students describe flowering plants and see why angiosperms are the most successful plants. In this angiosperms lesson students identify angiosperms and explain how they reproduce.
California Academy of Science
Pollution in Our Watershed
The concept of a how pesticides and other chemicals pass through a watershed can be difficult for younger learners to grasp without a concrete example. In the activity here, some blank paper, markers, and a spray bottle are all you need...
Montana Natural History Center
Studying Grassland Ecosystems
At first glance, grassland ecosystems might seem dull and uninteresting, but once you start to explore it's amazing the things you'll find! Through this series of engaging lessons, activities, and experiments, elementary students examine...
Energy for Keeps
Getting Current: Generating Electricity Using a Magnet
Give your class a magnetic charge with this creative experiment designed to teach emerging scientists about electromagnetism. Pupils construct a model that demonstrates the function of an electrical generator and test this creation in a...
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
Plants of the Past
Fourth graders explore ecosystems by examining plants of the past. They discuss ways in which we interact with plants in our daily lives. Students discuss the role plants play in providing food for animals and the significance they had...
Curated OER
Acid Rain
Create a simulation of acid rain in your classroom with lemon juice and bean plants to help kids study the effects of pollution on plants. In addition, learners will listen to a story and write responses based on guiding questions.
PBS
Population Simulation with M&M's
Math and M&Ms® go great together when introducing a modeling activity. Allow your learners to simulate population growth and decay of fish in a pond and share their reasoning for the change in fish. With such an impact we have on our...
Curated OER
Earth: Our Big Blue Marble
Students investigate Earth and its resources. In this Earth, space, and nature lesson plan, students collaborate to design presentations on the Earth, its cycles, and how humans have impacted the planet. Images, diagrams, and background...
Curated OER
Harvesting Energy from Food: How do Plants Help Humans?
Beginning botanists view slides of plant vascular tissue. They watch Magic School Bus Gets Planted, which you can find online, and then write a summary of what they have learned about plants. This lesson could be used with upper...
Curated OER
Biology: Plants - The Fiber of Life
Learners, in groups, examine and list the varieties of plants and how they relate to man and the environment. They create plant books complete with leaf samples with sketches and information, grow beans in plastic baggies, and role-play...
Curated OER
Climate And the Greenhouse Effect
Young scholars demonstrate the greenhouse effect. They recognize that relatively small changes to our environment can stimulate significant climate changes. They determine that the "scientific method" is a process of testing hypotheses...
Curated OER
Our Earth
In this Earth's environment worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle given 35 clues about a variety of topics related to our Earth. Topics include ecosystems, precipitation, biomes, energy transfer, soil, weathering and rocks.
Deliberating in a Democracy
Recycling
How often have you passed by a recycling container in your school? Scholars research the issue of recycling in the ever-changing global world. Using documentation and video evidence, they form their own opinions on recycling and how it...
Curated OER
The Marsh Land as a Changing Environment
Sixth graders continue their examination of the state of Connecticut. After taking a field trip, they identify the types of birds, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates who make their home in the salt marshes. In groups, they identify...
Curated OER
How Do Plants Grow?
Students investigate plant growth. For this plant growth lesson, students investigate what would happen to plants if they did not have water and sunlight. Students conduct experiments to determine what plants need. Students create a...
Curated OER
Plants
Sixth graders examine how plants collect water and breathe. In groups, they participate in a variety of activities in which they discover how plants operate in terrariums. To end the lesson, they discuss why plants are important to the...
Curated OER
Sustainable Livestock
Young scholars investigate healthy eating habits by researching livestock. In this food sustainability lesson plan, students research the negative impact factory farming has on our environment due to pollution. Young scholars define...