Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing a Germination Experiment

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students explore botany by participating in a seed experiment. In this plant nutrition lesson, students define several science experiment vocabulary terms like observation, treatment, and replicate. Students utilize soaked seeds in a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Class Field Guide to the Sloughs

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore how to use field guides to identify wildlife.  For this nature lesson students construct their own plant field guide. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constructing Food Chains

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Young scholars explore different habitats and the food chains within.   In this food web lesson students construct food chains for different habitats.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant and Animal Cells: Alike and Different?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders create a mneumonic device and a graphic organizer about the parts of plant and animal cells. In this biology lesson plan students are introduced to the parts of the cells and then work in groups to create projects that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Organisms – Their Needs

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students compare and contrast different organisms characteristics. In this life science instructional activity, students design an experiment about plants and animals needs. They collect data and write their conclusion about the experiment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Scientists’ Way

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students summarize the steps of the scientific method. In this life science lesson, students explain the importance of varying only one variable at a time. They analyze possible flaws in their experiment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Plant History of Canyon de Chelly

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research native and conventional plants in Canyon de Chelly and surrounding area. Students collect, draw, and write about a variety of plants through research. In the descriptive writings, students include a brief history of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In What Direction Do Seeds Grow?

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students predict and examine the direction seeds grow and thereby explore the effects gravity has on seeds and plants. They perform this inquiry in-class by keeping track of how beans grow.
Lesson Plan
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Classification of Animals

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders practice classiyfying items and identify three major characteristics scientists use to classify animals. They describe the differences between ectothermic and endothermic animals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Human Tree

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore botany by defining the anatomy of a tree. In this environmental exploration lesson, students research plant vocabulary terms and discuss the uses of each word. Students create a "human" tree by role-playing as one of the...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Nonlinear Models in a Data Context

For Teachers 8th Standards
How well does your garden grow? Model the growth of dahlias with nonlinear functions. In the instructional activity, scholars build on their understanding of mathematical models with nonlinear models. They look at dahlias growing in...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Posing Statistical Questions

For Teachers 6th Standards
Is this a statistical question? The opening lesson in a series of 22 introduces the concept of statistical questions. Class members discuss different questions and determine whether they are statistical or not, then they sort the data...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Can Clear of Tress Destroy a Community?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders brainstorm the relationship between trees and humans to determine how humans benefit from trees and how they benefit from us. They discuss oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange, soil stablization, animal habitat, shade, medicine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Microscopy Exercises

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students explore organisms and botany by utilizing microscopes. In this microscopic research lesson, students define many plant and organism related vocabulary terms such as conifers, moss and spores. Students view spores and other...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Which Way is Up? The Tree of Life in Africa

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Learners read a book titled This is the Tree about a baobab tree and draw a picture and label the tree. In this tree lesson plan, students also write a paragraph explaining why they drew that tree. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Keeping Soil in Its Place

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate erosion. In this Science lesson, 4th graders explore the role of weathering and plant growth related to erosion. Students define the components of soil. Students explore the history of the Dust Bowl.
Lesson Plan
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Plant Parts

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders identify plant parts by using different classification methods. In this plant lesson plan students observe and draw different types of leaves then classify them according to species.
Lesson Plan
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Will There be Enough Water?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners investigate water usage, water available, and water demand historically in the local area. They use projections of water usage, availability and demand up to the year 2050. Students use graphs to relate as well as compare and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mini-Ecosystems

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify the living and non living things in a book read aloud and discuss the interactions represented in the book. Then, they research and include a list of food that each animal needs in an ecosystem. Finally, 3rd...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Form and Function in the Marine Environment

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners study the relationship of form and function in the marine environment.
Unit Plan
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How Does Your Garden Grow?

For Teachers 2nd
Students complete activities to learn about the life cycle of a seed. In this plant growth lesson, students complete activities for the life cycles of seeds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Be Nice to Spiders Lesson Plan

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students share their own pages with the rest of the class while they learn about spiders. In this Be Nice to Spiders lesson plan, students learn how spiders are living creatures just like people.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Next Year's Seeds

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore agricultural issues using math and probabilities. In this agriculture lesson, 6th graders investigate real world situations in agriculture using math and probabilities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant and Animal Cells

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the difference between plant and animal cells. They observe a variety o plant and animals cells by looking at a piece of cork, an onion, elodea, prepared slides of paramecium, human bone, frog blood, and human...