Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rain Forest Research

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore the Rain Forest. In this research lesson, 2nd graders go online to gather information about Rain Forest animals. Students print and use the information to write about the many parts of the Rain Forest. Students are...
Lesson Plan
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Ecosystem Field Trip

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young scholars investigate the different seeds and plants that are part of the Millcreek ecosystem. They take a field trip to the ecosystem and complete activities using the plants that are indigenous to the area.
Lesson Plan
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Pollinators and Wildflowers

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars explore how plants depend on pollinators to reproduce.  In this pollination lesson students dissect a local flower and collect and identify pollinating insects. 
Lesson Plan
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Bean Sprout

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Student will track the growth of his/her bean sprout with sunlight and without sunlight over the course of 3 weeks. They will enter the results into an excel data base then graph the results of both variables to make the comparison.
Lesson Plan
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Acid Rain Environment Pollution

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars combine different materials to create chemical reactions. In this chemical reaction lesson plan, students will combine different materials to create chemical reactions and define these results as acids or bases. They will...
Lesson Plan
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Soil in My Food Web

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders understand the importance of soil to the food web.  In this food web lesson, 4th graders create various food webs beginning with soil using yarn and name cards.  Students write about the importance of soil to one...
Lesson Plan
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Biomes of the World (and Canada)

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students explore environments by analyzing food chains. In this biome identification lesson, students define a list of environmental vocabulary terms such as tundra, rain-forest and desert. Students create a fictional self sustainable...
Lesson Plan
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What Are We?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students list and describe three types of surface water pollutants. They observe the effects of various water pollutants on algae growth. Three causes of each surface water pollutant is listed.
Lesson Plan
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A Walk in the Forest

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore interrelationships among plants and animals.  Students listen to Where to, Little Wombat? by Charles Fuge, and contribute words and phrases for a classroom animal and plant survival chart. Students take a walk in a...
Lesson Plan
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Wild, Wild Wetland Wildlife

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate biology by participating in a science experiment. In this dissection lesson, students conduct a nature field trip around their school grounds and identify animals, plants, tracks and waste. Students dissect an owl...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago: The City in Art, 1995-2000

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students examine a mural of animals and talk about animal classification. They act as scientists and keep a record, called a Jungle Journal, of plants and animals they observe while studying the rainforest.
Lesson Plan
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Sedimentary Rocks

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discuss the basic properties of rocks, the processes involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil. They write descriptions in their Science journal and identify and discuss each type of...
Lesson Plan
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Rain Forest Adventures

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discover locations of the world's rain forests. Once they identify the animals, plants, products, and resources located in them, they construct they own rain forest terrariums. By comparing and contrasting the two types of...
Lesson Plan
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Relating Structure to Function in Cells

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders investigate specialized structures in both plants and animals. They relate structure to function, as they determine why the specialization is necessary and useful to the living organisms involved. They use microscopes...
Lesson Plan
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My Little Seed House

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore plant life by participating in a germination activity. In this botany lesson, 2nd graders read several books about seed germination including Sunflower House and Tiny Seed. Students identify the necessary elements...
Lesson Plan
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POLLINATION DEMONSTRATION

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study the terms pollen and pollination. They use appropriate vocabulary in describing their investigations, explorations, and observations (e.g., stem, pistil, stamen, flower). They describe, using their observations,...
Lesson Plan
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Water Supply

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete three activities. For this water supply lesson, 4th graders learn that water can exist in different forms and watch a demonstration of each form. Students explore the water cycle and make a water cycle using the...
Lesson Plan
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Kick-Off Seed Explorations

For Teachers K - 1st
Students explore fruit seeds and recognize that fruit seeds grow into plants like their parent fruit. For this seed lesson, students classify seeds. Students complete a KWL. Students name the fruit the seed is from.
Lesson Plan
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What's in the Soil?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine soil to find its contents, and how much water and air they can measure.  In this soil composition lesson, 4th graders perform three experiments and record their results.  In one experiment they examine...
Lesson Plan
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Food Webs and Making Miniature Ecosystems

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students model a food web and create a miniature ecosystem. In this animal interactions instructional activity, students engage in a role playing game which simulates a food web. Students then build miniature ecosystems using pop...
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Geographic Luck

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine why some countries are rich while others remain poor. They view a video on the website, Guns, Germs and Steel, analyze primary sources to conduct research about plants and animals, and create a game based on their research.
Lesson Plan
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Water-The Liquid Gold

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate the necessity of water for the survival of plants, animals, and people. They explore the affect that water has on human and natural environments through literature, field trips, and discussions.
Lesson Plan
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Chemistry in Soil-Plant Relationship

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students apply the science of chemistry to soil and plant relationships. They define diffusion and indicate for which of these nutrient(s) would you expect diffusion to be the most important for movement to the plant root? Pupils...
Lesson Plan
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Beans and Birds: A Natural Selection Simulation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students solve the following problem concerning the evolution of seed color in pinto bean plants: "How does natural selection change the frequency of genes or traits over many generations?" They use the constructivist approach to...