NOAA
Build Your Own Ocean Ecosystem
Hold the sea in the palm of your hand! Amateur oceanographers work together to create models of an ocean ecosystem in the sixth and final installment in a series. Raise awareness of global ocean health issues through guided research,...
Curated OER
Aquatic Ecosystem Exploration
Students visit a local stream, pond, creek, or river and collect macroinvertebrates. They sort macroinvertebrates and identify each species using a dichotomous key. Students decide on trophic levels and construct a possible food web for...
Curated OER
Week 3: Pollution Source and Effects
Lab groups set up an experiment to observe what happens over time in collected pond water when fertilizer, representing pollution, is added. This website does not include student lab sheets, but background information, materials, and...
Curated OER
Pond Ecosystem Field Trip
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class trip. In this pond ecosystem instructional activity, students define a list of vocabulary terms associated with ponds such as invertebrate and metamorphosis. Students...
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The Marvels of Mud
Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine the role that...
Curated OER
Lentic Ecosystem or Lotic Ecosystem
Students explore the differences between lentic and lotic ecosystems. In this ecology lesson students study the water systems in Pennsylvania.
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Pond Ecology
Fifth graders examine pond ecology, testing how temperature affects the respiration rate of fish. They collect various living things found at a pond, and identify the animal and plant life discovered. They observe a pond community in an...
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Dibble Pond Ecosystem
Learners collect specimen and analyze it. In this biology lesson, students analyze and evaluate the diversity found in specific environment. They use the correct terminology as they do their write up for the experiment.
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Pond Safari
Students investigate organisms and animals by examining a nearby pond. In this ecosystem instructional activity, students participate in a field trip to a local pond where they utilize a net to gather animals, plants and pollution items,...
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A Survey of Plankton Communities
In this biology learning exercise, students identify and define the vocabulary terms listed and make a prediction about the outcomes of the experiment. Then they complete the chart of the observations of the plankton diversity in drops...
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Water and Land Ecosystems
Students investigate the differences between a land and aquatic ecosystem. They use the information in order to present it in an assessment. There are target questions that can be used to guide research, lead a classroom discussion, or...
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Ecosystems
Sixth graders perform various labs, create presentations, and do hands on activities to explore the ecosystem.
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Water Pollution Graphing Activity
Young scholars describe and identify the link between land use activities within a watershed and water quality. They evaluate the quality of a "water sample" ( a bag of skittles), graph their results, and form a hypothesis about the land...
Curated OER
The Effect of Medications on Daphnia
Students explore how human beings affect the world's ecosystem by examining the affects of medication on daphnia, a small freshwater organism very sensitive to pollution. Students use a computer model to repeat the experiment and analyze...
NOAA
Stressed Out!
Are our oceans really suffering due to the choices humans make? The sixth and final installment in the volume of activities challenges research groups to tackle one of six major topics that impact ocean health. After getting to the...
Curated OER
The Effects of Agricultural Fertilizer Runoff Upon Aquatic Ecosystems
Students measure the toxic levels of runoff and discuss the effects it would have on the aquatic system. In this runoff lesson plan, students answer questions to how runoff would affect the animals in an aquatic system.
American Museum of Natural History
Ask a Scientist About Our Environment
Scientists respond to 26 question posed by learners. These experts answer in easy to understand language, include photos to illustrate the issue, offer suggestions for how young people can make a difference, and supply links to resources...
Curated OER
Determination of Overall Water Quality Using a Quantitative Macroinvertebrate Survey
High schoolers examine water samples from a local stream. They identify various types of macroinvertebrates found in that water ecosystem and perform a quantitative macroinvertebrate survey to determine the stream's water quality.
Curated OER
Martian Earth Tours
Students study a variety of global wetland habitats, their similarities and differences. They examine the variety of life that such wetlands support and determine that many animals and plants are adapted to life in wetlands, that...
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Wetlands/Migration
Learners use a hopscotch course to simulate the problems birds incur as they are migrating due to loss of wetlands.
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Identifying Wetlands
Students describe three major categories of indicators that are used to delineate wetlands. In this wetlands activity students visit a wetland and make observations then complete an activity using the soil.
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Migration Isn't Just For The Birds
Fourth graders explore the concepts of conservation using a reading story that describes a flock of geese. The ecosystems are also described in the lesson plan and the effects of pollution.
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Making Marsh Connections
Third graders explore the interdependence among the plants and animals in natural communities.
Curated OER
Human Impact on the Environment
In this environmental science worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle with 26 questions about human impact on the environment.