Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Beyond the Fifty Yard Line -- An ecological look at our backyard

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students, in groups, stake out and rope off their study area, do population counts and density studies. They construct a map of the whole area, collect plants and insects, and mount and identify the organisms using keys.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Flowering Phenology: How Do Plants Know When to Flower?

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars study the process of plant reproduction and the biotic and abiotic factors that affect flowering phenology. In this plant reproduction lesson, students describe the interaction of environmental factors as it relates to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I See a Coyote

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students role-play coyotes looking for natural resources.  In this natural resources lesson, students examine the relationship between animal life and the environment.  Students play a game that demonstrates how natural...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Random Sampling

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this random sampling worksheet, students compare data collected by a random sample to data collected by an actual count using pieces of paper with numbers written on them. They compare their data for the actual count to the random...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Australian Ecology and Bushfires

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discuss the different types of ecosystem. For this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain the benefits and harm of fire. They research articles about bush fires or controlled burn instance and share it with the class.
Lesson Plan
Global Change

Impact of a Changing Climate on the Pacific Walrus

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
How many of us can say they've seen a Pacific walrus? Not many and one of the reasons is the impact of climate change on their aquatic environment. Children get to think about the food web of the Bering Sea by creating an actual web with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Standard 4 Review-Human Impact

For Teachers 9th - 12th
In this human impact on the environment worksheet, students fill in the blanks to complete sentences about how humans have negatively affected the environment. They complete sentences about the actions taken to reduce and repair the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seeds of Wetland Life

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students participate in several activities on seed exploration. In this biology lesson plan, students classify seeds according to their dispersal method. They explain the different adaptations plant have to disperse their seeds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Six Levels of Ecological Organization

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders describe the six levels of ecological organizations and give examples of each. They also differentiate between food chains and webs and identify trophic and consumer levels in food chain and food webs.
Lesson Plan
University of Kentucky

Beneficial Bug Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Many people think of bugs as annoying pests to be squashed, but most insects and spiders are beneficial, eating the actual pests or pollinating plants. After reviewing some of the common bugs in your area (they may differ from those...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology - Reproduction and heredity

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students correlate signs of spring with reproductive strategies of varioius organisms. They describe how organisms inherit traits from generation to generation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Webs

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students recognize interdependence in a food web by using yarn and notecards to create a food web and discussing what would happen if one of the organisms from a certain trophic level is removed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Environment and Interactions of Living Organisms

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars study the environment and interactions of living organisms. They identify abiotic and biotic factors and create a foldable and vocabulary cards. They create a poster illustrating soil and watch a video to study symbiosis.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Versus Climate

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, students investigate the climate of a zone they chose. They create a presentation and share their findings with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders are introduced to online research and beginning PowerPoint presentations that are integrated. They pass a plant and photosynthesis. Students locate information on a self selected animal online. They give a PowerPoint...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Changing Coral Reef

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students record changes in the composition of a coral reef.  In this Coral Reef lesson plan, students recognize the needs of Coral Reef species to survive.  Students chart changes in population over time. Students write an...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Succession

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The final lesson in a two-part series prompts scholars to create newspaper articles and succession events. Applying their knowledge of the ecosystem and the past examples of succession, they predict what will happen in the future...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Estuarine Habitats

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders study the important habitats, flora, fauna, and physical factors of coastal habitats. They compare the aquatic habitats to terrestrial habitats by researching and completing tables with the information.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cleansing, Sparkling Koos

For Teachers K
Students explore the importance of water conservation and investigate how plants clean water.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Delicate Balance within a Forest Ecosystem

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students examine the causes and effects of alterations in a forest ecosystem and evaluate how human actions may only seem to have minor consequences, but can lead to extinctions of large numbers of populations. Students produce an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish and Flowers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers read and discuss a research article that explains the unlikely link between increased fish populations and increased plant pollination. They answer reading guide questions to discover this ecological relationship.
Lesson Plan
Michigan Sea Grant

Wetlands

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Wetlands may not sound particularly ornate, but they are as important as any habitat! With a hands-on activity, young scientists build a wetland model and observe its many functions in action. They discover the importance of wetlands to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Zoo Poo

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students use Internet research to determine the amount of carbon dioxide produced per unit energy for biomass and coal. In this alternative energy lesson, students research to find out how much energy and carbon dioxide several coal and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compost and Composting Experiments

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students investigate the composting process through a variety of experiments. In this ecology lesson, students discuss the benefits of composting. They examine how compost affect plant growth.