Desert Discoveries
Sonoran Desert Predators and Prey
Here is a fabulous instructional activity the animals found in the Sonoran Desert. Learners classify these animals as predators, prey, or both! They take a look at the many adaptations that these animals utilize to help them find food,...
Curated OER
Bat and Moth
Young scholars stand in a circle, with two in the center. The center students are the bat and moth. They are both blindfolded, and the bat must catch the moth. The bat shakes a can, and the moth must reply by shaking his/her can, also....
Curated OER
Specialized for the Sea
Students use pictures and make a mural to investigate how ocean animals are adapted to certain parts of their environment.
Curated OER
Peppered Moth Simulation
Students investigate the process of natural selection in peppered moths. In this natural selection lesson plan, students simulate peppered moths in environments similar to those during the industrial revolution. Students use white paper...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Staying Safe
Amaze the class with the creative adaptations species employ to trick predators. An online interactive lesson introduces learners to six different species with unique adaptations. Each species highlights a different adaptation and its...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Amazing Adaptations
We can all adapt. Classmates watch a video about the adaptations of sea horses that allow them to eat and move. They then watch penguins on webcams to see what adaptations help the penguins find food, move, and avoid predators. Finally,...
Curated OER
Bats: Need Nectar, Will Travel
Beginning wildlife biologists become adult bats, baby bats, snakes, owls, bobcats, or land-clearing developers in a grand role-playing activity. In a large open space, they play a game in which they move to designated areas based on what...
Curated OER
Camouflage
Students observe first hand what it is like to be the prey and what he or she must do to blend in and make themselves less noticeable. They participate in a variety of hands-on activities which help them explain how insects hide...
Curated OER
Pollination of Flowers by Moths
Turn your classroom into a pollination station as your kids transform into moths or predators trying to survive and aiding in plant reproduction along the way. Using silent party blowers as proboscises, the moths will have two minutes to...
Curated OER
The Dragonflies of Summer
The best thing about dragonflies is that they make great topics for informational texts. Get those readers excited with a fun and interesting insect-related text passage that can help them increase their comprehension skills. As children...
Curated OER
Dull Duck, Dashing Duck
Students examine the different colors and patterns found on animals bodies, specifically birds. Through discussion, students discover the use of the colors and patterns for protection from predators and the advantages while hunting prey,...
Curated OER
The Good, the Bad and the Nasty Tasting
Learners examine the effect of chemicals from marine plants or animals on predator's preferences. In this ecology lesson, students conduct taste tests and collect necessary data. They write their conclusion after analyzing experimental...
Curated OER
Feeding Facilitation: A lesson in Evolution and Sociobiology
Students simulate foraging by searching for and gathering toothpicks. Feeding Facilitation is an attempt to show the relationship between energy costs of foraging and predator avoidance with flocking behavior and their relationship to...
University of Minnesota
Manduca sexta: Caterpillar Dissection
Caterpillars have an amazing, yet tough job to perform in their short lives — eat much, avoid predators, and try not to let all those comments about being the unattractive stage of the life cycle get to them. How do they handle it all?...
Curated OER
Population Biology
Students define the following terms: predation, competition, carrying capacity and population. They can explain the patterns of growth and the limitations of growth. Students explain the difference between density-dependent and...
Curated OER
Animals Word Search Puzzle
To make the classic word search more challenging and academic, this animal-terms puzzle has scholars solving clues to determine the words they find. Fifteen clues give detailed definitions of biology terms such as carnivore, reptile,...
Curated OER
Insect Challenge Project
In this biology worksheet, students identify insects by their name and write it in the correct box on the sheet. Then they catch insects with nets and bring them in to identify. Students also earn points for the number of insects caught...
Curated OER
The Natural Selection of Stick-Worms
Students discuss and role-play the elements of natural selection. They use toothpicks to represent Stick-Worms and discover the mechanisms of change of traits in populations.
Curated OER
Animal Hide and Seek
Students read about animal camouflage. In this animal adaptation lesson, students read short texts about ways in which animals hide or transform to escape their prey. Students explore animal classifications and determine ways to hide in...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Colorful Creatures
An online resource shows learners some species that are very good at using their camouflage as well as other ways species use their coloring for survival. Interactive and digital, the lesson is perfect as a remote learning resource.
Curated OER
Sound for Sight
Young scholars study echolocation and understand how dolphins use it to locate prey, escape predators, and navigate their environment. They view a video, "In the Wild-Dolphins with Robin Williams" and see first hand how dolphins...
Curated OER
Population Explosion Relay
Students study the concepts of seed dispersal, germination rate, exponential population growth, and predation by engaging in a bean 'weeds vs. natives' relay race. They illustrate how weeds out-compete other plants for space by crowding...
Curated OER
BATS: NEED NECTAR, WILL TRAVEL
Students play the role of nectar feeding bats on their annual migration
and try to avoid the different hazards that hinder their progress. They describe the annual migration of long-nosed bats including key elements such as: where the...
Desert Discoveries
Nocturnal Navigators
Young biologists take a look at some of the unique ways that nocturnal animals survive in the dark. After reading a terrific student handout which is embedded in the plan, learners work together to answer questions about what they have...