Michigan Sea Grant
Invasive Species
Learners identify invasive species to the Great Lakes and analyze their impact on the ecosystem. Using photo cards with pictures and facts, young scientists work in small groups to match invasive species with their corresponding...
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The Big Hideout
Middle schoolers identify the types of camouflage used by animals in the desert. They work together to create their own animal creating their own type of camouflage. They determine how well the camouflage works.
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Management of Wildlife Resources
Students investigate how wildlife management policies affect the size of large animal populations. They develop a spreadsheet that incorporates a mathematical model to predict big game herd sizes, and using worksheet data manage a bison...
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Bird Beaks and Feet
In this bird adaptations worksheet, students look at different bird pictures and determine what the bird eats and where it lives by looking at its beak and feet. Students complete a graphic organizer and 5 short answer questions.
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Insect Conservation
Students make a diorama. For this insect lesson, students review what they know and what they need to know about insects. Students define conservation, discuss why it is important to conserve insects, and make an insect diorama.
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How Are Open Ocean Organisms Structured for Their Environment?
Students explore biology by conducting an animal dissection. In this oceanography lesson, students identify the life cycle of a squid and other animals that are involved with commercial fishing. Students dissect a squid in class and...
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Survival Of The Fittest
Seventh graders examine the concept of an ecosystem and how there is a variety of representations of life that exist there. They look at the equilibrium that is reached in stable communities and how the variable of change in...
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Competition/Cooperation Relationships
Students view the PowerPoint slide of a lynx and hare and discuss what would happen if all the lynxes were destroyed. They then take notes on the lesson and brainstorm about other competitive/cooperative relationships as well as discuss...
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Web of Life - Ecosystem
Third graders play the roles of various organisms in an ecosystem (focusing on insects) and pass yarn or string around to other organisms from largest animals to the smallest. The end product is a web which shows how all of these animals...
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Wildlife Habitat
Students explain what a habitat is and describe its four elements. They see how an area's habitat suitability varies with different species of wildlife. They name factors that affect habitat suitability.
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What is an Animal Group?
Students discover that people live in groups and animals live in groups or alone. They list ways that families cooperate and work together as a group. They create a large dinosaur made out of geometric shapes.
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Night Hike
Learners explore Upham Woods at night and investigate about the special adaptations of nocturnal animals. They identify three nocturnal animals and how they are adapted to the night. Students explain what night vision is and how it works.
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Food Web Relationships
For this food web worksheet, students create a food web matrix and answer short answer questions about the food chain according to the matrix. Students complete 7 short answer questions.
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Species Interactions
Students study the scientific concepts of biodiversity and conservation through the use of basic equations of population growth and hands-on experiments/simulations. The lesson includes a take-home assignment which can be used for final...
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Camouflage, Protection, & Adaptations—Who am I?
Students explore ocean animal adaptations. In this animal adaptations lesson, students examine how different ocean animals use adaptations other than camouflage to protect themselves.
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Scavenger Hunt: Simulating Natural Selection
Students simulate natural selection using pinto beans. In this biology lesson, students identify the factors affecting organism evolution. They record data from the experiment and formulate a conclusion.
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Centipede or Millipede?
Students discuss millipedes and centipedes in terms of their classification as arthropod. Using a diagram, students categorize and compare and contrast the characteristics of millipedes and centipedes based on their discussion of...
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Hide and Seek
Students examine animals that use camouflage and discuss why they use it. They create drawing of an imaginary animal that uses camouflage to hide in the classroom and identify the adaptations that would allow it to hide effectively.
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Cougar or Human: Which Needs Protection?
Students conduct Interned research on the cougar, listing perceptions about cougars, and facts about cougars. They view a video, take notes during the video, and organize presentations to present their findings.
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Meadow Mammals Crossword Puzzle
In this meadow mammals activity, students complete a crossword puzzle about meadow mammals. Students complete 25 blanks in the crossword puzzle.
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Ecosystem Food Web Mural
Learners create a food web mural about an ecosystem of the freshwater marsh. For this food web lesson plan, students write about the organisms and how each one depends on another.
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The Tree of Life
Students discover the amount of diversity that exists in a local area using simple techniques that make observing biodiversity easy and enjoyable. They select a tree to study, collect vials of specimens, then identify the arthropod.
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Biodiversity in Illinois-Pond Habitats
Second graders construct a pond habitat in the classroom using a small swimming pool partially filled with water, real cattails, a tree log adjoining, and plastic animal life appropriate to a pond setting. They examine the frog in detail...
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My Biotic Creation
Eighth graders explore different ecosystems. In this ecosystem survival lesson conditions lesson students create their own fictional creature.