Curated OER
Information Fluency Unit
Third graders pretend they have been asked to make t-shirts to show endangered plants and animals in the rainforest. Using the internet, they research what is happening in the rainforest and discover why the destruction of it is harmful...
EngageNY
Blending Informative and Narrative Writing: Transforming Research Notes into Field Journal Entries
The fabulous four. Scholars learn the four key components for creating an excellent journal entry. They then work to create a journal entry rubric and participate in a mini activity about organizing and outlining journal entries.
EngageNY
Writing and Revising Our Texts: Using Peer Critique to Improve First Drafts
Mail me a postcard. Individuals design a postcard to show what Meg Lowman from The Most Beautiful Roof in the
World might have written to her friends at home. They then continue to work on writing a science journal entry.
Rainforest Alliance
Knowing the Essential Elements of a Habitat
To gain insight into the many different types of habitats, individuals must first get to know their own. Here, scholars explore their school environment, draw a map, compare and contrast their surroundings to larger ones. They then...
Curated OER
Deforestation
Students study the effects of deforestation. In this environmental lesson, students view a PowerPoint slideshow about the importance of trees. Students read The Lorax and discuss what the characters represent in our society.
Curated OER
Who Takes Care of the Maya Forest Corridor?
First graders study the animals in the Maya Forest Reserve. In this conservation instructional activity, 1st graders create a graph to compare the environment of animals to their own. They design a 3D model of these two environments.
Curated OER
Rain Forest Adventures
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...
Curated OER
Brazilian Animals
Young scholars research the animals of Brazil. In this animal science lesson, students locate Brazil on a map and discuss the types of animals that can live in its tropical climate. They research a Brazilian Carnaval and see the roll the...
Curated OER
Producers -- Focus on Trees
Students examine the needs of trees and plants. In this forest ecosystem lesson students use seedlings to investigate the basic necessities of plants. They discuss the consequences of these basic needs not being met.
Curated OER
Beautiful Butterfly Tiles
Third graders create a butterfly drawing that includes the elements of art and principles of design. They create artwork that can be made into ceramic tiles to be installed around the classroom doorways in our new addition.
Curated OER
Africa: Small Sounds From a Big Country
Students explore the music from Burundi, Zimbabwe, and Pygmy cultures. They listen to and discuss music from the African cultures, analyze the musical elements, write a song, and perform music.
Curated OER
Botanical Garden Field Trip
Students take a field trip to a botanical garden. In this habitat lesson, students walk through the garden and see various species of plants and animals. Students take a canopy walk and see coniferous trees. Students write about what...
Curated OER
Bats and Boas Abound
Students investigate Puerto Rican boa constrictors and bats. For this animal science lesson, students read an article about the bats and snakes found in Puerto Rico. Students use various art supplies to create a diorama of the habitat of...
EduGAINs
Go Eco! Ecosystems
How is a movie theater like a desert biome? Compare systems to ecosystems with a set of activities that focuses on accessing multiple intelligences and building upon knowledge. As learners discuss the ways elements of an ecosystem depend...
Curated OER
Forest Layers
Fourth graders observe the layers of the forest on a walk in the woods. They break up into groups to create murals, posters, or brochures illustrating the forest layers of Washington's Lowland Forests.
Curated OER
Exploring Biomes Lesson 2: Biome Research
Learners view a PowerPoint presentation on biomes and their classifications. Divide them into groups and assign them each an individual biome to research. There are pictures of the PowerPoint slides and notes about what to teach for...
Curated OER
iPod Audio Tours
Students cooperate in small groups to create an audio tour of a zoo exhibit during a field trip. They record personal reactions, zoo sounds and information learned about the exhibit. They then edit the audio recording and add music to...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Environment
A fiction and nonfiction text, The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry and I See a Kookaburra! Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page begins a learning experience in...
Curated OER
Puerto Rican Parrot Paradise
Students investigate the environment of the Puerto Rican Parrot. They visualize the ecosystem with and without information. They conduct research to find information and participate in classroom discussion to demonstrate comprehension of...
Curated OER
Decomposers- Nurse Logs
Students investigate temperate forest ecosystems. In this environmental lesson, students discover different forms of decomposition and its effect on the environment.
Curated OER
Coqui Frog Camouflage
Students investigate the concept of the coqui frog of Puerto Rico. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students explain in oral or written form some of the characteristics to that identify the frog. The lesson includes...
Curated OER
It's not just pretty - it's a survival method!
First graders write explanations for why certain animals can only live in certain environments. In this animal survival lesson plan, 1st graders take pictures of animals and place them into the right environment after a lesson on the...
Curated OER
The Rain Forest of Costa Rica
Fifth graders examine and discuss the topography, climate, natural resources and artwork of Costa Rica. They develop a diagram of the layers of the rain forest, and design a tourist brochure or advertisement promoting Costa Rica's...