Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WHO CARES FOR THE LAND?

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore the importance of natural resources. They are given copies of the story, "Who Cares For The Land," and students follow along as the teacher reads it. Students identify the key points in the story. (Soil, water and air...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vermicomposting

For Teachers 1st
First graders investigate composting. In this biology lesson, 1st graders identify ways to use garbage as fertilizer. Students examine soil and compost matter as well as the role of worms in the dirt.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Anomalies

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders participate in a simulation of a select scientific team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Lesson: Renewable Energy

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine renewable energy sources such as solar, water, and wind. They experiment to determine how renewable energy is transformed into electricity. They investigate the role of engineers who work in the field of renewable energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree Seedling Planting- My Relationship and Responsibility to our Forests

For Teachers 4th
In this trees lesson, 4th graders read the book, A Tree is Growing and complete a KWL chart on how trees grow and how they are used. Students research the symbiotic relationship of humans and trees, create tree collages, plant a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Lessons for Grade 11

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore different activities in biology, physics and chemistry. In this science activity, students examine chromosomes using a microscope and explain their significance in sustaining life on Earth. They investigate alkanes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing Future Houses

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss the changes we face and what kind of future house designs students can imagine. They create a floor plan, make an architectural drawing, and write a short description about their future house.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment -- Unit on Globalization and the Environment

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students examine the effect of human activities on the environment. They discover issues that are causing problems around the world. They participate in a debate using their own research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecological Footprint

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discover their own ecological footprint and create a plan for reducing this figure. They extend this to the school and community to see how they are doing on this scale. They discuss the concept of the ecological...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WORM WATCHING

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students investigate how earthworms help build good soil. They examine the worms carefully to find the ringlike segments and swollen band at the front of the earthworm's body. Students take turns dampening the soil every day and adding...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Drake Equation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use the Drake Equation to calculate the probability of sustaining life on various planets. Through the use of the equation, they determine whether intelligent and advanced civilizations can be developed on planets other than...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How do living and non-living structures affect coral reef habitats?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young scholars create model coral reefs showing surface area and including examples of communities.  In this coral reef activity, students research and explore the functions or benefits from a coral reef.  Young scholars design...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers.  In this environmental lesson plan, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hands on Biome-Building

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore Earth science by participating in an environment activity. In this biome instructional activity, students discuss the importance of a healthy ecology in order to sustain life, both animal and plant. Students utilize a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Too Cool for School-The Greenhouse Experiment

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students create a town model and analyze the type of greenhouse gases their town emits. In this earth science activity, students build greenhouses to investigate how trapped heat causes temperature change. They relate this activity to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Look At Those Leaves!

For Teachers K - 1st
Students observe, measure and sort leaves.  In this leaf lesson students divide into groups and observe the different kinds of leaves. 
Lesson Plan
3
3
Chicago Botanic Garden

Personal Choices and the Planet

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
How big is your footprint? Activity three culminates the series by having groups complete carbon footprint audits with people in their schools and/or around the districts. Groups then gather their data, create a presentation including...
PPT
ARKive

Biodiversity and Evolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Why is diversity in biology so important for an ecosystem? Explore biodiversity, evolution, and natural selection with a presentation for your biology class. It features clear information, activities for further understanding, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thinking about Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine their understandings about energy concepts by completing an online survey. Students participate in a class discussion about their uses of resources and the differences between perpetual, renewable, and nonrenewable...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wonderful, Wild Weather

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Learners study the different types of weather, how it affect what they wear, and how it is related to the seasons. They compare the seasons and tell how they prepare for the change in seasons. They design a creative presentation about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landform Dictionary

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders use a word processing program to create a working dictionary, including definitions and pictures, of physical land forms used in the study of different regions of the world.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Testing Water Quality

For Students 9th - 12th
In this science worksheet, students test the quality of water taken from a local source and test it in a lab for the ingredients present.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Difficult Decisions: The Sakinaw Sockeye Case Study

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine Sakinaw Sockeye as species at risk, participate in role playing exercise to consider different perspectives of various interest groups, and try to come to consensus on how to deal with dwindling Sakinaw sockeye...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Materials, Let's Do the Life Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils examine environmental and social impacts of products that consumers buy. In this environmental stewardship instructional activity, students play a game that requires them to consider real costs of products. Pupils consider the...