Students identify the uses of plants by researching Native Americans. In this First Nations culture lesson, students identify the First Nations coastal people of British Columbia and their use of plants such as seaweed, bark and moss....

Students see that ecosystems provide services to people that are essential to life as we know it. Reporters (drops of water) could interview the trees and soil in the surrounding ecosystems for news stories on how they helped keep the...

Have kids in grades K-2 discuss how they know a tree is alive. The worksheet provides simplistic background information and an observation check list. They check off the ways that they can tell an oak tree is a living thing. Note: The...

Build your students scientific vocabulary with this slide show on land habitats. Each slide provides a vocabulary word, image, and definition of a term common to habitats and the environment. Great for science class or as comprehensible...

What is a dichotomous key? When your kids ask, hand them a learning exercise like this one, to explain it. They use the key to identify four different trees, based on the budding twigs they've produced. Tip: Have learners extend this...

Students discover how to "read" tree rings to determine the date of a volcanic eruption and the effects an eruption has on plant growth. After a lecture/demo, students utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to date an eruption.

Trying to find a way to begin your Antigone unit? Use this lesson to introduce your class to the background of Oedipus and Antigone, as well as the historical context. They view a PowerPoint presentation about Oedipus and the story...

Students engage in a study of apples using children's literature. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Student list facts about apples and compare them while answering some guided questions. They plant some apple seeds and...

In this grade 3 science activity, 3rd graders complete a set of 25 multiple choice questions related to a variety of 3rd grade science concepts. An answer key is included.

Students construct a defined plot on school grounds and observed patterns in plant life. They count trees, shrubs, cacti and record on a data sheet. They compare data and generate a plant diversity overlook for their school.

Students differentiate the differences of living on a farm or in a city. They do this with the use of coloring pictures and have group discussion about each picture to identify characteristics and identify where the picture is from. The...

Young scholars watch a slide show about the Philippine Reefs to explore the topic of fish populations. For this reef and fish population lesson, students watch a slide show about fish populations and how the Peace Corps...

Students study different kinds of animals and what group they belong to.  In this animal classification lesson students view different animals and sort them by what group they belong to, for example a snake is in the reptile...

Show what you know about Robert Frost, both of his poems and life. Between multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, a lot of information is covered. Dealing more with breadth than depth, this quiz is good for ending a unit about...

Sixth graders examine the prairie food chain while designing a rescue strategy for an endangered species. They compare their strategy to that of a professional conservation expert.

Create larger-than-life insects for the classroom. Bugs are usually pretty small, but during the Jurassic period they were huge. Kids use diagramming and scale conversion to enlarge a modern day insect so that it is as big as its ancient...

Quite often, learners confuse the main idea in a selection of reading with the supporting details. In this lesson, pupils practice the skill of finding the main idea and the supporting details in pieces of writing. Newspaper articles...

Students explain some of the topographical features of China's landscape. They view a Chinese landscape and discuss their view of the harmony between man and nature, then create their own karst mountain scene.

Second graders explore what life in the Chicago area was like hundreds of years ago. They discuss how settlers impacted the environment, and why there are no longer herds of buffalo in the Chicago area today. They read an article and...

Three activities introduce upper elementary ecologists to photosynthesis and food webs. In the first, an experiment is set up to determine how plants respond to different types of light. In the second, they connect organism cards with...

Students participate in a mini field trip around the neighborhood to observe nature and changes that are occurring during fall. They collect leaves of various colors, shapes and sizes on their trip. Upon return to the classroom, they...

Who is buried in this tomb? Trek to a local cemetery, take pictures of markers, explore records, and conduct interviews to bring to life the stories behind the stones. Use Olympus and Tool Factory to coordinate and gather information...

What a great project to use as part of an exploration of animals or habitats. Learners design a clay model of a home for a forest animal. This could be a great way to cement what your class has learned about habitats. 

Poetry can express feelings, values, and culture; it also provides insight into a time and place. Young analysts discuss the meanings of several poems from a collection of Native American works entitled, When the Rain...