Students practice sorting living things into groups using their characteristics. Using pictures of leaves and animals, they sort them based on their color and shape and write the objects characteristics under the picture. They share...

Students adopt a tree, take a bark rubbing from that tree, and conduct research about that type of tree. They write an original piece about their tree using three facts and in a genre of their choice.

Students investigate eight different species of sea turtles while being involved in classroom lecture and video presentation. The characteristics used to identify sea turtles is taught to help students identify unknown species.

Third graders choose an animal to research and write a report about. They determine the animals' habitat, animal classification, whether it is endangered or extinct, and the type of food it eats. Also, they add any special...

First graders observe rocks, record their observations about the rocks and classify them according to their observations. As a class, 1st graders create a list of observable characteristics of rocks. They sort a group of rocks...

Students work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise. They classify ten animals using the information on the picture to group the animals. Students develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models...

Young scholars examine fossilized owl pellets to determine how a species environmental preferences allow us to reconstruct probable past environments. Differences in anatomy are used to identify species in this instructional activity.

Students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain using simple surveying and auguring techniques in a field lab. Students also reconstruct the history of a river system.

Students examine the origin of glaciers, how glacial sediments are deposited, and what sedimentary records of glaciation provide about source and process of glaciers in a field lab.

Students are able to explain the ecological importance of phytoplankton. They describe the components that influence a phytoplankton bloom. Students interpret satellite images in order to correlate buoy data.

Students compare a series of satellite images taken 3-4 years apart to investigate the effects of human land use. They annotate the images using ImageJ software and use the annotated images to explain their findings.

Fifth graders identify two similarities and two differences between two phyla, assign fictitious invertebrate to its phylum and explain why it belongs in that grouping, and construct member of given phylum and explain why it should be...

Students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain by simple surveying and auguring techniques. They consider the spatial context of the field observations, use GPS measurements, and desktop GIS analyses.

Students examine how animals use camouflage for survival.  In this investigative lesson plan students define vocabulary words and see how it is the environment that controls which adaptations will help in survival. 

Students explore invasive species. For this species analysis lesson, students observe invasive species and review the impact the species have on the environment. Students work in groups to investigate the species in varying habitats....

Young scholars explore basic methods of GPS data collection, uploading the data to a computer, and making simple maps of their data using GIS software. They create a map of the data using GIS software (or Excel)

High schoolers use the internet to complete a species scavenger hunt. In groups, they answer questions given to them about sea lions, rockfish and killer whales. As a class, they identify any questions they have and discuss the role...

Students collect samples in the field, analyze them using various tools and instruments, then present their results and interpretations. They examine igneous and metamorphic rocks in detail and interpret petrologic data.

Middle schoolers examine the influence of biodiversity on human culture through the use of birds. They brainstorm words that come to mind when they think of human cultures. They describe ways that human culture and biodiversity are linked.

Young scholars investigate about various biological aspects of life, while examining desert insect species. They see the diverse range of species that live in the desert, despite the apparent lack of life in the desert. students...

Students identify given species of animals, such as various mussels, by sets of physical characteristics as they use a key. They also read about mussels on the Illinois River and look at mussel species in the online database. Finally,...

Students research a species of bug that they find in a pond.  In this species instructional activity students work in groups and find the similarities and differences between different species of bugs. 

Pupils examine the differences in pH tolerance between the two species and relate these differences to their respective niches.

In this sponges activity, students read the information about sponges. Students answer the provided questions about the reading passage. Students color the illustration at the bottom of the page.