Young scholars view a cloud slide show presentation and identify types of clouds. They estimate height based on cloud's appearance. They discuss the vague nature of cloud nomenclature and compare it to the English standard measurement...

Students discuss what makes a living thing (for example, cellular respiration) and collect a selection of living things from outside. They divide their organisms into plants and animals and create a key for the divisions.

Second graders identify different types of animals on a two charts titled "Mammals" and "Not Mammals." They listen as the book, "They Call Me Wooly," by Keith DuQuette is read to them. Students are asked what is different about the...

Learners practice sorting and classifying objects. In groups, they choose a variety of materials and describe how each one looks and feels. They must agree on how to classify each object and share their groupings with the class. They...

Students participate in various outdoor science activities to enhance their observation, classification, and analysis skills. In this outdoor lesson, students begin by observing a tree from a straightforward angle, then from the...

Students gain an understanding of the science of taxonomy and how it is used in classifications. They use an identification key and construct a key of their own. They identify tagged trees on the school property with their lab group...

Learners will love a weeks worth of bone study. They use bones and characteristics of bones to explore the evolution of hominoids. Bones are compared, categorized, and considered. A great way to bring physical anthropology and material...

Students create their own copies of Phoenix Birds using a grid system.

Crabs and lobsters ... yum! The 18th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on invertebrate marine life. After the lecture slideshow, learners conduct an activity to sample...

Explore the finer details of primate skulls with these puzzles, incorporating advanced scientific analysis of two suborders- Prosimians and Anthropoidea- and one superfamily- Hominoidea. Learners read about the unique characteristics of...

Alphabet insects! Who has ever heard of such a thing? Get ready because your class is going to research insects that start with a specific letter of the alphabet. In small groups, they'll use the Internet and reference texts to locate...

What is DNA extraction, and can you make a living doing it? Yes, if you are in a biotechnology field. Kids learn about DNA extraction, GMOs, and biotechnology careers. They then watch videos and complete activities to understand the use...

I spy a spine. The 19th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program explores vertebrate species, such as sharks and other fish. Learners take part in an activity evaluating the...

Mammals of the ocean unite! Or not. The 20th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates how warm-blooded marine mammals survive in water. In the class activity, learners use...

Students use leaves to make model of a carbonized plant and classify leaves by shape and margin type.

Two blooms of phytoplankton, instead of just one, now occur in the Arctic due to declining sea ice, which will have widespread effects on the marine life and climate. In small groups, participants build an Arctic food web with given...

Students test tap water for hardness and mineral content. In this environmental science lesson plan, students identify the different stages of the water cycle. They classify plant and animals according to the rules of taxonomy.

How can one easily classify metals, nonmetals, and metalloids? Pupils answer this question as they experiment with unknown substances and perform tests on conductivity, brittleness, and malleability to determine...

Third graders investigate how and why scientists use classification. They discuss classification strategies using animals, and as a class fill in a flowchart with their responses. Next, in small groups they cut out a variety of shapes...

Young scholars pretend to be shark biologists employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who have been flown into the coastal city of Sao Luis in Brazil because locals have noticed an unidentified shark at...

Fifth graders create dichotomous keys to create classifications of students in the classroom by writing instructions. In this classifications lesson plan, 5th graders learn how dichotomous keys are used in science observations.

Students examine the concept of organization. In this library skills lesson, students practice ordering and classification skills by playing the Flood Game as well as locating and shelving books in the school library.

Fifth graders analyze the necessity of classification. They distinguish between living and nonliving things in our world and recognize the six life functions of living things by identifying 15 classroom objects.