Ecosystems and Habitats

Young scientists explore the dark, damp, and dirty world of earthworms in this hands-on life science unit. In order to gain a better understanding of these slimy critters, children first perform a series of investigations before finally...

Young scientists weave together an understanding of ecosystems with this fun collaborative activity. Taking on the roles of different living and non-living elements of specific habitats, learners use a ball of yarn to create the web of...

What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in learning about the...

Explore six different habitats—wetlands, rainforest, savannah, desert, city, and cultivated land—to determine which habitat factors (food, water, shelter, and space) are high, medium, or low in each. Learners also use maps of Africa to...

Discover the climate and the adaptations of plant and animal in six different Earth biomes: grasslands, deserts, forests, tundra, oceans, and wetlands. With a simple, straightforward approach, emerging ecologists will be captivated by...

Why can't a polar bear live in the desert? Because the bear's food source lives in the habitat in which it thrives. This is the focus of a video that explains why certain animals live in specific habitats.

Students explore the basic species interdependency within an ecosystem. They explore how one species can affect several others. They discuss the importance of biodiversity in an ecosystem.

Take a short but fascinating trip through the waters of the Pacific Northwest as Jean-Michel Cousteau describes the sea creatures the dive team encounters. From the giant Pacific octopus to a pair of wolf eels to a hungry seastar on the...

Students work in small groups to create a poster illustrating the flow of energy through a typical ecosystem, then present their posters to the class.

Students identify the cyclical nature of food chains and discuss common food chain relationships in a variety of ecosystems. They work in small groups to research a specific food chain and make a display of their findings using paper...