Huntington Library: Mini Ecosystems [Pdf]

A lesson unit where students examine and measure leaf sizes, as well as look at their textures, and draw conclusions about environmental factors that may have influenced their growth positively or negatively.

An investigation into how light levels affect leaf adaptations in plants.

A multi-faceted activity where students learn about the elements of a Japanese garden, then construct a peepshow book that demonstrates their understanding of foreground, middle ground, and background to represent a Japanese garden....

A lab activity where students carefully dissect a flower and learn about its different parts. Materials may require sharp dissection instruments. Includes extension activities and test preparation questions.

A lesson plan in observing a plant or plant community in different seasons for the purposes of recording observable changes.

An environmenta science unit includes three lessons plus a cumulative project covering the ecosystem. Scholars follow the history of the Ford Rouge Factory from its construction on wetlands and how it destroyed the...

Pairs of ecologists select an animal and investigate an ecosystem from its point of view. This simple lesson involves Internet research and putting together a presentation of collected information. 

A lesson plan in which learners explore plants from three different ecosystems and make inferences about plant structures and their environments. Includes discussion questions, a vocabulary glossary, and handouts.

A lesson unit where students work in small groups to examine stomata on a leaf's upper and lower surfaces. They then conduct an experiment to test whether plants can survive without air, learning about transpiration in the process.

A lesson unit where students conduct an experiment in small groups to test whether plants need light or not.