Curated OER
Forest Ecosystem
Students become familiar with the temperate rainforest. In this forest ecosystem lesson, students identify the producers, consumers and decomposers in the forest ecosystem. Students sort cards and identify the trophic level of the...
Curated OER
Exploring Forest Objects
Young scholars explore the forest. In this ecosystems instructional activity, students rotate through sensory activity centers, brainstorm, and read about temperate forests.
Curated OER
Forest as a Filter
Students experiment using soil and water. In this forest as a filter lesson, students identify the role of forest cover, vegetation, and foliage impacts erosion and evaporation. Students conduct a simple experiment, form a hypothesis,...
Curated OER
Forest Food Chains and Webs
Students explore forest ecological systems. In this ecology lesson, students classify forest plants and animals according to their ecological roles. Students play a related vocabulary guessing game. Students choose a card on which a...
Curated OER
Temperate Forests vs. Wetlands
Learners compare and contrast the temperate forest and wetlands by researching them in groups. In this forest lesson plan, students identify the economic, ecological, and social benefits of each.
Curated OER
Temperate Forest : Pacific Spirit Field Trip
Students examine nurse logs with hand lenses and identify animals. In this ecosystem lesson, students gain understanding of the rainforest by studying nurse logs. Students become familiar with vocabulary through their study of nurse logs.
Curated OER
Forest Food Webs
Middle schoolers consider the interdependency of life in a temperate forest by studying selected organisms from an Asian temperate forest and creating a food web.
Curated OER
Decomposers- Nurse Logs
Learners investigate temperate forest ecosystems. In this environmental activity, students discover different forms of decomposition and its effect on the environment.
Curated OER
Biodiversity
Students investigate the diversity of temperate forests and tropical rainforests. They catch and observe local insects, sort leaves and insects on a chart, listen to the book "A Walk in the Rainforest," and create a class bar graph that...
Curated OER
Forest Ecosystem
Young scholars take a field trip and explore a temperate rainforest. In this rainforest lesson plan, students discuss many items they see on their journey and experiment with different tree leaves.
Curated OER
Exploring the Temperate Forest: Biodiversity and Interdependence
Students examine the consequences of cutting down large amounts of forests throughout the world. In groups, they use the internet to complete a module taking them on a tour through different temperate forests. To end the lesson, they...
Curated OER
Layers of the Forest
Students explore rain forests. For this rain forest ecosystems lesson, students identify and describe the layers of the rain forest. Students paint and decorate a large rain forest mural. Students write riddles about animals that live...
Curated OER
Ecosystems and Habitats
Fourth graders go on a virtual field trip to five ecosystems. They investigate and videotape a temperate forest in the school's backyard.
Curated OER
Animals of Rainforest and Temperate Forest
Pupils research an animal from each type of forest, and compare/contrast them on a concept map. They write a letter from one animal to the other, using information from their research.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
BiomeViewer
Which holds more influence, the environment over humans or humans over the environment? Young scientists explore an online interactive that addresses this discussion. They observe changes in the natural world over time and see which...
Curated OER
Using Venn Diagrams to Compare Two Ecosystems
Students explore the distribution of two ecosystems on a global scale; and map the distribution of tropical and temperate rain forests throughout the world. They use a Venn Diagram to describe these ecosystems and the differences between...
Curated OER
Producers -- Focus on Trees
Young scholars examine the needs of trees and plants. In this forest ecosystem lesson students use seedlings to investigate the basic necessities of plants. They discuss the consequences of these basic needs not being met.
Curated OER
What Are Earth's Ecosystems?
In this ecosystems worksheet, students will brainstorm facts that relate to 6 different habitats found on the earth: tundra, taiga, grassland, temperate forest, tropical rain forest, and desert.
Curated OER
Biomass Energy
Junior ecologists relate how food chains and food webs route matter and energy through an ecosystem. They trace feeding levels of a food chain or food web through a pyramid of energy. As a reinforcement activity, learners construct three...
ARKive
Temperate Rainforest in the Pacific Northwest
Explore the amazing temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. Your class starts by investigating the animals and plants of the Northwest, specifically Washington, and then research an animal population common to the area. In small...
Curated OER
Forest Canopies: View from the Top
Students examine the economic and ecological benefits of forest canopies. They read and discuss an article, answer questions, conduct research, draw field sketches of a canopy ecosystem, conduct a feasibility study, or prepare tourist...
Curated OER
A Tree is an Ecosystem
Students make observations about trees. In this ecosystem lesson, students observe and record all living and non living things they find under a tree, look for birds nests, evidence of woodpeckers and take samples such as leafs, bark,...
Curated OER
Forest Ecosystem Field Trip
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class field trip. In this botany lesson, students attend a field trip through their local park or forest while listening to a nature guide. Students practice using their 5 senses...
Rainforest Alliance
Colombia Biodiversity
How diverse is the rainforest? How much more diverse is a rain forest than a temperate forest? Explore these focus questions in a lesson plan that explores the plants, animals, and insects in forests. After listening to a reading about...