Curated OER
Niches and Adaptations
Students present information about a species, its niche, and adaptations. In this lesson on animal environments, students explore how surroundings can affect a given population resulting in adaptation.
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Habitats of the World
Students discover that the Earth supports many different animal habitats. For this habitat lesson students research different habitats of the world. Students show how the animals in their habitat are adapted.
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Design a Plankton
Students explore animal and plant adaptation. In this ecosystems science lesson, students view websites to gain information about plankton and its interdependence within ecosystems. Students identify ways in which plankton has adapted...
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Zoo Habitat Design
Students design a zoo habitat for an animals. In this zoo habitat lesson, students develop an idea for a zoo habitat that would meet the needs of a specific animal. They solve problems that might be encountered by using their knowledge...
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Charles Darwin
Students produce a newspaper describing the times during which Charles Darwin introduced the theory of natural selection. In this evolution activity, students make observations and explore the role of observation in Charles Darwin's...
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Flip Camera Lesson: Louisiana Animal Adaptations
Students research and present information about Louisiana animal adaptations. In this animal adaptation and video camera lesson, students choose an animal from a teacher prepared list. They use the Internet to find five adaptations which...
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How Evolution Works
High schoolers work in groups to investigate and present genetic variation, adaptation, and sexual selection as it relates to evolution. For this evolution lesson, students watch a video discuss how the human eye could evolve due to...
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Natural Inquirer
Learners explore the research process. In this scientific method lesson, students analyze data from an article, write their own informational article and express what they have learned. Learners create their own article using the given...
Texas Instruments
How Do Pinnipeds Stay Warm?
Learners experiment to determine ways different types of insulation materials work. In this animal adaptation lesson, they make hand coverings from plastic bags, shortening, feathers, and wool. They observe effects of these insulating...
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Meet One Picky Bird
Students complete a research project In this endangered species lesson, students use the "Think, Puzzle, Explore" method to learn about endangered species. Students research and write a report on the red-cockaded woodpecker.
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The Great Jellybean Hunt
Students model natural selection by acting as predators of jellybeans. In this evolution lesson plan, students use plastic utensils to pick up jellybeans. They use different colors of backgrounds to demonstrate the effects of camouflage...
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The Living Environment
Students investigate animals and their environments. In this animal similarities and differences lesson plan, students explore animal adaptations and features and their habitats. Students get into groups to discuss the habitat and how...
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If Peter Pan Can Fly, Why Can't I?
Students redesign a human, using data in research, so that s/he can fly. For this flying lesson, students examine the characteristics and adaptations of groups of animals that can fly. Using this research, students work cooperatively to...
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Trout Cookies
Students explore the external anatomy of a fish. In this anatomy and adaptations lesson, students look at an image of a trout and identify its various external features including fins, eyes, spots, parr marks and lateral line. Students...
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How Animals Use Their Senses to Find Food
Middle schoolers plan a scavenger hunt for food and provide classmates with clues. In this animal adaptation instructional activity, students view videos showing how various animal species find food. They create a scavenger hunt for...
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Create a New Animal
Students understand what physical adaptations are and how they help an animal to survive. In this adaptations lesson, students research four animals and then make an original animal that has adaptations to make them survive.
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Student Designed Investigations: Observations
Students choose an organism and create an experiment with that organism. In this observation instructional activity, students expose a living thing to something from its environment and record their observations. Students must have some...
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Living in a Tree
Students explore animals that live in trees. In this nature and biology lesson, students go outdoors and make observations about animals and their unique body parts that help them to live in trees. Students create drawings as they...
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Reconstructing a Fossil Pterosaur
Students reconstruct the skeleton of the fossil Scaphognathus crassirostis. In this fossil lesson plan, students discuss the Kingdoms of life, geologic history and the history of the skeletons of species. Students are given 20 minutes to...
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I Spy (Camouflaged Animals in Art!)
Make connections about animal characteristics and the animal's environment. In this animal characteristics lesson, students use a piece of art as a springboard for a discussion about animals and camouflage. Students choose an animal that...
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Squirrel Islands
In this adaptations worksheet, young scholars read about 3 species that have changed over time to adapt to their environment. Students design a squirrel that has adapted to an island habitat that young scholars are assigned. They...
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Designasaurus: An Activity in Paleontology
For this dinosaur worksheet, learners are given a dinosaur skeleton and they work in teams to report about a "newly discovered dinosaur". They create and include it's name, a model of it, its size, the habitat it lived in, its diet, its...
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Adaptation of the Human Hand
For this human hand worksheet, students study the adaptations of the human hand. They perform experiments with their thumbs taped to their hands and compare the time it takes to complete certain tasks to the time it takes to complete...
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Comparison of Evolution Mechanism
In this comparison of evolution worksheets, students read information about Lamarck's hypothesis of evolution and Darwin's hypothesis of evolution. Students then rate the scenarios given as either supportive of Lamarck's or Darwin's...