Curated OER
Classifying Objects
Fourth graders work in small groups to sort and classify a variety of objects. They develop criteria for sorting and explain the characteristics they chose for classification. Groups record and share their classifications.
Curated OER
Investigation 2 - Classifying Rocks
Fourth graders identify basic properties of minerals and rocks. They access websites and utilize worksheets imbedded in this lesson plan to further their understanding of rock classification.
Curated OER
Chips Ahoy: Chip Off the Old Block
First graders compare and contrast adult and baby animals to identify similar characteristics shared by both.
Curated OER
Living and Non-Living Things | What’s Alive?
Students compare and contrast living and nonliving things. In this classification lesson, students read a book featuring living and nonliving things and then sort pictures of living and nonliving things.
Curated OER
Blue Planet: Open Ocean
Students research facts about animal species. In this ocean instructional activity students view a video, prepare illustrated cards and create a food-web display.
Curated OER
Charlie and the Cell City
Students identify the major components of the cell and their functions. They compare and contrast the major components and functions of animal and plant cells
Curated OER
Chicago: The City in Art, 1995-2000
Students examine a mural of animals and talk about animal classification. They act as scientists and keep a record, called a Jungle Journal, of plants and animals they observe while studying the rainforest.
Curated OER
Animals and Humans Say the Darnedest Things
Students explore and analyze human and animal communications and create a short film that illustrates their findings.
Curated OER
So You Think You're Tough
Fourth graders learn how to classify animals. In this invertebrates lesson, 4th graders discuss how we classify thinks into groups and move into a discussion about classifying animals. Students learn about the differences between...
Curated OER
Bears Word Search
In this bear vocabulary words activity, students search for words describing such things as the bears environment, eating classification, types, habits, and names from baby to adult. Students conduct a word search for twenty-one bear...
Curated OER
Animal Playing Cards
Students research animal characteristics including information about mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish. They place the information into a database and then, create playing cards using the information.
Curated OER
Living On Earth
Learners discover the many different animals within various habitats and discover how each individual species interacts with its particular environment. Through charting different animals and their distinct habitat and matching animals...
Curated OER
Name that plant!
What is a dichotomous key? When your kids ask, hand them a learning exercise like this one, to explain it. They use the key to identify four different trees, based on the budding twigs they've produced. Tip: Have learners extend this...
Curated OER
Aquatic Safari
Learners use an Internet Web site to locate the scientific information about various marine species. They use the Internet to find the scientific information about marine animals.
Curated OER
Do You Really Need It?
A large part of understanding personal finance and economics is grasping the concept of wants and needs. This presentation provides students with basic yet effective definitions of wants, needs, and how they effect advertisements and...
Curated OER
Classification of an Echinoderm
Students study starfish through dissection. In this biology lesson plan, students explore the lives of starfish as they view a slide show, observe parts of echinoderms, and compare the classification of the starfish with other...
Curated OER
Potato Chip Classification
Students classify specimens by observable characteristics. By classifying potato chips, they are introduced to the dichotomous key for identifying plant and animal specimens.
Curated OER
Eco-Logical: A Coastal Logic Problem
Fourth graders study the characteristics of five coastal communities. They use logic cards and matching activities to identify the proper community for plant and animal species.
National Science Teachers Association
Hop into Action
Young scientists find out what makes amphibians such unique and interesting animals in this simple life science lesson. After looking at pictures and discussing the characteristics of amphibians, learners complete a series of three Venn...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lesson 3: Scientific Inquiry with WildCam Gorongosa
When biologists installed cameras in Gorongosa National Park, they ended up viewing a lot more than the lions they were trying to help! Young ecologists observe one of Africa's most beautiful savanna regions with interactive trail camera...
National Wildlife Federation
Box Turtle Interview
Imagine life as a box turtle. Learners study the characteristics of box turtles and then assume the role in an interview. They show their understanding of how a box turtle lives by responding to a series of questions.
Lerner Publishing
Meet the Dinosaurs
Take your class of youngsters on a prehistoric adventure with this four-lesson series on dinosaurs. Accompanying the Meet the Dinosaurs books by Don Lessem, these lessons engage children in writing their own dinosaur books, making...
Biology Junction
Amphibians
Biologists know of more than 2,300 living species of amphibians. Learn more about the four orders of amphibians with an interesting presentation. It explains the similarities and differences between the thousands of species of...