Curated OER
Carrying Capacity of Ecosystems
Students define population and carrying. In this algebra lesson, students explore exponential growth and decay based on animals and things that grow or decrease exponentially. They graph their findings and discuss their results as they...
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My Tree Book
Students "adopt" a tree and throughout the year record and examine its characteristics and the changes that it goes through.
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Rocks and Soils
Students compare the properties of rocks and relate these properties to their use. They perform a virtual experiment to describe and group rocks on the basis of their characteristics.
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The Great Jellybean Hunt
Learners explore natural selection and its influence on the populations to fine tune traits and characteristics. The acquisition of traits developed out of need is examined through a game played in class.
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A Study of Vertebrates
Fourth graders investigate the characteristics of each vertebrate group. They take notes in a science journal, and in small groups create a HyperStudio slideshow presentation to present information about a specific vertebrate group.
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Reptiles
Students investigate reptiles and reptile habitats. They listen to books, cut out magazine pictures of reptiles from National Geographic, sort plastic animals into the categories of mammal, reptile, or amphibian, watch a National...
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Adopt-An-Insect III
In this biology worksheet, students search through the links provided on insects to identify the order to which each insect belongs. Then they write the characteristics that distinguish insects from other arthropods. Students also select...
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Echinoderms
In this echinoderm instructional activity, students will explore the characteristics of echinoderms including their body structures and larval stages. Then students will match the five classes of echinoderms to their descriptions. This...
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Amphibians
In this amphibian worksheet, students will review the characteristics of the class Amphibia, including frogs and toads, salamanders, and caecilians. This worksheet has 3 short answer questions, 5 matching questions, 6 multiple choice,...
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Know Your Cousins - Monotremas, Marsupials, and Placentals
Students discover various mammals. In this biology lesson plan, students recognize characteristics of mammals and categorize mammal groupings. Students describe how mammals grow inside the mother's body and resemble their parents at birth.
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Meet the Plants
Students examine the difference between living and non-living things. In this living versus non-living lesson, students complete a KWL worksheet and a Living and Non-Living Chart. They examine a variety of plants and non-plants before...
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Penguin Worksheet
In this animal science worksheet, students answer fifteen questions about penguins. The questions included true or false and fill in the blanks. Students will need prior knowledge about penguins to complete this worksheet. The questions...
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Build a Cardboard Bridge That Can Hold Potatoes
Students identify the characteristics of a bridge and build with junk materials. In this bridge building lesson, students use cereal boxes, paper towel or toilet paper tubes and tape to create their bridges. Bridges must be a certain...
Michigan Sea Grant
Invasive Species
Learners identify invasive species to the Great Lakes and analyze their impact on the ecosystem. Using photo cards with pictures and facts, young scientists work in small groups to match invasive species with their corresponding...
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Garden of Eden
Students view a video clip about animals and their habitats. They work together to discuss how different animals adapt to their environments. They create a new habitat for a specific animal and draw new adaptations for them.
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TE Lesson: How Clean is that Water?
Middle schoolers examine the factors the affect water quality, and allow for animals and plants to live. They look at how engineers apply water quality information when making stream modifications in order to ensure drinking water...
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The Spider Beside Her
Second graders are introduced to the characteristics of spiders. In groups, they compare and contrast spiders to different insects to discover spiders are not an insect at all. In groups, they create a model of a spider and discuss its...
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Classification and Identification
Learners, after exploring and analyzing diagrammatic and taxonomic keys and their association to marine sciences, identify and classify objects and organisms based on visual attributes/characteristics. They research and create their own...
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Interdependence and Adaptation
Fifth graders construct a food web to illustrate how animals and plants are interdependent. In this interdependence lesson, 5th graders identify how consumers, producers, herbivores, carnivores and predators are related in a habitat....
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Get to Know: Mammals
Students discover the mammals in their community. In this animal instructional activity, students survey their school grounds for signs of mammals. Students examine tracks, droppings, and other signs of wildlife to learn more about the...
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Classification of the Nearby Trees
Third graders practice using classification techniques to identify local trees. In this plant life instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss how trees differ from other plants and what characteristics are unique to trees alone....
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Soil Treasure Hunt
Students explore the concept of soil and decomposition. In this soil and decomposition lesson, students investigate bags of soil. Students then learn how animals and other organisms help in the decomposition process.
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Dynamic Wetlands
Learners construct and observe a model of two different types of wetlands. In this wetlands lesson, students create a model of a wetland with constant drainage and a wetland that maintains a well-saturated soil. Learners observe and...
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Plant and Animal Cells
Students investigate parts of a cell. In this plant cell lesson, students determine the difference between plant and animal cells. Students discover that coral is an animal based on cell characteristics. Students create puppets to...