Curated OER
Chesapeake Bay Population Studies
Students determine how to use a quarter meter quadrant to find population density, relative density, frequency and how to calculate a diversity index while participating in a virtual field trip. They study how to establish a Correlation...
Curated OER
To Dam or Not to Dam
Young ecologists explore the Aswan Dam in Egypt via the internet. Each collaborative group is assigned a specific article about the ecological impact of the dam. Then they prepare a presentation to share with the rest of the class. Some...
Curated OER
Understanding Interactions Among Local Species and the Local Environment
Students examine the differences between biotic and abiotic factors, explain the difference between habitat and niche and compare how organisms get their nutritional needs. In this local environment lesson students trace the path of...
Curated OER
The Environment and Interactions of Living Organisms
Young scholars study the environment and interactions of living organisms. They identify abiotic and biotic factors and create a foldable and vocabulary cards. They create a poster illustrating soil and watch a video to study symbiosis.
Curated OER
Biome-Ecology Unit with a "Design a Zoo" Extension
Learners participate in a three part unit about biomes. Part one, students research the biomes of North America and part two consists of research on zoos and a field trip to a zoo. While part three ties together the first two when...
Channel Islands Film
Human Impact on the Food Web of Santa Cruz Island
What happens when a non-native species is introduced onto an island? Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Island chain located off the coast of southern California, provides the perfect laboratory for young environmental scientists to...
Illustrative Mathematics
Logistic Growth Model, Abstract Version
Here learners get to flex some serious algebraic muscles through an investigation of logistic growth. The properties of the constant terms in the logistic growth formula are unraveled in a short but content-dense activity. Moving...
Virginia Department of Education
Ecosystem Dynamics
Searching for an eccentric way to enhance lessons on ecosystems while ensuring pupils remain creative and motivated? Upon viewing The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, designated groups design and construct a pop-up book that depicts the specific ways...
Curated OER
Physiological Adaptations
Students investigate the concepts of genetics and how it is tied to the variations found within different species and how it is tied to adaptations. They review the theory of evolution and factors found to help create variation. The...
Curated OER
Native Species Restoration: Is Saving One Species Hurting Another?
Students investigate the effect of human activities upon the environment. The studying experience encourages students to think about the issues involved in native species restoration.
Curated OER
My Favorite Meal
Young scholars investigate ecological systems and the multiple uses of the environment by studying the osprey population.
Curated OER
Succession and Microclimate
Students compare the population of insects in different microclimates. In this biology lesson, students collect data using probes to tabulate temperature and soil data. They predict how certain parameters change as an area goes through...
Curated OER
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Young scholars survey and describe a stream ecosystem. They sample the benthic macroinvertebrate populations of a given stream and determine community structure through the use of the Chandler Index and a species diversity index.
Curated OER
The Changing Coral Reef
Learners record changes in the composition of a coral reef. In this Coral Reef lesson, students recognize the needs of Coral Reef species to survive. Learners chart changes in population over time. Students write an essay about factors...
Curated OER
Scavenger Hunt: A Group Collection
Students be complete a collection of living organisms and systems from the school campus.
Curated OER
Insect Biology and Ecology: A Primer
Students explore insects and closely related organisms. They examine the growth and development of a lady beetle. Students classify insects and organize them. They investigate pest management.
Curated OER
Living in Extreme Environments: Havens on the Deep Sea Floor
Students identify the characteristics of an extreme environment in the deep ocean and consider what organisms need to survive in these elements. They research sampling and data collection methods in this environment.
Curated OER
The Changing Coral Reef Community Game
Students examine organisms that inhabit the coral reefs and their living requirements. In this coral reef lesson students chart population changes and play a game.
Curated OER
Genetic Disorders with Cultural Roots: International Insects
Students recognize that certain populations have specific genetic disorders that could benefit or harm them in their environment, work out punnett square problems and infer offspring probabilities from results, and provide advantages and...
Curated OER
Polymerase Chain Reaction and DNA Profiling
Students examine DNA fingerprinting and polymerase chain reaction and how they are used in everyday life and for criminal investigations. They discover how these techniques can also be used to answer ecological and evolutionary questions.
Curated OER
"Using Cichlids To Demonstrate the Effects of Human Activity On Ecosystems"
Students explore the freshwater ecosystem of Africa's Lake Victoria by creating a freshwater aquarium. They investigate factors affecting the aquarium's ecosystem and conduct lab activities.
Curated OER
Habitat Dynamics
Students develop an interactive diary to record bird seed consumption. In this habitat lesson, students predict and record the amount of birdseed eaten each week by birds.
Curated OER
"Honey Dew from Bunny Too!"
The pupils will design a lab to test the mechanism that triggers spore dispersal. They should have some clues after making observations of the life cycle. Part of the fun here is to let the students devise a method for testing this...
Curated OER
Species and Spaces - At Risk at Home
Eleventh graders explore and compare Canadian biomes and investigate species at risk. They describe population growth and eco-regions in terms of climate and geography. They research and create presentations about the natural history and...