Curated OER
What on Earth is in the Earth?
Students explore the physical properties of sand, soil, and rocks and sort, classify, compare, and contrast the materials found in the soil. The differences between the living and non-living parts of the soil is discussed.
Curated OER
Classification Scheme
Fourth graders discuss different classification schemes for living organisms. They group common household items to discover many ways to classify organisms. Students compare/contrast characteristics of each classification.
Curated OER
Classification of Animals
Third graders practice classiyfying items and identify three major characteristics scientists use to classify animals. They describe the differences between ectothermic and endothermic animals.
Curated OER
Classifying Rocks
Students classify rocks into groups after they observe the rocks and identify properties that can be used to divide them into groups. They then identify other properties that could be used to classify other objects into groups.
Curated OER
Classifying Organisms within Kingdoms
Students examine animal kingdom classifications. They discuss how animals are placed into kingdom classifications and compare similarities and differences of animals within a kingdom.
Biology Junction
Protists and Fungi
It's alive, but what is it? Protists share similarities with plants, animals, and fungi without being classified as any of those three. Learn more about protists and the kingdom fungi with a short presentation. It describes the parts of...
Curated OER
Soil Stories
Tenth graders collect and analyze soil samples and extrapolate the characteristics needed to support different types of plant life. They research different types of prairie soil and how it supports plant and animal life.
Curated OER
Pond-life Safari
Students determine the living and non-living parts of pond life. For this pond life lesson, students examine the plants, animals, and insects that live in ponds. They look through a variety of print media, cut out pictures, and arrange...
Curated OER
The Key To Classifying Animals
Explorers of the environment construct a dichotomous key for a variety of organisms and design a key to classify Galapagos animals based on descriptions and images. The lesson plan includes a link to an animal gallery and the worksheet...
Curated OER
The Wetlands
Fourth graders learn what a wetland is, where they can be found, and what types of plants, animals and characteristic are associated with the wetlands. They also participate in an activity to explore and enhance their knowledge of...
Curated OER
Marshland Ecosystems
Students identify animals in ecosystem depicted on 16th Century ceramic basin and classify them as herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores based on physical characteristics and prior knowledge, determine which life forms in ecosystem are...
Curated OER
Create a Critter Collage
Young scholars create a collage. In this animal classification instructional activity, students discuss why and how scientists classify animals. Young scholars view pictures of different animals and decide which class each animal belongs...
Curated OER
Who Eats Who?
Students recognize that some animals eat plants, some eat meat and some both. In this who eats who lesson, students chart animals in a food chain. Students research information from reading articles. Students chart what animals eat on...
Curated OER
Rain Forest Adventures
Young scholars discover locations of the world's rain forests. Once they identify the animals, plants, products, and resources located in them, they construct they own rain forest terrariums. By comparing and contrasting the two types...
Curated OER
Classification and Identification
Students, 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...
Curated OER
Human Impacts to the Sandy Shore
Learners investigate human impact on coastal environments. In this coastal environment lesson, students observe human impact on coastal environments. Learners sort, classify, and chart marine debris collected on a local beach.
Curated OER
Introduction to Classification
Fourth graders design a classification system to categorize animate and inanimate objects. They discuss the advantages of grouping things as they classify buttons, leaves, shells.
Curated OER
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.
Michigan Sea Grant
Wetlands
Wetlands may not sound particularly ornate, but they are as important as any habitat! With a hands-on activity, young scientists build a wetland model and observe its many functions in action. They discover the importance of wetlands to...
Curated OER
Who's There
Fifth graders, in groups, make a list of at least three animals that would survive well in a particular environment. After an allotted time, they pass their list to another group, where they will add to it. They discuss adaptations each...
Curated OER
Salinity Of Soil
Fourth graders investigate the contents of various types of soil to determine the differences in salinity levels. They conduct an experiment of observing the plants in the different soils. Students then determine survival rates by...
Curated OER
What's Hatching in Kindergarten?
Students identify oviparous animals. They brainstorm a list of animals that lay eggs, read "Chickens Aren't The Only Ones" by Ruth Heller and then add to the list. Students complete a booklet that shows an egg and an oviparous animal.
Curated OER
Plot Studies
Third graders are introduced to how to properly read a plot map. As a class, they take a field trip to an area surrounding the school and work together in groups to examine small sections of the different environments. To end the...
Curated OER
Classifying Living Organisms into Kingdoms
Pupils create a flip book that describes the basic characteristics of the five main animal kingdoms. They research the animal kingdoms, include examples of organisms for each kingdom and illustrate the finished text.