BBC
Ourselves
Young biologists identify parts of the body, sort humans from other animals, and list the difference they see. Learners are split up into groups of three, and each group must find pictures in magazines of humans and other animals. They...
Rainforest Alliance
Colombia Biodiversity
How diverse is the rainforest? How much more diverse is a rain forest than a temperate forest? Explore these focus questions in a instructional activity that explores the plants, animals, and insects in forests. After...
Rainforest Alliance
My Forest or the Rainforest?
The differences between tropical and temperate rainforests range from animals and flowers to climate and landscapes. Kindergarteners compare and contrast characteristics of their local forest to a tropical rainforest.
Curated OER
Animal Diversity
Learners examine plants and animals for their similarties and differences. They are read stories and note how the animals in the stories do not have the qualities that real animals have. They complete a worksheet to end the lesson.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Plant Phenology Data Analysis
Scientists monitor seasonal changes in plants to better understand their responses to climate change, in turn allowing them to make predictions regarding the future. The last activity in the series of six has scholars analyze BudBurst...
Curated OER
Inside the Egg, Hatching Chickens
Pupils conduct an egg candling activity to show the life inside a fertile egg. Students discuss the needs the egg has of the hen, as well as similarities and differences between plants and animals. Pupils complete a life cycle wheel...
Curated OER
Climate Watch
Students participate in a national survey of biological indicators of climate change by gathering and submitting data on local plants and animals.
Curated OER
Desert Adaptations: Water
Students experiment with methods of water conservation. In this water conservation activity, students explore the importance of water for plants and animals in a desert biome.
ARKive
Temperate Rainforest in the Pacific Northwest
Explore the amazing temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. Your class starts by investigating the animals and plants of the Northwest, specifically Washington, and then research an animal population common to the area. In small...
Curated OER
The Edge of Home
Students explain why some species of plants and animals occur in more than one area. They watch as the teacher puts an overlapping circles on the chalkboard, students are asked to predict what kinds of things they would expect to find in...
Curated OER
Roxaboxen
Third graders discuss the story "Roxaboxen." In this reading comprehension lesson plan, 3rd graders discover new vocabulary words, discuss the story using story mapping, and take a reading test. Students investigate safety in the desert...
Curated OER
Exploring Microclimates
Students compare the land cover and temperatures in different microclimates to begin to explain why organisms live where they do. While exploring microclimates, students record temperature readings and detailed observations.
It's About Time
The Changing Geography of Your Community
Lead your class in exploring their local communities as well as the general environment. As they determine continental distributions by investigating minerals, rocks, and fossils located in their local region, pupils construct...
Curated OER
Send Me A Postcard From The Rainforest
Students research the different regions of the rainforest by using the Internet. They create their own postcards from each region they examine showing the plants and animals of that region. They share their postcards with the class.
Curated OER
Don't Call Me A Pig
First graders explore wildlife and habitats in the Arizona desert. Throughout a classroom discussion, 1st graders observe pictures of the desert and animals that live there. As they go on a nature walk around the school, students...
Science Friday
Fossil Detectives
What can this rock be? Pupils pretend to be paleontologists by sketching fossils and making predictions about their types. To determine whether they can identify the type of dinosaur, class members compare their observations and...
Curated OER
Introductory Bacteria and Virus Worksheet
Compare and contrast eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses with a chart and a Venn diagram. Beginning microbiologists consider motility, reproductive ability, DNA content, and the presence of organelles. They write short answers to...
Curated OER
Filling Out a Retrieval Chart
Fourth graders generate a spreadsheet that includes research about coastal plants, wetland plants and animals and Hawaiian stream animals.
Curated OER
Seed Sorting 101
Students sort through numerous seeds to find similarities and differences. In this sorting and classifying lesson, students divide up different plant seeds based on their similarities and differences, while keeping record of their findings.
Curated OER
Using Venn Diagrams to Compare Two Ecosystems
Students explore the distribution of two ecosystems on a global scale; and map the distribution of tropical and temperate rain forests throughout the world. They use a Venn Diagram to describe these ecosystems and the differences between...
Curated OER
Learning From Leaves: Adaptations To Differing Light Levels
Students, in groups, examine plants with different light levels. They are given plants from a tropical and desert region. They write a hypothesis at the beginning of the experiment.
Curated OER
Cells are 3-D!
Pupils design three dimensional models of plant and animal cells. They identify the cells parts, and compare animal and plant cells.
Curated OER
Characteristics of Materials
Young scholars describe and compare common properties of various classroom materials. In this science/matter lesson plan, students observe common classroom items and the materials they are made of to complete a list of common properties.
Curated OER
Big Cat Classification
First graders discover the different names and classifications of big cats by using word processing applications. In this animal life lesson, 1st graders investigate one big cat and create a database of facts about it using an word...