Curated OER
Beautiful Butterflies - Activity Centers
Students describe habitats within ecosystems, describe how organisms modify environment to meet their needs, and identify characteristics for butterfly survival. In this butterfly lesson plan, students explore all aspects of the...
Curated OER
Here Comes Winter!
Students investigate winter behaviors in animals. They describe winter and write about the characteristics of the season by drawing and labeling a winter picture. Students then conduct research on a chosen animal and create a chart. ...
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Corals & Coral Reefs
Students describe a coral reef, how it is formed and its inhabitants. They explain the ecological and economic importance of coral reefs and discuss its present-day threats. Lesson contains adaptations for all levels.
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Exploring Deep Ocean Habitats: Alien Invasion
Students compare and contrast "alien species" and "invasive species."Students explain positive and negative impacts associated with introduction of non-native species, and give a specific example of species that produce t
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Constructing Food Chains
Students explore different habitats and the food chains within. In this food web lesson students construct food chains for different habitats.
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Pond Water
Students explore a creek environment. They make observations, identify the living and nonliving factors in the environment and collect a plankton sample to take back to the classroom. In addition, they look at plankton under a microscope.
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Treasures in Jeopardy
Learners study how coral reefs can be protected from humans and their activities. In this conservation lesson students explain the benefits of coral reefs and what humans can do to help protect them.
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Design a Reef!
Students explore coral reef ecosystems. In this ecosystems science lesson, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform. Students construct a miniature coral reef...
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Faking It
Middle school earth scientists describe the behavior of the Coriolis force. They compare and contrast conditions under which the Coriolis force has a significant impact with conditions under which it has very little. They model the...
NOAA
Climate, Corals and Change
Global warming isn't just an issue on land; deep ocean waters are also showing troubling signs. Young scientists learn more about deep water corals and the many recent discoveries researchers have made. Then they examine data related to...
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Praire Biome Models
Fifth graders, in groups, list the physical characteristics of a biome and think of ways in which animals might have to adapt to live there and make a biome mobile ball that show the different types of habitats that shape the praire biome.
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Relationships to Places
Young historians take a look at how the Indian tribes of California promoted a mindful relationship between people and the land. They begin to understand how the Indians were champions of conservation, and at preserving the natural...
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How Diverse is That?
Compare various types of biological diversity in a coral reef and calculate a numeric indicator that describes the diversity found in coral communities. Your class can work in groups to look at the abundance and distribution data of...
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Writing Process- Expository Writing
Expository writing is the focus of the language arts lesson presented here. In it, young writers review what expository writing is through a class discussion and teacher demonstration. Then, learners write expository text that describes...
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Wetland Metaphors
Learners describe the characteristics of wetlands and identify their ecological functions. They inspect items and use them to create metaphors about wetlands.
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Habitat Is Home
Young scholars are introduced to the concept and components of a habitat. They discuss the key components of a habitat and describe how certain factors can cause disturbances in a habitat and change its population. Activities are leveled...
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Changing State
Learners identify the changing states of water, water vapor and ice in the water cycle They investigate how each of these stages can be reversible. Students complete a worksheet describing the water cycle.
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Entering the Twilight Zone
Students describe major features of cold seep communities and list organisms that are found in these communities. In this water habitat instructional activity students examine trophic levels, describe the process of chemosynthesis and...
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What If We Run Out?
Students explore the consequences of shrinking habitats and the human impact on wildlife populations. They participate in a game to study the consequences and describe the preservation of animal habitats.
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Migration Migraine
Young scholars partipate in a demonstration in which they role play animals migrating between breeding and wintering habitats and encountering hazards at each end of the journey.
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Sociology: What is life like for Gulf Coast rice farmers
Students read 1 page about Gulf Coast rice farmers and then describe what rice farming in the U.S. is like in the United States. In this rice farming lesson plan, students tell why they would or would not want to be a rice farmer.
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Habitat Mural
Students build a collage of an ecosystem. The goal is for them to understand interactions in a community, plant and animal adaptations, and how all life depends on plants. This activity is based on Wump World and students describe what...
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Freshwater Habitats
Students take samples from local freshwater sources and examine them for macroinvertebrate life. They take samples from both shallow and deep freshwater environments, measure temperatures, and classify organisms found in their samples.
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How do living and non-living structures affect coral reef habitats?
Students create model coral reefs showing surface area and including examples of communities. In this coral reef lesson, students research and explore the functions or benefits from a coral reef. Students design a benthic habitat....