Curated OER
Defining Drought
Students examine the hydrologic impacts of drought. They look at drought from a variety of prespectives. Students first focus on the scientific definition of drought, including weather patterns, water cycles, water requirements by plants...
Curated OER
Habitats of the World
Students complete a unit of eighteen lessons that cover climate, geography, location, plants, and animals of each of the five habitats. They are also introduced to habitat destruction and discuss ways to protect the environment. They do...
Curated OER
Insect Collection
Students investigate about various biological aspects of life, while examining desert insect species. They see the diverse range of species that live in the desert, despite the apparent lack of life in the desert. students tocomprehend...
Curated OER
Adaptation Scavenger Hunt
Fourth graders recognize the specific adaptations of living things and relate them to survival within the animals environment. They study common plants and animals found in Utah environments and how they have adapted to the environment...
Curated OER
Temperature in the Sun or Shade of the Desert
Third graders use thermometers to measure the air temperature in several
places around the school and then return to the classroom to record the data. They create a bar graph and discuss their findings about the air temperature in the...
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
Terrestrial Communities
Students watch a video about different terrestrial communities. They conduct an experiment with sponges conserving water. They research desert characteristics comparing them with other biomes.
Curated OER
Bats: Need Nectar, Will Travel
Beginning wildlife biologists become adult bats, baby bats, snakes, owls, bobcats, or land-clearing developers in a grand role-playing activity. In a large open space, they play a game in which they move to designated areas based on what...
National Wildlife Federation
What's Your Habitat?
How are third graders like rabbits? They both live in habitats and require food, water, and shelter to survive! An educational science lesson encourages your learners to think about their own habitats and survival needs, before comparing...
Curated OER
From Yosemite to Joshua Tree
Fourth graders discover diversity of plant and animal life in California's parks and compare findings to identify what makes park areas unique. Students then publish their discoveries in picture books of their own design.
Curated OER
Biome Detective Sheet
In this biomes worksheet, students research the plant and animal life found in different habitats. This worksheet has 38 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Caterpillar Camouflage
Students list animals, plant parts, and reasons for caterpillars to camouflage themselves. For this animal and plant adaptations lesson plan, students also play a game where they use colors as camouflage.
Curated OER
One Grain at a Time
Young scholars investigate deserts. In this geography lesson, students create a KWL chart about deserts and research information on deserts by using reference books. Young scholars record the characteristics of deserts and the wildlife...
Curated OER
Animal Habitats
In this habitat worksheet, 3rd graders will focus on the four different habitats of plants and animals. Students will receive color photographs of the rainforest, desert, coral reef, and grasslands.
Curated OER
Mini-Ecosystems
Third graders identify the living and non living things in a book read aloud and discuss the interactions represented in the book. Then, they research and include a list of food that each animal needs in an ecosystem. Finally, 3rd...
K5 Learning
Landforms
Valleys, mountains, and plateaus are just a few geographic landforms on our Earth. Read about these types and more in a brief landform passage. After reading, learners respond to six short answer comprehension questions.
National Park Service
Living & Non-Living Interactions
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in learning about the...
American Museum of Natural History
Finding Fossils
How does one go about finding fossils? Find out with an informative webpage that looks at the digging process, showcases rocks and common fossils, helpful tips, and a list of archeological do's and don'ts.
Curated OER
The right place to live
How do various plants survive in different environments? They adapt! Kids determine which plant traits make them perfect for their specific environment. They consider three plants and can even complete a plant experiment. Note: Intended...
Curated OER
Prairie Plant Investigation
Students carefully observe prairie plants and record their observations in a science journal. They examine the root systems of grasses and flowers and surmise how these plants can grow together on the prairie.
Desert Discoveries
Creating a Garden Journal
Youngsters create science journals which are used to record observations from the school garden. The goal of this activity is to help kids tune into nature by making daily observations on the growth of the plants, and also to take note...
Curated OER
The Desert Biome
Students create a visual presentation of the characteristics of a biome. Working in small groups, students use traditional and online resources to gather data concerning biomes. Students use their information to create a bulletin board...
Curated OER
Mother Nature's Laboratory
Students research how various plants and animals adapt over time to specific habitats and for specific purposes. Students produce a pictorial report on an example of an animal or plant's adaptation.
Curated OER
Ecosystems Online
Learners work together to gather information on ecosystems from websites. They identify plants and animals and create their own website. They are graded on their willingness to work together and the content on the website.