Purdue University
Explore Your Habitat
Get a hands-on look at a local habitat. A three-part activity begins with a discussion of the characteristics of a local habitat. Pupils then test their knowledge by playing a game to match animals to their habitats. Finally, they go on...
Curated OER
Responses to Changes in the Environment
Fourth graders study ecosystems, and see how plants and animals must adapt to changes in their environment in order to survive. Pictures of the snow shoe hare in the winter and summer are shown. Learners determine that the change in...
Curated OER
Different People/Different Times
Learners read and compare two selections by two different authors with the theme man vs. nature. They complete a literary analysis paper comparing and contrasting the author's treatment of the topic with emphasis on setting, historical...
Curated OER
Our Environment
Students examine the world's environmental dilemmas and create project depicting how to improve the environment. They study ten endangered species.
Curated OER
Comparing Environments
In this natural environment comparison activity, students use a chart to compare two environments. The savannah and rain forest are given as examples. No information is given beyond the format of the chart.
Curated OER
Galileo's Thermometer: Measuring the Density of Various Unknown Liquids
Sprouting scientists explore the concept of density by making mass and volume measurements for five different liquids. From these measurements, they calculate densities. They apply their learning to explain Galileo's thermometer works...
Baylor College
Resources and the Environment: The Math Link
Take advantage of this interdisciplinary resource and bring together topics in science, language arts, and math. Use characters and events from the story Tillena Lou's Big Adventure as a context for practicing addition and subtraction,...
Curated OER
Iceberg Ahead: How Does Temperature Affect the Density of Water?
Demonstrate how ice floats on water and get the class thinking about why icebergs are so deceiving. Investigators then experiment with mixing water of the same temperature and water of different temperatures. Make sure to explain the...
Curated OER
Investigate Science Using Crayfish
Young scientists discover the importance of scientific investigation by observing live crayfish. They carefully observe the patterns of crayfish in different environments. Then they discuss their conclusions and define what all living...
National Wildlife Federation
Bats: Maligned or Malicious?
Most people couldn't name the positive qualities of bats. Learners discover how bats benefit the environment and then create a concept map to summarize the information. After their reading, they identify misconceptions people have about...
Colorado State University
How Can You Demonstrate the Different Efficiencies of Different Light Bulbs?
Need a bright idea for an engaging lab? Watch your class light up as they explore the difference in efficiency between incandescent and LED bulbs! The resource makes use of simple materials and encourages learners to infer what's...
Baylor College
A Place to Be
Home sweet home. Humans, birds, beavers, ants, we all need a place place to rest and keep us safe. In the ninth lesson of this series, the importance of shelter is discussed as the teacher reads aloud the book Tillena Lou's Day in the...
Berkshire Museum
Where’s the Water?: Acting Out Science Cycles
Young scientists transform themselves into rivers, oceans, clouds, and drops of water in order to explore the water cycle. After assigning and explaining to students their different roles in the activity, the teacher reads aloud a...
Curated OER
Diverse Environments
Students explore life forms in different environments. After exploring different biomes within their state, students research different plant and animal species within each biome. They prepare a group report on one feature of the region...
Smarter Balanced
Environmental Interdependence (Environmental Awareness)
Whether introducing a study of environment awareness or preparing your classes for a performance task related to environmental interdependence, you will find this resource useful. Key terms and concepts are introduced so that all...
Curated OER
Feeling Good: Looking at Different Emotions and Actions
Make your class' school experience positive and fruitful by exploring feelings and self esteem. This resource delves into how learners feel in a variety of situations, such as when they have no one to play with on the playground. By...
Curated OER
Cycling Water Through the Environment
Students identify the ways in which water moves through our environment and consider the different forms it can be found in. They view videos, conduct experiments and participate in class discussions. Students determine the role that...
Curated OER
DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS
Third graders list examples of the diverse life forms that live in different environments, such as oceans, deserts, tundra, forests, grasslands and wetlands.
Curated OER
Animal Habitats
Elementary schoolers complete a learning exercise that has them decide which of four environments a variety of animals live in. The environments are: pond, soil, ocean, and woodland. There are 12 different types of animals that pupils...
Curated OER
Whose Home Is This?
After reading a short and informative paragraph on animals and their environments, learners look at pictures of four animals, and write a short description of how each one has adapted to its environment. A suggested activity is that each...
Curated OER
The High Cost of Chemical Dependency
Sixth graders explore, analyze and study the effect and impact that humans have on the environment based on their choices as individuals, businesses and governments. They assess the balance between human activities and aquatic pollution.
Curated OER
Reptiles and Amphibians
Introduce your class to various reptiles and amphibians. They will meet and identify a representative from each of the four major reptile families, then learn about and discuss reptile characteristics. Next, they will identify and...
Curated OER
MATERIALS, Using What’s Local: Native Materials, Local Sources
Young scholars consider the development of different societies. In this environmental building instructional activity, students consider local resources and how societies choose to use them. Young scholars use their findings to design a...
Community Resources for Science
Food Webs/Clipfish
Human impact on habitats can be alarming. A hands-on activity has learners explore the impact of human interactions with different environments using a gamified approach. They simulate the impact of a species' abundance under different...