Curated OER
Desert Plant Adaptations in the Sonoran Desert
Students are able to identify adaptations that plants have developed to deal with harsh desert conditions, as well as explain how these adaptations help to protect these plants.
Curated OER
Extreme Environments
Students examine extreme environments and the characteristics that make them. In this adaptation activity students see how animals have adapted to these environments.
Curated OER
Life in Extreme Environments
Students compare and contrast local environments with the extreme environment of the Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Students explore and gain knowledge of the adaptations organisms use to survive extreme conditions and the diverse conditions...
Desert Discoveries
Built for the Desert
The saguaro cactus has an amazing ability to survive in a harsh environment. Learners identify the many adaptations for desert life that the saguaro employs. They look at each part of the saguaro and determine what role it plays in the...
Curated OER
Change or Adaptation
Students identify the adaptive forces in the life cycle of plants, animals, and humans, isolate and identify the role that change and adaptation play in extreme environments and research and write a short term paper using MLA citations.
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Life at the Limits
There are some amazing ways species evolve to survive. From large ears to sneezing salt, learners read about these interesting adaptations in an interactive lesson. Great to supplement an in-class lesson, it also works well as a remote...
Curated OER
So You Want To Travel To Namib
Students research and plan a trip to the Namibian desert. They watch and discuss a video, develop a list of the harsh conditions while viewing the film, identify the precautions needed for traveling in the Namib environment, and write...
Curated OER
My Life As An Insect In Namib
Middle schoolers examine the harsh living environment of the Namib Desert. They watch and discuss a video, record the types of insects observed in the video, record information about insects and animal adaptations in their science...
Curated OER
You Can Die Here
Students examine Death Valley including the amount of precipitation and winds that it gets. In this climate based instructional activity students explain the reasons for the amount of precipitation and windward patterns in Death Valley.
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Deadly Ascent
Pupils explore some of Earth's extreme environments and the possible dangers they present. They describe some of the potential dangers found in extreme environments around the world. Students discuss ways to deal with potential dangers...
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
Animals Around Us
Students view and discuss a Discovery Channel video that compares the animals found in four different habitats. They compare and contrast the characteristics of forests, deserts, wetlands and grasslands then choose one to depict in a...
Curated OER
Mission Planning: Earth/Mars Comparisons
Students compare and contrast conditions on Mars to those on our own planet, specifically, their local or regional environments. The physical characteristics, the atmosphere, and other astronomical data is considered.
Curated OER
Mini-Ecosystems
Students use plastic bottles to create terrariums and plant Venus Flytraps. They observe the plants and the terrariums for illustrations of the water cycle and species' adaptations to a specific environment.
Curated OER
DRY UP BABY ! ANHYDROBIOSIS (freeze drying)
In this lab, students explore how organisms are able to survive the extreme environmental conditions found in the Polar regions. Students observe and draw active living rotifers and Tardigrades, design and perform experiments to collect...
Curated OER
Deep Sea Vents
Learners study the vent and non vent deep sea and see the differences in habitats. In this investigative lesson students complete a worksheet and work in groups.
Curated OER
Design-A-Weed
Pupils create a "super weed" that prospers in teh harsh conditions on plant Weediv. They comprehend how weed adaptations give the plants an advantage over native plants. Students define the term adaptation. They give three examples of...
Curated OER
Discovery Science Center Activities
Fourth graders complete a variety of experiments to meet science goals. For this life sciences lesson, 4th graders make yogurt, discover the attraction of opposite charges in electricity, learn the effects of glaciers, and explore...
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Canada's Arctic Barometer
Students research arctic climates. In this Web-quest investigation, students will identify Arctic climate changes, explain the effects of these changes, relate the changes to other regions, and write their findings in a letter format.
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Arctic Passage
Students plan a survival pack for severe Antarctic weather. They identify items necessary for survival in cold climates and which factors play a parat in keeping warm in the cold.
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Ecosystems and Climate
Young scholars examine climatic effects on ecosystems. They plant tomatoes and observe the differences in plant growth with differences in light. They create picture collages of plants, animals, and insects found in each climate of the U.S.
Curated OER
Arabian Camel or Dromedary
In this camel worksheet, students study the diagram for an Arabian camel otherwise known as a dromedary. Students read the characteristics of the animal and may click on associated links to learn more.