ARKive
Adaptation: Design a Species
Adapt is what an animal does to ensure it will survive in a specific environment; maybe it's more complicated than that. Your young animal experts can view this handy presentation to better understand animal adaptations and also complete...
American Museum of Natural History
What's the Big Deal About Water?
It may seem simple, but water is one of the most unique substances on Earth. An interactive online lesson describes its properties and importance in so many different situations. Learners interact with the lesson to learn the role water...
Curated OER
World of the Pond
Field trip! The class will review what they know about organisms that dwell in freshwater ponds, then trek down to the old water hole to collect specimens for examination. This includes several web links, useful tips, and an excellent...
Curated OER
Where is Shirley the Elephant?
Young animal lovers engage in a lesson that's all about elephants. They access an elephant sanctuary website and read a story about Shirley the elephant. They perform a series of activities based upon that story, and also study about the...
SF Environment
Waste-Less Lunch
Is it possible to have a waste-less lunch? Can your class become leaders in conservation? Discuss the importance of reducing waste during lunch time with a fun lesson that can be extended to everyday practices. First the class examines...
Curated OER
Food chains and webs
Here is an extremely simplistic look at food chains and webs. It depicts three different food chains, each containing a plant, plant eater, and meat-eater. Learners fill in the missing part of each chain by using the images provided at...
Curated OER
Duck Squad-Super Savers
Learners "save" a rare duck (or goose, or swan) from extinction by "building" a sanctuary to protect and breed it in captivity. They research what the bird needs and draw the species and its enclosure.
Curated OER
Survival Strategies and Adaptation in Insects
Third graders investigate insects and their adaptations that help them survive. In this survival strategies lesson, 3rd graders view photographs of insects and discuss the adaptations that each one uses to survive, including camouflage...
Curated OER
Build an Anchialine Pond
Students explore biology by conducting a nature experiment. In this pond examination lesson, students utilize recycled materials, play-doh and water to recreate a pond and its inhabitants. Students identify the different elements within...
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of Butterflies, Day 1
Describe each stage in the life cycle of a butterfly. Second graders will identify the stages of the life cycle of the butterfly, using correct vocabulary. They will also share their new understandings about the stages of the life cycle...
Curated OER
Sustainable Livestock
Young scholars investigate healthy eating habits by researching livestock. In this food sustainability lesson, students research the negative impact factory farming has on our environment due to pollution. Young scholars define...
Curated OER
Explore the World through Habitat
Open a world of discovery with habitat-related lessons.
DePaul University
Contrast and Evaluate Fact and Opinion
How can you tell when an author is expression an opinion or stating a fact? Use two short reading selections to emphasize the difference between a statement that you can prove and one that you can't. The first passage explains food...
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
What Is Climate Change?
So many factors show that climate change has arrived. Learners read through an online resource that explains the data and the consequences of climate change. They also review strategies for slowing or even reversing the global influence.
BBC
Sound and Hearing
First and second graders recognize that sound is generated in a variety of ways, and that it comes from many different sources. They explore tone and volume, realizing that there are different ways to describe sound. Some musical...
BBC
Light and Shadows
Light is such an amazing thing! Elementary schoolers explore the wonderful world of light and shadow. The lesson is meant to be carried out on a whiteboard. Objects are placed in front of a light source, and learners must predict what...
Curated OER
When Ants Fly
Here is a great lesson on constructing line graphs. Learners identify common characteristics of birds, ants common needs of all living things. They also write a story from the perspective of an ant or a bird that has lost its home and...
Curated OER
Wetland Metaphors
Learners describe the characteristics of wetlands and identify their ecological functions. They inspect items and use them to create metaphors about wetlands.
American Museum of Natural History
Life in the City
Believe it or not, biodiversity exists even in areas of disturbed habitat. An interactive activity challenges learners to look for species with a magnifying lens in an image of a city habitat. Pop-up images and descriptions explain how...
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation Educator Guide
In 1980, in the tropical rainforests of Panama, scientists discovered 1,200 species of beetles living in and around just 19 trees, with most of the species new to science—that's biodiversity! In the activity, learners work in teams to...
Curated OER
The Conscription Crises
Students explore roles played by Canada's prime ministers The Right Honorable Sir Wilfrid Laurier and The Right Honorable iam Lyon Mackenzie King with regards to the conscription crises of World War I and World War II.
Curated OER
Endangered Species of PA
Students research and publish information about an endangered species on the school's web site. In this endangered species lesson, students choose an at-risk species to research. They publish their research information on the school's...