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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cycles and Starting Mealworms

For Teachers 4th
Here is a fascinating lesson about the life cycles of plants and animals, and other cycles found in nature. Learners explore the cycle of the moon, the tides, and other sequences of events in every day life. The big activity is the...
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Lesson Plan
Desert Discovery

Life Cycle of the Saguaro

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders make books which illustrate the growth and development of a saguaro cactus from its beginnings as a seed all the way through its death. They trace the life cycle of the saguaro, identify each of the stages in its life, and...
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Interactive
Curated OER

Life Cycles

For Students 5th - 8th
In this life cycles learning exercise, students compare the life cycles of 2 different species and answer short answer questions about them. Students can choose the species to compare and then answer 6 questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life Cycle of a Star

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate the life cycle of a star and make conclusions based on evidence, research, and observation.  In this lesson on space and scientific investigation, students describe the relationships between science and technology...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Cycles

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders investigate the stages of animal life cycles. They examine an egg and compare it to an inanimate object, read a booklet about the life cycle and define key vocabulary terms, and observe a mealworm. Students then design a...
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Lesson Plan
Captain Planet Foundation

Rotting Away

For Teachers 2nd
What happens at the end of a plant's life cycle? Show kids the natural way that plants show that they're decomposing, as well as the importance of compost, with a lesson about living organisms. After reading Log Cabin by Anne Schreiber,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Lettuce" Learn About the Water Cycle

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Young scientists investigate the water cycle through a lettuce seed experiment. For this experiment, learners plant lettuce seeds inside of a ziplock bag in order to create a small greenhouse. They observe condensation and precipitation,...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Metamorphosis

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
Looking for an insect unit that addresses multiple skill strategies? Young entomologists explore multiple life cycles of insects that go through metamorphosis. The brainteasers and mobile activity spark learner interest before guiding...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Your class sets up a mini water cycle model to examine the process. Then they watch an animation, following a water molecule through the cycle. A well-developed lab sheet guides learners through the instructional activity and a...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Bluebirds Project - Life Cycles

For Students 4th - 8th
For this bluebirds worksheet, students complete a table and answer short answer questions about the life cycle of bluebirds. Students complete 1 chart and answer 5 questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Butterfly Life Cycle

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students identify the stages in the butterfly life cycle. After completing a KWL chart, students participate in a brief lecture on the stages of the butterfly life cycle. Using reading books and Internet research, students complete an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using the Carbon Cycle Interactive Game in the Classroom

For Teachers 4th - 9th
An online reading and interactive game bring the path of a carbon molecule to life for your earth science explorers! As an assessment, learners can map out or write about their experience in the carbon cycle. Thoroughly written...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bug Work

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore the life cycles of insects and how they interact with each other in the prairie to create a healthy ecosystem and viable food chain. They list animals or insects in their own community that are similar to the prairie...
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Activity
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National Park Service

The Secret of Life

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Dead trees provide nutrients for the soil, food for animals, protection and a home for organisms, a seed-bed for new trees, and a place for nitrogen-fixing bacteria to live. In the activity, pupils collect decaying logs, expose them to a...
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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Wonderful World of Wasps

For Students 6th - 12th
Shockingly, wasps sometimes challenge lions as the king of predators! Learners explore the life of a wasp in an interactive online lesson. They read about the characteristics of wasps and then complete activities to learn about their lives.
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Lesson Plan
Minnesota Department of Natural Resoures

Tree Life

For Teachers 2nd Standards
The life of a tree is the focus of a packet consisting of several activities all covering a different subject. Second graders measure shadows, make pinecone critters, write poems, count rings, complete a word search, play tree tag, and...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Life Cycle: Diversity in a Balance 4th Grade Workbook

For Students 5th
In this life cycle workbook, 5th graders examine plant and animal cells, classification of organisms, human biology, photosynthesis, and natural environments. 21 different activities make up the Life Cycle Workbook.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hatching Egg Lesson

For Teachers K
What a great way to introduce life cycles in your classroom! Kindergartners learn about chickens using visual aids, vocabulary lists, and more. If possible, you can have your class watch the process up close and personal by bringing in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pocket Full of Posies: Ceramics

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
After studying the plant or flower life cycle, have the class create a basket of flowers out of clay. They hone their ceramics skills while they push, pull, then paint clay to look like flowers they've seen in nature. There are several...
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Activity
It's About Time

The Nitrogen and Phosphorous Cycles

For Teachers 7th - 12th
How do we affect the ecosystem, and what can we do to preserve it? Pupils explore chemicals that promote and inhibit plant growth, then discuss the importance of nitrogen and phosphorus to the survival of organisms and describe how...
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Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Foraging for Fish in a Melting Arctic

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
How much do you know about the black guillemot of the Arctic region? With great background information, images, and a quick discussion, the class will learn all about the plight of the foraging seabird as they play a fun game. First,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recycle Lifecycle

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars investigate the recycling process. In this recycling lesson, students read the article The Recycling Process After Collection and discuss the advantages of recycling. As an extension activity, young scholars simulate the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sunflowers, The Circle of Life

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students investigate and observe plants and animals in nature. They find out how life cycles are present in much of nature. Students use appropriate graphic organizers for information gathering. Students use sequence life cycles of...
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PPT
Curated OER

Ecology

For Teachers 9th - 12th
For use early in the year with your ecology class, this collection of slides introduces viewers to cycles in nature and relationships between organisms. There is a food web diagram, but the presentation is incomplete without any diagrams...