Curated OER
It's Alive! Or is it?
Students differentiate the characteristics of living and nonliving things. In this life science lesson, students compare and contrast robots and living things. Given an object, they decide whether it's is living or not and defend their...
Curated OER
Is It Alive?
First graders explore living things and their habitats. They create an original It's Alive! book to demonstrate what they have learned.
Curated OER
What on Earth?
Second graders investigate the different living and nonliving things they can find on Earth. In this life science lesson, 2nd graders record their observations as they dig into the soil. They examine them under the magnifying glass and...
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Living, Non-Living Mobile
Middle schoolers are introduced to the concept of living and nonliving organisms in general and participate in a starter activity where they build their own definitions of living and nonliving organisms.They sort organisms into living...
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Who Lives with Mallard?
Students color a picture of the habitat featuring mallard and other creatures, some of whom might be camouflaged or half-hidden. They discuss other forms of animal adaptation.
Curated OER
Three Worm Lesson
Third graders observe properties of three worms. In this living and non-living lesson, 3rd graders study characteristics of living and non-living worms. Students experiment to find how light, heat and moisture effects each of the worms....
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Waterdrops
For this science worksheet, students learn about water resources and watersheds by reading and answering questions in this 8 pages newsletter. Students learn about salt vs. fresh water, discover the protective role of estuaries, learn...
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Food Chain/Food Web
Students explore ecosystems. In this ecology lesson, students read an article explaining ecosystems. Students create a visual organizer with index cards using components of various ecosystems.
Curated OER
The Seven Characteristics of Life
Third graders investigate the characteristics of living and nonliving things. They conduct a research quest in order to identify the seven characteristics of life. Then students pick one aspect and use it to create a song meant to be...
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Color in the Garden
Third graders study color in a garden environment. In this color lesson, 3rd graders explore the colors of living and nonliving elements within a garden environment. Resources are provided.
Curated OER
Summer Scientists
In this lesson, learners discuss and reocrd what makes an object living or nonliving. The students then chart the lists of living and nonliving objects. Teacher allows learners oportunity to go outside and look for living and ninliving...
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What Lives in the Forest?
Students investigate nearby forests and record their interactions with trees as well as wild life. For this ecology lesson, students read the book, In the Woods: Who's Been Here?, and attend class observational field trips through their...
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How A Garden Grows
Fourth graders explore the importance of plants to animals and visa versa. After reading a book, The Tree in the Ancient Forest, they explore how plants and animals are independent. Students list living and nonliving things they...
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Observing and Recording Biological Data
Learners create their own definition of life. They identify the eight characteristics of life in organisms. They compare and contrast the characteristics of living and nonliving things.
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What It Is, What It Isn't
Third graders classify and sort different types of beans to be introduced to the classification system in science. As a class, they identify the characteristics of living and non-living organisms and make a chart in their journal to ...
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Cells
Third graders investigate yeast to extend their understanding of living and non-living things.
Montana State University
Everest Extremes: Biodiversity
How many animals can live in a climate as cold as Mount Everest's? Find out with a science instructional activity all about biodiversity. Activities include research, presentations, group work, coloring maps, and a simulation of a food web.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Carbon, Greenhouse Gases, and Climate
Climate models mathematically represent the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land, sun, surface, and ice. Part two in the series of four lessons looks at the role greenhouse gases play in keeping Earth warm and has participants...
Curated OER
Where is DNA found?
In this DNA learning exercise, 3rd graders think about where DNA is found by looking at three possible examples. Student write a short answer to explain where DNA is found.
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Cell Structures and Functions
Fifth graders search into animal and cell characteristics and their functions in this seven lesson unit. Replicas of the cell are constructed out of Jell-O as students probe the internet for details of the concepts.
Curated OER
The Many, Varied, and Unusual Places and Things on Earth
Students discover how energy flows through communities because of the relationship between producers, consumers and decomposers. Examining various ecosystems, they identify the materials that cycle continuously through them. They label...
Curated OER
"Garden Springs Gardeners"
First graders ponder the question of how plants help their lives. They observe and compare properties of several different plants. Differentiate between living organisms and nonliving objects.
Curated OER
Brine Shrimp Life Cycle
Third graders examine brine shrimp through "A Sea Monkey's Life" story. They study the living environments and life cycle of brine shrimp. They look at brine shrimp and cysts through a microscope, identifying new vocabulary that was...
Curated OER
Cows, Worms and Compost
Third graders explore agriculture by viewing a PowerPoint presentation in class. For this animal relationship lesson, 3rd graders identify the types of farm animals humans feed on and their dependency on such small insects like worms....