Curated OER
Habitat Art: Florida Panthers
Students discover the lifestyles of a Florida Panther by investigating its habitat. In this wild animal instructional activity, students utilize the Internet to research the habits of a Panther and what their habitat is....
Curated OER
Plankton / Phytoplankton
High schoolers discuss the importance of plankton in the ocean ecosystem. In this biology lesson, students identify the different types plankton by observing them under the microscope. They explain how plankton population affect global...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students observe what happens to water as it goes from a solid to a liquid. For this exploratory lesson students gain an understanding for the water cycle while working in groups observing what happens to water as it changes...
Curated OER
Journeys...The Voices of Change
Students trace the immigration patterns of their ancestors. They plot information on a world map, develop a timeline of target immigration patterns, research and write a report on immigration and participate in a class play.
Curated OER
Desalination: Creating a Solar Still
To better understand how solar power can aid in creating desalinated drinking water, the class creates a model still. They will build a model of a solar still, make observations, and discuss how the process works. While the idea behind...
Curated OER
Water Quality and Dissolved Oxygen
Learners investigate the relationship between dissolved oxygen and organic materials and aquatic organisms. This is a 3-lesson plan series in which students explore dissolved oxygen and then design an experiment testing the effects of...
Curated OER
Where Are the Dinosaurs
Students explore the concept of extinction. In this dinosaur lesson, students view a video and have a class discussion about the extinction of dinosaurs. They create a dinosaur egg and imagine what life would be like for a dinosaur.
Curated OER
Birds Observed by Lewis and Clark
Learners study and identify birds that Lewis and Clark saw on the Corp Of Discovery in ND. They create a PowerPoint on the characteristics and habitats of that bird and key information on how to identify them.
Curated OER
Teeter Totter
Pupils explore the two types of spotted sandpipers. They create a puppet show using the spotted sandpiper from Puerto Rico and the spotted sandpiper from Alaska. Students research the habitats of the two sandpipers.
Curated OER
My Life as a Loggerhead
Students discuss the current flow of the Gulf Stream and the characteristics of the Sargasso Sea. They visit websites to gather information on loggerhead sea turtles. Students imagine that they are newly hatched loggerhead turtles.
Curated OER
Field Guide to Schoolyard Insects and Their Relatives
Your entire class works together to create an illustrated insect field guide. The intent is that they venture outside of the classroom, find a critter, and then research it using reference materials, insect books, and the Internet for...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Food for Thought: Climate Change and Trophic Cascades
Learners examines the arctic food web with a short video about polar bears and an article about bears and warming temperatures. They design an arctic food web and discuss the trophic cascade that could come from climate...
American Museum of Natural History
Feed the Birds
Scholars use a large carton, string, an emery board, and bird food to create a hand-made bird feeder. After completing the craft, pupils keep a journal to track their observations.
Curated OER
My Habitat Address
Sixth graders draw a habitat and write about what they would need to survive in the habitat. They define the input of items such as materials, energy, and information, and what goes out of the habitat. They play a "Habitat Address" game,...
Curated OER
Wildlife Sampling-Capture-Recapture
Seventh graders simulate the capture-recapture method of population sampling using beans. In this biology lesson, 7th graders calculate the total population of beans in the bowl. They assess whether this method is reliable or not.
Curated OER
Can You Find a Solution?
Students explore the topic of public conservation. In this Florida panthers lesson, students read a scenario about the endangered panther and collaborate to plan a way to protect the panther population. Students also participate in a...
Curated OER
Tropical Treehouse
Learners examine the tropical rainforest and issues involving the uses of rainforests. They explore the plants and animals that live in each level of the tropical rainforest. Students examine and discuss a case study involving the rights...
Curated OER
Vanishing Rainforests: How can We Save Them?
Students focus in on the Amazon Rain forest. They research about various plants and animals that exist in our rain forests. Students develop knowledge of resources that come from our rain forests. They analyze the cause/effect of rain...
Curated OER
Food for Thought
Students understand the importance of each member of a food chain through a game. In this food chains lesson, students receive background information and then play a game to simulate what happens in the food chain of an endangered...
Curated OER
Science NetLinks: Burrowing Owls
Students investigate the example of the burrowing owl to illustrate how human activities can control the fate of species. The research is focused on the ecosystem and examining the different species within it.
Curated OER
Walking for Water Mini-Unit
Students participate in an activity that requires them to consider the availability of water. In this "walking for water" lesson, students read "Women Bear the Weight of Water," and respond to discuss questions regarding the article....
Curated OER
Deforestation
Students study the effects of deforestation. In this environmental instructional activity, students view a PowerPoint slideshow about the importance of trees. Students read The Lorax and discuss what the characters represent in our society.
Curated OER
Quadrat Sampling 101
Young scholars explore the population of grass plants in a given area. They plan and conduct a sampling activity to estimate the population of dandelions or the number of grass blades on the school grounds.
Curated OER
Rainforest Alliance: Biodiversity
Fifth graders compare biodiversity in their neighborhood and in the rainforest. For this biodiversity lesson, 5th graders read stories and gather information about the diversity of life found in their area and in the rainforest. As a...