Science Matters
Ecosystem Pre-Assessment
Test scholars' knowledge of ecosystems with a 20-question pre-assessment. Assessment challenges learners to answer multiple choice questions, read diagrams, and complete charts.
Scholastic
Minibeasts
Lead young scientists to discover insects outdoors. After investigating, students will record observations, learn about these fascinating creatures, craft, and role play.
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Please Help!
Sixth graders examine the prairie food chain while designing a rescue strategy for an endangered species. They compare their strategy to that of a professional conservation expert.
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Kids for Conservation: Animal Unit
Students discuss animal needs and characteristics. In this animal mini-unit, students complete three activities studying different animals, their needs, how they have evolved, and how to protect them.
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How Does Climate Change Affect Animal Populations?
Students investigate the effect of climate change on animal population in Nova Scotia. In this environmental science lesson, students complete a Nova Scotia map activity and research the causes of global warming in small groups. Students...
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Create a New Animal
Students understand what physical adaptations are and how they help an animal to survive. In this adaptations lesson, students research four animals and then make an original animal that has adaptations to make them survive.
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Giants of the Animal Kingdom
Fourth graders examine the megafauna found in Australia. They create a food web using cut-outs and develop a timeline to show changes in the fauna over time. They draw their own megafauna scene for their classroom.
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The Web of Life
Students construct a food web to learn how living things in an ecosystem are interconnected. In this food web simulation activity, students will be assigned an animal and the teacher will represent the sun. Students and teacher discuss...
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Forest Food Webs
Students consider the interdependency of life in a temperate forest by studying selected organisms from an Asian temperate forest and creating a food web.
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Food Web Follies
Seventh graders cut and paste animal pictures to create a food web and trace the path of energy. They write a paragraph explaining the importance of photosynthesis in all food webs.
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Habitats of the World
Students complete a unit of eighteen lessons that cover climate, geography, location, plants, and animals of each of the five habitats. They are also introduced to habitat destruction and discuss ways to protect the environment. They do...
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Regions and Habitats
Fourth graders identify the different habitats found in the seven regions of the United States. In this ecology lesson, 4th graders write an essay about how humans affect the ecosystem and vice versa. They discuss how changes on one...
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Arctic Food Web
Students research animals found in the arctic. They discuss what living things need in order to survive and where they get their food. Students discuss the difference between producers and consumers and create a food web for animals in...
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Constructing A Food Web
Students identify and explain the relationships within a food web. They use index cards to glue pictures of producers and consumers. On the back of the card, students name the organism, list the type of biome in which it is found.
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Discovering New Species
Students identify animals observed by Lewis and Clark while evaluating the animal's habitat and describing the animal's behavior. Students construct a food web mobile to illustrate the animal's position in the food web in the 19th...
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Food Webs
Students recognize interdependence in a food web by using yarn and notecards to create a food web and discussing what would happen if one of the organisms from a certain trophic level is removed.
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Food Webs
Learners research what food is eaten by the following organisms: penguins leopard seals, krill, elephant seals, petrels, albatross, fur seals, squid, insects and grass. They make a food web using the data they have gathered.
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Aquatic Ecosystems
Students study ponds and wetland ecosystems and examine the food chains and webs in them. In this aquatic ecosystems lesson plan students answer questions about the diversity of the flora and fauna in a pond.
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Blubber Gloves
The ways that animals adapt to their environments is quite remarkable. In this life science lesson plan, fifth graders take a look at some of the ways that aquatic animals that live in Arctic or Antarctic waters survive. They perform an...
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Erase It! Endangered Animals
Students discover why many animals, insects, and birds are becoming extinct. They understand the importance of the food chain and how disturbing one area of it can cause havoc with wildlife. They discover how they can make a difference...
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Food Web Mystery
Students describe typical marine food webs, and explain why food is generally scarce in the deep-ocean environment. They discuss reasons that seamounts may support a higher density of biological organisms than would appear to be possible.
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Protecting Our Planet
Students examine the impact of pollution. In this pollution lesson, students watch Protecting Our Planet, then participate in a simulation of the effect of pollution on a variety of organisms.
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Food webs and Energy Flows
Students become familiar with food chains. In this food chains activity, students understand that as consumers eat other consumers energy is passed. Students understand the vocabulary associated with food chains.
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Who's for Dinner?
Fifth graders examine life systems within different biomes. They choose paper plates with the names of animals on them. They research the animals, write reports and draw pictures of them. They create a food chain model by arranging the...