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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting to Know Some of Pennsylvania's Fishes

For Teachers K - 5th
Students research and identify the fish of Pennsylvania. In this earth science lesson, students view ten photos of fish and identify the characteristics of each fish. Students record observations and practice naming the fish using their...
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Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

Easy as Pi

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Seamounts are large, extinct volcanoes that rise up from the bottom of the ocean floor. They are a relatively new landform in the scientific community, and this lesson invites young scholars to learn about the amazing diversity of life...
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Lesson Plan
Desert Discoveries

What's In A Habitat?

For Teachers K - 2nd
The concept of a habitat being a home for animals is the main thrust of this life sciences resource. Learners complete a cut-and-paste activity using a fine worksheet that's embedded in the plan. They must place four very different...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sustainable Livestock

For Teachers 4th - 12th
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...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Coral and Chemistry

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Using cabbage juice as a pH indicator, future scientists explore the effect of increasing carbon dioxide on the pH of the ocean and relate it to the health of coral reefs. Ideal for an earth or environmental sciences course, this lesson...
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Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Sustainability and Extinction

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Galapagos Penguins are the only penguins on earth that live north of the equator (in the wild). In this last lesson plan a discussion on how the Galapagos islands developed their populations and diversity sparks the introduction. Two...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

The Tide is High, but I’m Holding On… Using ICESat Data to Investigate Sea Level Rise

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Based on the rate of melting observed from 2003-2007 in Greenland, it would take less than 10 minutes to fill the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium. The 17th activity in a series of 21 has scholars use the ICESat data to understand the ice mass...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sustainability

For Teachers 5th
Here is an in-depth, and incredibly thorough lesson plan on sustainable agricultural practices; specifically, regarding the growth of coffee. After completing and discussing a worksheet called "Thinking About Tomorrow," groups of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Save a Reef!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Design a public information campaign to improve understanding of the coral reef crisis. Read about and discuss the biology and threats to the coral reef. The class creates a public information program about the problems facing the coral...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Turtle and Tortoise Preschool Lesson Plan

For Teachers Pre-K - K
One of the best parts about teaching the littlest learners is that you can create thematic lessons that use one topic to address every subject. Here is a nice set of thematic teaching ideas that uses turtles and tortoises to teach...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Speedy Succession

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders identify how a pond can change into a grassland. An ecosystems lesson where learners identify pioneer and climax species, and recognize that ecological succession can take up to 100 years or more. Some excellent activities...
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PPT
Biology Junction

Plant Diversity

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Ginkgo trees existed for more than 350 million years, and, at this time, only one species still remains. While plant diversity generally increases over geologic time, some interesting exceptions occur. Young scientists learn about plant...
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PPT
Curated OER

Origin of The Species

For Teachers 9th - 12th
After viewing information about different types of isolation, students will see that reproduction among a group will cause the frequency of a specific trait to increase. The history of prominent scientists such as Charles Darwin are and...
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Lesson Plan
National Gardening Association

Migration Mishaps

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Two Rivers Ran Through It

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders discover the problems that early Mesototamian farmers faced while developing agriculture in the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. They design a working model that solves those unique challenges.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sensational Seaweed

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students compare kelp and land plants. In this sea plant lesson, students look at the role of algae in aquatic environments. They research the properties of kelp and explore seaweed. 
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Animals Must Fit In

For Students 3rd - 4th
A instructional activity on tadpoles is here for your young biologists. Learners read a short paragraph on tadpoles, then answer three questions regarding how parts of their bodies help the tadpole to survive in the pond. There is a good...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Living & Non-Living Interactions

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Beneficial Insects

For Students 4th - 5th Standards
A lot of people think of insects as pests. But actually, some insects are beneficial because they get rid of pests! After learning about beneficial insects, class members research given insects to find out if they are pests or predators.
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Cool Corals

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Young oceanographers research deep sea corals that thrive on chemosynthesis. The lesson focuses on the biology of the animal, preferred habitat, associations, and interactions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wetland Metaphors

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners describe the characteristics of wetlands and identify their ecological functions. They inspect items and use them to create metaphors about wetlands.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cut-off Genes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Investigate the relationships between different deep-sea organisms by DNA sequencing. A worksheet provides instructions for DNA sequencing and space to work. They simulate gel electrophoresis by cutting out paper "DNA strands." Modeling...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bird Airport Control

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars visit a local wetland and record observations of waterfowl on downloadable worksheets. They compile class data and list similarities and differences among species of birds observed.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mallard's Wetland Olympics

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students observe plants and animals of a wetland and then compare their ability to move with different animals by undertaking the exercises on a downloadable page.

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