Curated OER
Investigating Animals in Soil
Students investigate and observe small animal activity on a plot of land on their school grounds. In small groups they identify the five kingdoms of animals, stake out a small plot of ground, collect samples, record and analyze any data...
Baylor College
What's Is Soil Made Of?
It's time to roll up those sleeves and get a little dirty in the second lesson of this series on the science of food. Investigate where plants and animals get the minerals they need to live in this two-part exploration of soil. First,...
Curated OER
Weathering and Soil Formation
A set of 27 slides systematically shows how weathering, erosion, and deposition contribute to soil formation. Both chemical and mechanical weathering are described, as are resulting soil layers and properties. There is no longer any need...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Measuring Biodiversity in Gorongosa
Take your biology class' understanding of biodiversity to a whole new level! Ecology scholars use data to calculate three different diversity indices based on the organisms in the Gorongosa National Park. The four-part activity uses an...
Curated OER
Animals Must Fit In
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...
Curated OER
Dinnertime for Animals
Is a deer an herbivore? What about a spider? Experiment with the food chain in an interactive science experiment. After listing the herbivores from a selection of animals, third and fourth graders compare the skulls and teeth of...
Captain Planet Foundation
Energy Flow in the Garden
How can you tell what an owl has eaten? Study the food chain and flow of energy in an ecosystem by dissecting an owl pellet and noting the bones found inside. Additionally, the instructional activity includes a game about consumers and...
Curated OER
What is Soil?
Students study living and non-living materials that are found in soil. They study the things required by plants and animals to remain healthy. They design a collage of sand, stones, leaves and other natural items.
Rainforest Alliance
How Do Jaguars and Howler Monkeys in Belize Depend on Us?
How does weather play a role in the lives of land and sea creatures? Find out with a lesson focused on habitats and the ways animals from different homes are connected. Here, learners explore how the life of a jaguar and howler monkey...
Curated OER
Soil Composition
Students examine soil. In this soil composition lesson students participate in soil sedimentation and filtration activities. The students discuss what non-living and living things are in soil and why it is so important.
Curated OER
Plants and Animals
Students find common needs between plants and animals. In this plants and animals lesson students compare that both plants and animals need food and water. They also find the differences between plant and animal needs.
Curated OER
What on Earth is in the Earth?
Students explore the physical properties of sand, soil, and rocks and sort, classify, compare, and contrast the materials found in the soil. The differences between the living and non-living parts of the soil is discussed.
Curated OER
Soil Scrolls
Third graders examine soil samples and explore the what happens in each layer of the subsoil. They work in cooperative groups to create a scroll that shows what takes place in each layer, and discuss why much of the activity is in the...
Curated OER
How Does Your Soil Stack Up?
Students examine the soil in their local area and create a soil profile. They record observations in the field and the classroom. They create their own display of the soil profile as well.
Curated OER
Soil Stories
Tenth graders collect and analyze soil samples and extrapolate the characteristics needed to support different types of plant life. They research different types of prairie soil and how it supports plant and animal life.
Curated OER
Rooting Into the Soil: Examining the Relationship Between Plants, Soil, And Water
Students, in groups, conduct an experiment to compare how water moves through different soils. They discuss how different soils could have an impact on different plants.
Curated OER
What is in Soil?
Fourth graders identify and examine the components that make up soil. Individually, they use a magnifying glass to identify the organic and inorganic material in their soil sample. To end the instructional activity, they record the...
Curated OER
How Much Soil is There?
Students examine that all living things depend on soil to live. In this science lesson, students pretend that an apple is planet Earth. Students cut the apple to represent the portions of Earth with the last section representing soil.
Curated OER
What Plants Need in Order to Survive and Grow: Soil
Learners conduct an experiment to evaluate whether plants need soil to survive and grow. They plant two seeds, one with soil and one without, make predictions, and record and analyze the seed germination results on a worksheet.
Education Outside
Animal Homes in the Garden
First graders journey to the school garden to examine the habitats of garden animals. Using the provided graphic organizer, kids locate and sketch a critter and its habitat before returning it to its home.
Curated OER
Dinner in a Woodland
After reading a short paragraph about what makes up a woodland habitat, fifth graders attempt to identify the primary consumers, secondary consumers, and third order consumers in two separate food chain scenarios. They also name a hawk's...
Curated OER
Soil Treasure Hunt
Students explore the concept of soil and decomposition. In this soil and decomposition lesson, students investigate bags of soil. Students then learn how animals and other organisms help in the decomposition process.
Curated OER
Soil
In this soil worksheet, students read about soil and the attributes that determine how soil is formed. They then answer the 11 questions in the packet. The answers are on the last page of the packet.
Curated OER
A World of Soils
In this word search worksheet, students read several paragraphs about the types of soil. Students then use the bold words to complete the word search puzzle.