Science 4 Inquiry
Frenemies, Bros and Killers: A Lesson in Symbiosis
Animals and plants develop relationships and rely on each other to survive. Pupils learn more about symbiosis through a video, a hands-on matching activity, and a game. They differentiate and describe each type on a written evaluation.
EngageNY
Continued Close Reading of Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle: Text-Dependent Questions and Vivid Words and Phrases
As 3rd graders continue reading Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle, they focus on the concepts of predator and prey in the fifth lesson plan of this unit. Scholars further develop their ability to answer questions using evidence from the text...
K20 LEARN
Ecosystems, Human Activity, And Interactions, Oh My!: Human/Environment Interaction
Word clouds about ecosystems hook learners into a lesson that explores Yellowstone wildlife. Young scientists create cause-and-effect relationships after examining data and recommend solutions to their observed problems. More data...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Leeches
Who actually likes leeches? Meet a scientist that makes his living letting leeches feed on him. Pupils learn about the characteristics of leeches and different variations of the species. The lesson works as a remote learning resource or...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Colorful Creatures
An online resource shows learners some species that are very good at using their camouflage as well as other ways species use their coloring for survival. Interactive and digital, the lesson is perfect as a remote learning resource.
National Wildlife Federation
Who Is Faster?
Am I going to catch it? Individuals time how long it takes them to walk, jog, and run a given distance and calculate their speed. They then research two animals and find their speeds. Using a chart, pupils compare the speeds of the...
National Wildlife Federation
Woodland Chase
Too many predators or too many prey is not good for a habitat. Pupils learn how the predator-prey relationship serves to maintain healthy populations with a game simulation. Individuals take on the roles of either a predator or prey and...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Bring the outside in to make observations in a controlled environment. Pupils learn about predator-prey relationships with spiders firsthand. They first construct a spider habitat and then feed the spider insects to make observations...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Big Fish, Little Fish
Tag, you're eaten! A activity on predator-prey relationships uses the game freeze tag as a model. Learners become either a predator or prey and play a game of tag as the prey tries to reach areas that house food and shelter. During the...
Community Resources for Science
Food Webs/Clipfish
Human impact on habitats can be alarming. A hands-on activity has learners explore the impact of human interactions with different environments using a gamified approach. They simulate the impact of a species' abundance under different...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Look Who's Coming for Dinner: Selection by Predation
What happens when a new predator comes to town? Learners analyze an experiment that studies the effect of predation on selection. They use real data to draw conclusions about the impact a new predator has on a prey species.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Creating Chains and Webs to Model Ecological Relationships
The sustainability of an ecosystem depends on many factors and changes constantly. Young scholars consider these factors as they use a set of cards to create food webs. They review key scientific vocabulary such as predator, prey,...
WolfQuest
The Return of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park: Right or Wrong?
Should gray wolves be removed from Yellowstone National Park? After researching the complex relationships between the various habitats and species at Yellowstone National Park, including humans, class members take a position on the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Modeling Trophic Cascades
In the ecological game of who eats who, one small change can have a big impact! Individuals create food chains in an array of ecosystems, then determine what happens to organisms in the chain when one organism changes its feeding...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Exploring Trophic Cascades
What happens when the top predator on an ecosystem disappears? Scholars explore this idea through an introduction example and four case studies. They learn to analyze the importance of every member in a food pyramid to come to their...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Modeling Food Webs in Darién, Panama
It's a jungle out there! Young biologists journey to Darien, Panama to examine the intricate relationships between the organisms that inhabit the jungle. Groups begin by demonstrating an understanding of energy flow in ecosystems, then...
Florida International University
The Good, the Bad and the Nasty Tasting
Examine the benefits of chemical defense mechanisms. Organisms in oceans use chemicals to ward off predators. Duplicate this adaptation using a hands-on experiment in which you ward off your predators (your pupils) with some bad-tasting...
Nature Works Everywhere
Sharks and Shorelines
Examine predator-prey marine relationships through an interactive lesson design. Learners begin by studying a specific shark species and then analyze real-time shark-tracking data. They also study threats to shark populations and...
LABScI
Population Dynamics: The Predator-Prey Lab
Wolves eat better when the bunny population increases, but how long does that last? A series of 12 biology lessons uses the sixth installment to explore the predator-prey relationship between bunny and wolf populations. Young scientists...
Illustrative Mathematics
Foxes and Rabbits 2
The fox population chases the rabbit population. Groups model the populations of foxes and rabbits with two trigonometric functions. Individuals graph both trigonometric models on the same graph, and then teams determine an explanation...
Illustrative Mathematics
Foxes and Rabbits 3
Model periodic populations. Here, in the context of foxes and rabbits, pupils look at graphs of the populations of these animals in a national park over a span of 24 months. Groups analyze the graphs and determine trigonometric functions...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Life in an Ocean World
How does the shell color of crabs and the habitat they live in impact the predator-prey relationship? The fourth lesson in a series of five is a game where participants try not to get eaten if they are a prey and try to eat if they are...
National Science Teacher Association
Middle School Sampler: Science
Focus on inquiry-based learning in your science class with a series of activities designed for middle schoolers. A helpful packet samples four different texts, which include activities about predator-prey relationships, Earth's axis and...
It's About Time
Who Eats Whom?
Packed with visual aids and multiple learning opportunities, an engaging exercise challenges individuals as they explore the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers. After discussing differences between food chains, food...