Howard Hughes Medical Institute
CSI Wildlife
Can DNA fingerprinting prevent the extinction of elephants? Young scientists learn about DNA fingerprinting before applying their knowledge to case studies of elephant poaching. The first case requires them to match the DNA from a tusk...
National Park Service
Fire Ecology on the Rim
An engaging unit on wildfires includes three sections, including a background section with eight lessons and five activities, a field experience section with 13 lessons and five activities, and a conclusion section featuring an...
Curated OER
Celebrate Endangered Species Day at Your School
Learn how your school can join numerous conservation organizations in celebrating Endangered Species Day on May 17th.
Curated OER
WWW = World Wide Wildlife
Through video, internet research, and hands-on activities, learners conduct a study of the interdependence between animals and the habitats they live in. They conduct Internet research independently in order to complete a report on a...
Curated OER
Butterflies, Butterflies, Butterflies
Transform your class into a butterfly museum! Research different types of butterflies, their habitat, and life cycle. Interactive components such as PowerPoint presentations, Claymation movies, and webpages add pizzaz to the museum...
British Council
A New Logo for the World Wildlife Fund
Where does the money go? Learners take a look at the logo for the World Wildlife Fund and discuss characteristics of the panda in the logo. Scholars learn that cute, fuzzy endangered animals often receive the most donations. They keep...
American Museum of Natural History
How to Help Biodiversity
A resource provides a checklist of nine actions for pupils to take to do their part in supporting biodiversity. The list suggests more obvious actions such as supporting wildlife to less obvious ideas like learning about different...
National Wildlife Federation
Bats: Maligned or Malicious?
Most people couldn't name the positive qualities of bats. Learners discover how bats benefit the environment and then create a concept map to summarize the information. After their reading, they identify misconceptions people have about...
National Wildlife Federation
What's Your Habitat?
How do human habitats compare to animal habitats? Individuals begin their nature discovery by drawing their own habitats that extend beyond their houses. Pupils ensure their drawings include the four habitat elements of food, water,...
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
Tricky Tracks
While wildlife may not always be visible, they leave their marks behind for people to discover. A wildlife lesson has pupils explore the characteristics of animal tracks. They learn different types of tracks, as well as what tracks tell...
National Wildlife Federation
How Many Bison?
Math and science to the rescue! Some basic math concepts help scientists predict wildlife populations. Using tokens, groups simulate tagging a wildlife population. They then use proportions to estimate the population of the wildlife.
National Wildlife Federation
Habitat Hunt
Put yourselves in their shoes—or, in this case, their paws. Learners assume the role of an animal and scan a habitat looking for features to fulfill their basic needs. Based on their findings, they decide if the habitat is a suitable...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Life in a Pond
What living things call an aquatic habitat home? Young learners consider the question after they discuss the characteristics of a typical pond habitat. They identify an animal and then determine if a pond would have all the components to...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Birds are Everywhere
Wildlife includes all animals that have not been domesticated, both big and small. Young scientists search for all types of wildlife and more importantly for evidence that wildlife is present. As they venture in an outdoor space, they...
National Wildlife Federation
Habitat for Sale
Where would this animal like to live? Pupils choose an animal and write an ad to advertise that animal's habitat or home. For a little fun, learners create the newspaper ads to provide enough detail for classmates to...
Purdue University
Take-a-Hike
Learn about nature and health all in one set of lessons. Individuals use a scavenger hunt to record observations during a nature hike. They then complete activities to categorize their observations and rate the health of the habitat for...
Purdue University
Common Indiana Mammals
Mammals all have their own story to tell. A set of 34 cards outlines the key characteristics of different mammals. The cards include images of each mammal as well as their skulls and tracks. The back of the cards describe characteristics...
Purdue University
Mammal Food Webs
You are what you eat—or at least a part of what you eat. Budding scientists examine owl pellets to develop their own food webs. They use tooth and skull identification techniques to classify what they find.
Purdue University
Animal Diversity and Tracking
What exactly are those glowing eyes in the night? Learners run an experiment to attract local wildlife and then document the number of visitors by identifying their tracks. They then analyze the data to draw conclusions about the types...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
WildCam Gorongosa
After years of war and unrest, how quickly will nature recover? Started as a project to track lion populations, WildCam Gorongosa now tracks many species. Through hidden camera evidence, scientists know species are returning to the area....
National Park Service
Maltese Cross Cabin
The Maltese Cross Cabin, a frontier residence of Theodore Roosevelt, is a time capsule that commemorates Roosevelt's time in the Dakota territory. An explanatory video and response guide takes students on a virtual tour of the wooden...
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation Educator Guide
In 1980, in the tropical rainforests of Panama, scientists discovered 1,200 species of beetles living in and around just 19 trees, with most of the species new to science—that's biodiversity! In the activity, learners work in teams to...
WindWise Education
How Does Energy Affect Wildlife?
Is wildlife affected the same way by different electricity generation methods? Teams work together to research four electricity generation sources and their impacts on wildlife. The teams create a summary report and share their...