National Wildlife Federation
Brown Pelicans
Even animals that are part of the same species have differences. Learners read a passage about white and brown pelicans and compare their features. They recognize that although the birds look very similar, they also have their own unique...
National Wildlife Federation
Massive Migrations: Grades K-8
Migratory animals follow the same path every year. Learners research the path of an assigned species and create a map highlighting key landmarks along the way. As a group, they come up with a presentation to share with their class.
National Wildlife Federation
Massive Migrations: Grades 5-8
Many Arctic species only spent a fraction of their lives in the Arctic region. Scholars research migrating Arctic species to learn more about their habits. They focus on their migration habits including distances, time, and challenges...
National Wildlife Federation
Massive Migrations: Grades K-4
Bird migration is a fascinating behavior. Budding scientists experience their own migrations using the school grounds for their flight patterns. They follow a map that leads them through a migration pattern that includes stops for...
National Wildlife Federation
Call of the Wild: Grades 5-8
Teach animal lovers how to decipher frog speak. Classes learn about the different calls using audio clips. They then imitate the calls as a group and make a recording. The challenge is to try to recognize individual sounds—can they do it?
National Wildlife Federation
Call of the Wild: Grades K-4
The sound a frog makes lets people know what it's up to. A two-part lesson plan begins by discussing the life cycle of a frog and the individual stages with drawings. The second part has learners listen to the frogs' different sounds and...
National Wildlife Federation
Box Turtle Interview
Imagine life as a box turtle. Learners study the characteristics of box turtles and then assume the role in an interview. They show their understanding of how a box turtle lives by responding to a series of questions.
National Wildlife Federation
Plants and Animals of the Arctic
The Arctic food web may be more limited than other environments, but it has all the same components. With an interactive activity, pupils assume the roles of the components of an Arctic food chain. They move around and link themselves to...
National Wildlife Federation
Where In the World Is the Arctic?
Exactly how far away is the Arctic? Learners use maps to orient themselves to their locations on the globe. They then make calculations to describe how their location relates to the location of the Arctic regions.
National Wildlife Federation
Summer Midnight Sun
Sunlight hours and climate have a clear connection. Young researchers collect data about the sunrise and sunset times in an Arctic climate as well as the average temperatures. They then graph their data to make connections between the...
National Wildlife Federation
Habitat Web
It's all connected. Classes create a web to connect living things in a local ecosystem. They create cards with both living and nonliving things found in their areas while considering the characteristics of each. After they have a good...
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...
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...
National Wildlife Federation
Tree Detectives!
Trees may look pretty similar until you take a closer look. Young scientists use their observation skills to describe the difference between the bark, leaves, and seeds of different trees. They then use a field guide to identify local...
National Wildlife Federation
Wind Power
Many have played with seed helicopters at one time or another. Learners use paper to create their own helicopters to model the Linden seed. After a discussion of seed dispersal, they take their models outside, let them go, and make...
National Wildlife Federation
Sensory Discovery Walk
Let your senses be your lead. Pairs of pupils blindfold their partners and then lead them around nature areas. They use their senses to find landmarks and create maps with their findings. Once they create their maps, they go back to the...
New York City Department of Education
Grade 3 Literacy: Investigating Sharks
Shark! Scholars read about sharks in Facts about Sharks by Susanna Batchelor. They then pretend they are shark scientists and choose a shark they want to study. Learners research their sharks and record information in graphic organizers...
Acoustical Society of America
How Loud Is Too Loud?
How loud was that? Individuals build wheels displaying different sounds. Then, learners use the wheels to find the number of decibels the sound creates and how long they could withstand the sound before potential hearing damage.
Acoustical Society of America
Good Vibrations
Visualize vibrations within the classroom. Pupils see the connection between sound and waves. The learners use a tuning fork in two different ways to demonstrate the waves associated with sound. Scholars see how the sound waves from a...
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
Mesh Bag Collector
Who knew bugs could be so informative? A hands-on activity has pupils assess the sustainability of a water ecosystem based on the presence of invertebrates. The class places a homemade trap in a local pond, and after several weeks,...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Big Fish, Little Fish
Tag, you're eaten! A lesson 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...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Forest Floor Investigation
Most living things go unnoticed. Change that using a fun activity about the nutrient cycle. Pupils use hula hoops to mark areas of study and then make observations about the living things they see. They first make surface observations,...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Water Words
Water is an interesting substance that all living things need to survive. Learners focus on the characteristics of water as they create a list of words related to water and then incorporate them into descriptive paragraphs. They then use...