Curated OER
Discovering Local Food Chains
Fourth graders study about food chains. With the assistance of a local biologist, Students hike the school trail system. They explore ecosystem and collect data by charting the organisms found and identifying the energy source. They...
Curated OER
Food Chains and Food Webs
Fourth graders investigate food chains. In this living environment lesson, 4th graders begin to understand the interdependence of organisms. Students describe the connections organisms have to the ecosystem. Students research online,...
Curated OER
Exploring Owls
What can young scientists discover from dissecting an owl pellet? Explore the owl food chain, beginning with an introduction to these predatory birds. Suggested strategies here include creating a podcast and purchasing a poster, however...
Curated OER
Create a Food Chain
Learners explore the food chain and the ways that animals depend on each other and on plants for food. They create a paper chain with different colors relating to carnivores and herbivores. The chains are linked to the sun to create a...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Nature's Life Cycle
Become a member of the Pollution Patrol and stand up to litter! After discussing the life cycle of seeds and discussing how plants figure into the food chain, young conservationists engage in several activities involving podcasts,...
Curated OER
Food Webs in the Barnegat Bay
Students investigate the food webs in the Barnegat Bay. In this organisms lesson, students use a graphic organizer to illustrate the types of consumers in the bay. Students use reference books to continue to research the animals found in...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
A critical look into the structure and function of ecosystems is here for young learners as a series of lessons and worksheet activities. Topics covered include land-based and marine ecosystems, connections to the water cycle, food webs,...
Curated OER
Week 8 - Sea Life
Using a magnifier, mini marine biologists examine the barbules of a bird feather. They swirl the it into a mixture of oil and water and then re-examine the feather. After the activity, discuss how the oily feathers pose a problem to sea...
Curated OER
Something Fishy in Ontario
Students create a diorama of the habitat of the fish of their choice, along with a research paper. They research habitats, the factors which affect specific habitats, and how fish adapt to different habitats in order to meet their unique...
Curated OER
Sharks
Pupils research sharks, the food chain, and the water habitat shared by humans and sharks.
Curated OER
Predators and Prey
Pupils explain how the food chain works. They contrast predators with prey and describe their function in nature. Students discuss how the food chain aids in keeping nature balanced. In small groups, they play a game that simulates the...
Curated OER
Circle of Life
Students consider why we eat and where our food obtains its energy. They illustrate food chains that might be found on an open field, dissect owl pellets, identify the remains of animals in the pellets, watch videos and participate in...
Curated OER
Meet One Picky Bird
Students complete a research project For this endangered species lesson, students use the "Think, Puzzle, Explore" method to learn about endangered species. Students research and write a report on the red-cockaded woodpecker.
Channel Islands Film
Natural Resources, and Human Uses of Plants and Animals
As part of their study of the restoration projects on Santa Cruz Island, class members demonstrate their understanding of the connections among plant life, animals, and the actions of humans by crafting a model that reveals these...
Curated OER
Community and Ecosystems
Students complete a unit of lessons on ecosystems. They participate in online activities, create a diorama, write journal entries, and develop a Hyperstudio multimedia project on a selected ecosystem.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Make a Difference!
We are very dependent upon other life forms around us to survive. Here, scholars explore relationships in the ecosystem with the help of Auntie Litter and the pollution patrol. They imagine a world without grass, making connections to...
Curated OER
Book Making
Students make connections with real life experiences and the two languages, including Spanish and English. They create their own books in this project lesson plan to take home and read with their families. Students also use a digital...
Eastern Michigan University
Energy Flow in a Wetland Ecosystem
How is energy transferred within an ecosystem? What would happen to a food web if one of the organisms was removed? Elementary or middle school ecologists examine these questions and more in a comprehensive 5E learning cycle lesson....
Curated OER
Circle of Life
Here is a well-designed science lesson that shows learners that everything that organisms do in ecosystems, including running, breathing, burrowing, growing, requires energy. After a thorough discussion of their own eating and drinking...
Curated OER
Introduction to Worm Bin Project
Learners observe the decomposing process of the food chain in a worm bin. They observe whether the type of food fed to worms affect the castings given off during the decomposition process. They learn and practice graphing their findings.
Curated OER
Science Videos
Students plan, practice, and act in a 2-3 minute videotaped production about a specific topic. Students from a local high school give presentations pertaining to seasons, earth rotation, and moon phases. Students analyze the...
Curated OER
Using Comics to teach Habitat and the Balance of Nature
Students visit a specific online comics website to view a comic. They discuss the elements of the food chain that were seen in the story. They choose an inhabitant of the pond habitat that they have been reading about and do a research...
Curated OER
Have You Ever Seen a Sea Monkey?
Fourth graders observe brine shrimp over several days. They create drawings showing the growth and development of the shrimp. They research web sites to find out where brine shrimp fit on the food chain and what makes the shrimp unique.
Curated OER
How Does Climate Change Affect Animal Populations?
Students investigate the effect of climate change on animal population in Nova Scotia. In this environmental science lesson, students complete a Nova Scotia map activity and research the causes of global warming in small groups. Students...