Curated OER
The Life Cycle of the Butterfly
Second graders study the life cycle of a butterfly by observing metamorphosis taking place in a butterfly pavilion. Students illustrate their understandings of the body parts of a caterpillar and butterfly, as well as the life cycle,...
Curated OER
Plants- What Are Their Parts and Functions?
Middle schoolers learn about plants. In this plant function activity, students label the parts of a plant and their functions. Middle schoolers work in small groups to create three simile statements to relate to the function of essential...
Curated OER
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Students construct and maintain a school garden. In this gardening lesson, students plan the construction of the garden by writing letters to local businesses asking for supplies and materials; students build the garden using their math...
Curated OER
Dry-Land Kalo-Growing New Plants from Stems
Students explore Hawaiian plants. In this Hawaii culture and botany lesson, students plant the haha(stem) of a taro plant. Students listen to Hawaiian myths about the taro plant and chorally speak a Hawaiian chant of protection. Students...
Curated OER
Agriculture is a Cycle
What do a bicycle and the life cycle have in common? Cover this and more with the series of cross-curricular activities included in this plan. Learners do everything from making bracelets that represent the life cycle to checking out the...
Curated OER
The Nitrogen Cycle
Young scholars design and create a compost pile in order to study the Nitrogen Cycle. They then use the scientific method to determine if plants grow better when they add organic matter from their compost pile to the plant's soil.
Curated OER
The Seasonal Cycle
Students complete a unit of lessons on the four seasons. They examine the effect each season has on plants, animals, and people during the actual season, read magazine and newspaper articles, and create a calendar and poster about each...
California Academy of Science
Composting: A Scientific Investigation: California Academy of Sciences
Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...
Curated OER
Plant, Point and Record the Life Cycles of Plants
Students examine the life cycle of plants. Individually, they are given a digital camera in which they take pictures of plants in the various stages of the life cycle. To end the instructional activity, they plant their own flower bed in...
Curated OER
Biogeochemical Cycles
Students research an assigned biogeochemical cycle. For this cycle activity, students need to determine that all cycles need energy to continue. The students will look at a given cycle to describe it, research and draw an assigned cycle,...
Curated OER
Milkweed Plants
Second graders view milkweed plants (or pictures). The describe the plant and discuss ways some butterflies use it as a food source. Students view four pictures of different phases of a milkweed plant's life cycle. They discuss the...
Curated OER
Fiber of Life
Young scholars examine the importance of plants to individuals and society through a multi-discipline set of activities. They observe and draw different leaf structures and then create a book about trees and photosynthesis. They explore...
Curated OER
Inviting Butterflies to the Schoolyard
Students create a butterfly garden. In this butterfly garden lesson, students plot a garden with plant species that will attract butterflies. Students learn about the specific plants and items that will help butterflies use the garden.
Curated OER
Metamorphosis Magic
Learners play rock-paper-scissors and create a play to demonstrate the butterfly life cycle. In this butterfly life cycle lesson plan, students also plant a butterfly garden with plants that attract butterflies.
Curated OER
Metamorphosis Magic
Students make different motions for each stage in the butterfly life cycle and plant a garden. In this butterfly life cycle lesson plan, students can take the mini gardens home and discuss how butterflies help gardens.
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
Pocket Full of Posies: Ceramics
After studying the plant or flower life cycle, have the class create a basket of flowers out of clay. They hone their ceramics skills while they push, pull, then paint clay to look like flowers they've seen in nature. There are several...
Curated OER
Build A Model of the Water Cycle
Students identify and describe the steps in the water cycle. They discover the sun as the source of the cycle. They work together to create their own water cycle model.
Curated OER
What Do You Know About Horseshoe Crabs?
Students create a learning tool based on information given on the assigned website. In this ocean life lesson, students read about the horseshoe crab and develop a worksheet, scavenger hunt, board game or any tool to aid learning. They...
Curated OER
Terrestrial Sequestration - Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
Students investigate how plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. In this biology lesson, students differentiate photosynthesis and cellular respiration. They discuss the important role of plants in the environment.
Curated OER
Growth and Change as it Occurs in Plants and Flowers
Students work together to observe plants and flowers through their life cycle. In groups, they make predictions and record changes in a journal. Using this information, they create their own original artwork and discuss the plants life...
Curated OER
Flutterings and Flowers
Fourth graders investigate the significance of natural resources and the habitats of butterflies. They create a list of their own favorite foods, then watch a video about habitats. Students identify things in the video that animals and...
Curated OER
Pumpkin, Pumpkin
First graders understand that pumpkins grow slowly over several months. In this pumpkin lesson plan, 1st graders listen to the book Pumpkin, Pumpkin and recall the sequence of the pumpkin life cycle. Students create pumpkin artwork...
Curated OER
Tree Cycles
Fourth graders investigate the life cycle of a tree by researching the Internet. For this plant life lesson, 4th graders observe The Life of a Tree website and discuss the life of a tree from sprout to death. Students create a cross...