Curated OER
Air and Water in the Environment
Students explore the traits of water condensation and evaporation. In this water cycle lesson, students develop an awareness of the importance of water for sustaining life. Students participate in a hands-on activity in which water is...
Curated OER
Worms! Nature's Recyclers
Third graders explore the process of composting. In this composting lesson, 3rd graders read the book Wonderful Worms, and create composters.
Curated OER
Oak Ridges Moraine: Southern Ontario's Sponge
Pupils examine the characteristics of the Oak Ridge Moraine in Canada. Using a map, the locate the moraine and present and defend a position on how the resources found there should be used. They must use proper geography terminology...
Curated OER
Energy and Control
Seventh graders construct a lunch box that maintains functional temperature zones and does not allow heat transfer between the zones. They examine the transfer of heat, the capacity of certain materials to hold heat, and how the...
Michigan Sea Grant
Survival Game
Musical chairs may be a classic game, but Ruffe Musical Chairs is a unique lesson plan on invasive species! Using the time-honored game, pupils role play the behaviors of the invasive fish called Eurasian ruffe. Learning about this...
Curated OER
Places in our School Yard - An "I Spy" Book
Learners create a class big book using the "I Spy" game format and adding 3 clues to help readers guess the areas of a naturalization project.
Curated OER
The Mussels Are Coming
Students work together to identify and describe the various types of mussels. Using a color-coded system, they plot the arrival date of zebra mussels in North American waters. They discuss the increase in their population with the class.
Curated OER
Beans, Beaks and Bears
Students explore evolution. After watching a video on evolution, students perform a variety of experiments using beans which illustrate the concept of evolution.
Curated OER
A Honey of a Hexagon
Students explore how bees make honey and why the hexagon is the best basic pattern for the honeycomb through the use of a video and hands-on activities with honeycombs and geometric shapes.
Curated OER
Understanding Biodiversity Via Ecological Footprints
Sixth graders investigate the ways in which human beings impact the environment and ecology through the calculation of their own ecological footprint, discussion questions pertaining to biodiversity and potential imbalance hazards, and...
Michigan Sea Grant
Sea Lamprey
Learners discuss the types of technology that are used to control the population of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes. They explain the parasite/host relationship and understand the devastating impact invasive species have on ecosystems....
Curated OER
Rocks, Minerals, and Erosion
Fourth graders describe the difference between minerals (composed of the same substance throughout) and rocks (composed of two or more minerals). They recognize that there are three classes of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
Curated OER
Sound Portraits
Learners observe a variety of sounds which can be heard within their schoolyard habitat by sitting quietly by themselves for five minutes, listening, and then recording the sounds around them by drawing them.
Curated OER
What Kind of Garden Would Grow in Our Schoolyard?
Students perform soil tests for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, composition and water percolation rate and assess the conditions in the schoolyard.
Curated OER
Give Me Back My School: A Back to Basics Approach to Ecological Restoration
Ninth graders research local geography to create successful, ecological school landscaping. They determine soil type, average weather patterns and temperature graphs and use the information to select ideal plants and plant maintenance...
Curated OER
Impact Craters
Students investigate the factors affecting the size of a crater. In this space science instructional activity, students collect data from the activity and graph them. They explain how velocity of impact relate to crater size.
Curated OER
Leaf Magic
Third graders adopt a deciduous tree in September, and begin regular observations of their tree. They create a timeline to show how leaves change color and conduct a science experiment to illustrate color change.
Curated OER
Inside Outside: Habitats and Human Organ Systems
Students examine the way habitats and human organ systems function. In groups, they role play the role of a government group assigned to determine if a settlement can make their home in a specific area. They must discover how humans and...
Curated OER
The Sensitive Scavenger
Students create multi-sensory scavenger hunt worksheet to be used on a scavenger hunt throughout the schoolyard habitat area to introduce students to concepts of biodiversity and interdependence within a habitat.
Curated OER
Electricity and Lightning
Students define important vocabulary words related to electricity and charges. In this physics activity, students examine force created by electricity and lightning. They differentiate between the two forces and how they both generate...
Curated OER
Color Your World with Changes --- the Camouflage Game
Seventh graders, after predicting dominant colors foud in their habitat or garden, visit heir area on a monthly basis. They search for colored toothpicks, then graph the results, determining the dominant color for the month.
Curated OER
Mapping My Community
Ninth graders are introduced to GPS technology. They complete fieldwork as they visit a specific area of their community to identify and map types of land use in the surveyed area. They use the collected data to create a digital map.
Curated OER
What's Down There
Third graders gather and examine samples from the school outdoor environment. They compare/contrast their samples with those of other students. Students record the results of their observations.