Curated OER
Soil Stories
Tenth graders collect and analyze soil samples and extrapolate the characteristics needed to support different types of plant life. They research different types of prairie soil and how it supports plant and animal life.
Curated OER
Land Assessment
Students work in small groups on a problem based learning activity. Students are presented with a problem of buying land to use for educational purposes only and must determine if it is feasible to buy it based on soil analysis and plant...
Curated OER
Investigating Animals in Soil
Young scholars investigate and observe small animal activity on a plot of land on their school grounds. In small groups they identify the five kingdoms of animals, stake out a small plot of ground, collect samples, record and analyze...
Curated OER
Fighting Soil Erosion
Students complete hands-on activities and watch a video to learn about soil erosion. In this erosion instructional activity, students use hands-on studies to investigate soil erosion. Students then visit the given websites to identify...
Curated OER
Rock Your World
Students define soil, dirt, clay, silt, and sand. They conduct an online scavenger hunt, answer pre-written online questions on a piece of paper, and play the Earth Materials Game after completing the scavenger hunt.
Curated OER
Cows, Worms and Compost
Third graders explore agriculture by viewing a PowerPoint presentation in class. In this animal relationship instructional activity, 3rd graders identify the types of farm animals humans feed on and their dependency on such small insects...
Curated OER
S-O-I-L Soil
Fifth graders research soil, its nutrients, and plant growth. In this soil lesson plan, 5th graders create soil journals, trace flowers, and include nutrient information on each petal. Students read an excerpt from "McBroom Tells the...
Curated OER
My Forest or the Rainforest?
Students explore the flora and fauna of temperate forests and rainforests. They examine the environmental conditions that allow certain plants and animals to live in the rainforest.
Curated OER
Dirt Life
Students select and collect soil samples from a variety of locations (schoolyard, home, etc.). They do this lab after an interest-generating discussion about "dirt" and microbes. Students make a dilution in sterile water, plate it on a...
Curated OER
Case Study - An Ecotour
Students plan an ecotour of the Australian rainforest. They prepare fact sheets about animals, create a mural, prepare a advertising brochure and a guided tour of the rainforest.
Curated OER
Plants and Animals in the Local Environment
Students recognize the different types of plants and animals living in a local environment. They determine how they require different habitats to live, and relate simple life processes to plants and animals found in local environments.
Curated OER
Etosha: Poppin' Out at You
Tenth graders research an African animal of their choice and relate the concepts of population, climate and biodiversity to their animal. They examine how population interacts in an ecosystem.
Curated OER
The Salmon Stream and Vegetation
Students explore the ecosystem and food chain by researching Pacific Salmon. In this fish habitat lesson, students discover the life cycle for salmon, where they spawn and what they eat to survive the harsh elements. Students participate...
Curated OER
Praire Biome Models
Fifth graders, in groups, list the physical characteristics of a biome and think of ways in which animals might have to adapt to live there and make a biome mobile ball that show the different types of habitats that shape the praire biome.
Polar Bears International
Top of the World
Learn about polar bears and the Arctic circle with a lesson about the countries and conditions of the region. After examining how the area differs from Antarctica, kids explore climates, animals, and geographical position...
Curated OER
How Can Clear of Tress Destroy a Community?
Fifth graders brainstorm the relationship between trees and humans to determine how humans benefit from trees and how they benefit from us. They discuss oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange, soil stablization, animal habitat, shade, medicine...
Curated OER
Teeth and Eating
Pupils explore animal diets and teeth. In this animal science lesson, students view photos of animals and their teeth. Pupils identify the type of diet the animal has based on the teeth. Students are introduced to the terms "herbivores"...
Curated OER
The Great Kapok Tree..
Students predict what each animal in the story read says and then compare them. They pretend that a tree was cut down and write a new ending for the story. Students explain why the story is not true and create a Venn Diagram comparing...
Curated OER
A Tour Down the Hudson River
Students discuss how the Hudson River is an ecosystem made up of both biotic and abiotic factors. They view the PowerPoint the Journal Down the Hudson River. Students become aware of where the Hudson River begins and ends, the plant and...
Curated OER
National Worm Survey
Students participate in the National Worm Survey. For this National Worm Survey lesson, students generate data on earthworms. Students submit their data to the online database Worm Watch.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Measuring Biodiversity in Gorongosa
Take your biology class' understanding of biodiversity to a whole new level! Ecology scholars use data to calculate three different diversity indices based on the organisms in the Gorongosa National Park. The four-part activity uses an...
Curated OER
Build a Prairie!
Students research the plants and animals in the prairie environment. They conduct Internet research, and follow directions to construct a simulated prairie.
Curated OER
The Dirt on Worms!
Fourth graders make predictions, observe, collect and record data. They investigate several soil and worm websites. Finally, 4th graders write a letter to The President which defends earthworms by explaining their value to the United...
Curated OER
Rainforest Food Chain
Learners investigate a rainforest food chain. In this ecology lesson, students are shown pictures of plants and list what animals might eat the plants. Learners continue to think of what other animals might eat those animals. Students...