Get your hands dirty with an interactive lesson that showcases the process of decomposing and returning nutrients back into the soil. After building a compost pile, pupils regularly observe the...

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...

Students reseach the different types of soil erosion and ways to control it in this series of activities.

Students study soil management and issues relating to agriculture and the environment. In this agriculture and environment lesson plan, students define the terms farmer, environmentalist, and activist. Students use a Venn diagram to...

Students identify the four basic natural resources. They distinguish bettween renewable and non-renewable resources. Pupils recognize that all natural resources are needed by living plants and animals. Students list consequences for...

Young scholars explore resource management, specifically farming. After reviewing vocabulary words, groups of students explore what is conserved by each practice. They compare and contrast responses. Young scholars describe farming...

Students perform a series of experiments which show that plants require nutrients in certain quantities. They also cooperatively read materials on the nutrient requirements of plants, fertilizers, composting, and soil management, and...

As part of their examination of forest ecosystems, class members examine how foresters, biologists, botanists, geologists, and hydrologists work to together to develop a management plan for sustainable forests.

Purifying air and water, providing soil in which to grow crops, and moving water through its natural cycle are all services an ecosystem provides that benefit humans. Lesson four in a series lets learners explore and discuss the value of...

Trying to plan an engaging elementary science unit on natural resources? Conserve your energy! This five-part series of lessons and hands-on activities has exactly what you need to teach young scholars about the importance of conservation.

Students participate in the National Worm Survey. In this National Worm Survey lesson plan, students generate data on earthworms. Students submit their data to the online database Worm Watch.

Go on a weed hunt! Scholars gain insight into the characteristics of plants and examine the outdoor environment in order to identify five different types of weeds. Learners then show what they know with a one-page reflection.

Students explore the importance of natural resources. They are given copies of the story, "Who Cares For The Land," and students follow along as the teacher reads it. Students identify the key points in the story. (Soil, water and air...

Determining whether or not something is living can be more difficult than it seems. Put your young scientists to work defining their own criteria to identify life, then work with three samples to see if they are alive or...

Pupils examine gas production in "soil" samples through hands on activities and class discussions, to determine if the soil samples have contain living or non-living systems.

Students comprehend the four parameters of water quality. They perform tests for salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and clarity or turbidity. Students comprehend why scientists and environmental managers monitor water uality and aquatic...

Young foresters examine the strategies, like prescribed burns and thinning, that are employed to ensure healthy forests.

Take a deep dive into Oregon's ecosystems, plants, and changes from the past to the future. Many hands-on activities in an environmental science unit delight scholars, including creating a field guide for a local park. The in-depth study...

What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in...

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is the inspiration for this project-based learning activity. Kindergartners create a lifecycle chart for a butterfly with four sections: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and butterfly. It is a three-dimensional...

Students discuss background information presented by the teacher and read dictionary definitions for the words "organic" and "synthetic." In this gardengin lesson plan, students complete a worksheet on the material. Students grow and...

Here's a fine lesson on renewable and non-renewable sources of energy for your 5th graders. In it, learners list a number of natural resources on the board, then try to sort the resources into appropriate categories. This helps them to...

Students discover the value of sustainability within our ecosystem. In this ecological activity, students discuss the importance of a food cycle in our society, and how humans can improve the conservation of a healthy ecosystem....

Young scholars determine which types of garbage are biodegradable and which are nonbiodegradable. They practice measuring skills, hypothesizing, taking data, and writing a lab report. Students observe the relative biodegradability of...