What effects do temperature and carbon dioxide levels have on the zooplankton of Antarctica? This concluding lesson plan in a short unit on climate change and the ocean helps environmental scientists answer these questions. After...

A well-written lesson plan, second in a series of four, gets high schoolers exploring how the Antarctic food web is impacted by climate change and the associated melting of polar ice sheets. It begins with a PowerPoint presentation about...

Middle and high schoolers examine the basics of a mountain lion's diet by examining food chains and food webs. Learners are each assigned one of the lion's prey species and they must construct a food chain for this animal. They see how a...

Students explain the role of different organisms in the food web. In this ecology lesson, students participate in a game to simulate mineral cycling through the web. They discuss the importance of recycling minerals and resources.

Students explore a wide diversity of algal species; study the basic characteristics of algae and the distinguishing features of each of the 3 major divisions of algae; identify a variety aquatic plants; and make pressing a local algae...

Explore the food chains that support Arctic ecosystems. A class discussion on interdependence and the different roles plants and animals play in ecosystems provides students with the knowledge to complete a worksheet asking them to...

It is always fun to weave a web when studying the relationships in ecosystems! Thirty organism name cards are provided. Divide the class into groups of eight, then give each participant a card and the group a few long strands of yarn....

Elementary ecologists examine trophic relationships using a coral reef food pyramid as an example. They play a game applying math skills that ultimately demonstrate the important role of the ever-scary top predator, the shark. This is a...

This smart slide show outlines energy flow in ecosystems. It addresses the sun as the primary source of all energy, flows into explanations of photosynthesis and respiration, and explores trophic feeding levels and productivity....

Middle or high school environmental studies classes will learn much from this presentation on energy in ecosystems. It covers the foundational topics of trophic levels, food webs, and nutrient cycles using informational text and...

Focus on building strong technology skills while teaching basic scientific concepts. Fourth graders work with the school media specialist to research, collect digital images, and create a multimedia presentation on food webs. They...

Chart ecological community interactions and answer questions about niche, defenses, trophic structure, and succession. This community ecology worksheet provides a general overview of the interactions that occur among organisms that share...

Students discuss ecosystems, eliciting their current knowledge of an ecosystem. Students receive an Ecosystems document and look at the picture. Students brainstorm connection between the cover picture and ecosystems. The indicated...

A set of guided notes walks your biology or environmental studies learners through the dynamics of ecosystems. They write short answers to questions about the energy budget, food webs, trophic levels, and biogeochemical cycles. One way...

Students identify the three stages of soil decomposition. In this life science lesson, students make their own compost pile and observe its dynamics from week to week. They collect temperature data and observations.

Do your students love The Magic School Bus series? Are they studying food chains? With this resource, your class can enjoy watching The Magic School Bus: Gets Eaten and review concepts related to food chains and food webs at the same...

An entire unit's worksheets are included here in this earth science packet, with multiple learning styles addressed! Although the text isn't included, 6 reading guides are outlined with reading requirements indicated. Learners complete a...

This exam touches upon every topic within the typical first year biology course.. A broad variety of question styles give high schoolers every opportunity to show what they know. Why start from scratch when a comprehensive final exam is...

Throughout history, the growth of big cities has resulted in the destruction of ecosystems. In the case of Chicago, IL, a grassland that was once home to bison, deer, wolves, and foxes quickly became a booming city of over three million...

Using the prairie dog community as an example, middle school ecologists examine the food web. Pairs of learners take one species in the community and research its role in the ecosystem. They share their findings with the rest of the...

Learners explore energy flow in a food web. In this energy flow lesson, students investigate the relationships and energy flow in a food web.

In an ecology simulation, middle schoolers draw dots, representing chemicals, on green strips of paper, representing aquatic plants. After you hide the strips around the room, they pretend to be fish and collect plants as food. The total...

A 12-page midterm exam sample can be given to young scientists in preparation for an exam. This particular installment is geared toward a class that delves into both ecology and chemistry concepts. There is no way to separate the 50...

The living environment, from the interior of a cell to the complex relationships among populations, are queried in this final examination. Learners look at air pollution maps, diagrams of cells, population graphs, and drawing of cells....