National Geographic
Why Animals Migrate
Are you looking for a moving lesson on animal migration for kids? This one will get you there! It includes class discussion, several high-quality video clips, a printable note-taking table, and a Venn diagram for comparing and...
Curated OER
Observing the Changes: The Warming of the North
After reviewing the causes and effects of climate change, students become observers for "Plant Watch," a program to monitor the effects of climate change on plants. Students record blooming and leafing dates for selected local species...
Curated OER
It's All About Vitamins
The fascinating topic of human skin color is examined in this article from Muse magazine. It highlights a study done by a pair of scientists on the relationships among strength of sunlight, vitamins, and melanin in the skin. The results...
Curated OER
Bats: Need Nectar, Will Travel
Beginning wildlife biologists become adult bats, baby bats, snakes, owls, bobcats, or land-clearing developers in a grand role-playing activity. In a large open space, they play a game in which they move to designated areas based on what...
Curated OER
Regents High School Examination: Living Environment 2010
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...
Curated OER
California's Golden History: 1848-1880
Using a variety of online resources, learners study life and society in California during the gold rush. They use a map to identify area where gold was located, explore pre-selected websites, describe mining practices, and create an...
Curated OER
The Great Migration
What a terrific lesson! Have your class learn about immigration using this resource. Fourth graders discuss the Great Migration in Ohio through art, writing, and discussion. Afterward, they create a presentation in which they tell their...
Curated OER
On the Trail of the Hudson's Migratory Fish
Ever wonder how scientists track fish underwater? Your class can learn how with this informative worksheet. First, they will read a paragraph about androgynous fish, tagging, and data analysis. Then, your scientists must answer five...
World Wildlife Fund
Land of the Midnight Sun
From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...
National Wildlife Federation
Massive Migrations
Turn your students into flocks of migratory birds for this fun lesson plan on animal migration. Prior to the activity, the teacher creates four different migration routes in the classroom or any available open space, labeling nesting...
Prince William Network
The Incredible Journey
Divide your school gym into breeding grounds and non-breeding grounds so that your zoologists can play a game simulating the seasonal migration of shorebirds. Players pick one of the included game cards and follow its directions, which...
Prince William Network
Migration Headache
During this game, kids become migratory shorebirds and fly among wintering, nesting, and stopover habitats. If they do not arrive at a suitable habitat on time, they do not survive. Catastrophic events are periodically introduced that...
Prince William Network
Migration Math Madness
A great way to incorporate math into life science, this lesson has learners measure migratory routes on a map and calculate the actual distance that shorebirds on the routes would cover. Learners compute the distance covered in both...
University of Washington
Animal Migration
Here is a unique resource to use with middle and high schoolers that deals with animal migration. Viewers discover the reasons for, types of, and animals that practice this behavioral adaptation. Specific animals that are introduced...
National Gardening Association
Migration Mishaps
Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...
California Academy of Science
Coincidental Colonization
The Galápagos Islands are an amazing place of isolated adaptation, colonized by an interesting mix of plants and animals. The class plays a game to help them understand how these organisms came to live on the island through a combination...
National Geographic
Mapping Blue Whale Migration
Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here? A lesson about the migration of the North Pacific blue whale! Project a map of the migration route and have them draw a replica on their own tabletop map. Learners employ their math skills to...
Curated OER
The Great Depression and The Dust Bowl
First take a look at images from the Dust Bowl, then discuss its causes and effects. Captured here are primary source images taken by Dorothea Lange, informational text, and a diagram that shows the causes and consequences of this major...
Curated OER
Life in the Dust Bowl
Learners consider the accuracy of the book Out of the Dust as they view primary source images taken during the Dust Bowl. Each slide contains an image, a question, and a quote from the book. This would be great to use when covering...
Curated OER
Glacier Bay Seabirds
A gorgeous collection of photographs take viewers on a virtual tour or Glacier Bay National Park with a focus on the seabirds living in the area. Adaptations to the polar climate are highlighted, different species of birds are displayed,...
Curated OER
Journey to America
Fifth graders carefully analyze the artwork, Les Emigrants, and explore the reasons that people emigrated to the United States, and what life was like for new arrivals. They discuss what things immigrants were able to bring with them and...
Curated OER
Journey North 1999
This is not a lesson plan, but an outstanding resource to provide material for your lessons on seasonal changes and animal migration. Links connect you to live web cams and up-to-date information on Monarch Butterflies, hummingbirds,...
Curated OER
Whose Point of View? The Journey of Three Generations
A reading of Whale Journey, a fact-filled picture book by Vivian French, launches a study of the life cycle and migration of three generations of gray whales. The interdisciplinary activity offers opportunities extensions into all...
Curated OER
Separate Vacations
Students plot the migration paths of birds using latitude and longitude data from a table.