American Museum of Natural History
The Legend of the Flying Frog
Young conservation biologists have an opportunity to get involved in the effort to save endangered species. After reading and illustrating the tale of the Flying Frog, they craft a tale about another fictional endangered species.
Virginia Department of Education
Evidence of Evolution
What an impression fossils make! In this activity, aspiring paleontologists view fossils and construct a timeline to further understand how the lack of natural adaptation caused historical organisms to become extinct. While they...
Curated OER
The Rock and Fossil Record
Go deep in your paleontology unit with this spectacular set of slides! It introduces viewers to the types of fossils, a few famous fossils, and the geologic eras. This is done with easy-to-read text, diagrams, photos, and even videos.
Columbus City Schools
Diversity of Living Things
Here's a topic classes can really dig—the fossil record. Use the well-organized and thoughtful road map to take eighth graders back in time to unearth the answer. Learn how our climate has changed, and how organisms have...
Curated OER
Where Has It Been? Tracking the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
By studying the assumed extinction, and subsequent rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, learners use maps and come up with a scenario for the rediscovery of the bird. This incredibly thorough lesson plan is chock-full of...
Curated OER
What Are Endangered Species?
Students explore the concepts of endangered and extinct animals. In this animal protection lesson, students discuss and define the words endangered, extinct, and habitat. Students share why they think it is important to protect...
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Students define extinction, name four animals and two plant species that are extinct, list three reasons why animals and plants become extinct, and create ways that would help prevent extinction.
Curated OER
Native Species Restoration and its Impact on Local Populations
High schoolers explore how predators help control the growth of prey species for a more balanced ecosystem.
Curated OER
Endangered species
Students define the following words: extinction, endangered species, meteorite collision, glaciation and climate warming. They investigate that there are 307 species on the endangered list, and an average of 10-20 species are added each...
K12 Reader
Habitat Destruction
What happens when an animal becomes endangered or extinct? Explore the ways that human influence throughout the environment has threatened the existence of other species with a reading passage. After reading the paragraphs, kids answer...
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island Restoration Narrative
What would you be willing to do to save an animal from extinction? After re-viewing a video about the restoration of the Island Fox on Santa Cruz Island, individuals adopt the point of view of one of the key players in the...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 4
Foster's Rule? Allopatric speciation? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation, class members use Venn diagrams to compare endemic species on the Channel Islands with mainland related species. They then create a...
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Section Two: Why is Biodiversity Important?
Explore soil, genetic traits, natural resources, and pollution in a series of lessons that focus on biodiversity. Kids complete experiments to learn more about the importance of varied genes and organisms in an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Students create a postcard about endangered species. In this biology lesson, students identify how human activities endanger other species. They research and recommend ways to help protect them.
Curated OER
Native Species Restoration and its Impact on Local Populations
In this native species restoration worksheet, learners are given 3 scenarios to choose from to help restore a declining population of an endangered species of deer. Students make predictions about what they will think happen when the...
Curated OER
Endangered Species: Not Only Animals
Students research endangered animals and plants. In this biology lesson plan, students are read Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species by Alexandra Wright before they begin searching for information to complete an endangered species...
Curated OER
Endangered Animals in Texas
Students research endangered animal in the library and on the Internet for information on its description, habitat, forces causing its decline, and programs to help it; students create slide show about the animal that contains a clay...
Curated OER
Endangered Species and Extinction
Fourth graders explore endangered species and extinction. They discuss and write three reasons why it is important to save animals from becoming endangered or extinct. They discuss The Great Kapok Tree and write a letter discussing...
Curated OER
Where are the Dinosaurs?
Students construct their own diorama based on the life of a dinosaur. In this dinosaur lesson, students create models of dinosaurs and dinosaurs' eggs to explore the life cycle of this extinct species.
Community Resources for Science
Food Webs/Clipfish
Human impact on habitats can be alarming. A hands-on activity has learners explore the impact of human interactions with different environments using a gamified approach. They simulate the impact of a species' abundance under different...
Endangered Species Coalition
Endangered Species Day Art
Albrecht Durer created a highly textured stamp or print of a rhinoceros. To better understand which animals are near extinction, upper graders create similar prints of endangered animals they've researched. The six-day lesson includes...
California Academy of Science
Academy Seafood Market and Fishery
What fishing method is the most sustainable? Find out through a fun, but meaningful game in which your little fishermen use different techniques to see what they catch. After the fishing activity is over, there are several discussion...
Curated OER
Endangered Animals
Students listen to a teacher led lecture on jaguars, their habitats, and how they became endangered. Using a specified web site, they choose an endangered animal to research. After gathering information, students participate in...
Curated OER
The Value of a Garden
Students explore the history of taxonomy, the work of Carl Linnaeus, and the factors involved in the decline and extinction of a variety of botanical species.