Curated OER
Effects of Water Pollution on Aquatic Organisms
Students investigate water pollution. They develop an understanding of the behavior of organisms, of the structure and properties of matter, and of natural and human induced hazards by conducting lab tests. They present their data...
Curated OER
Spiders: An Organism for Teaching Biology
In this unit, the students explore basic ecology concepts and scientific processes using spiders as model organisms. They capture spiders, observe and care for them, and use them to answer their own questions about spider behavior....
Curated OER
Pets
Students participate in an after school program that promotes making decisions, getting along with others, decision-making, and being responsible. A pet survey is administered along with a variety of pet riddles with the students. They...
Nuffield Foundation
Observing Earthworm Locomotion
One acre of land can contain more than a million earthworms. Scholars collect earthworms to observe their movements. Once placed on paper, the sound of movement often fascinates pupils. When placed on glass, the earthworm is unable to...
Curated OER
Urban Biology: Can Fish Detect Odors
Students investigate how fish use their sense of smell. In this scientific method activity, students design and perform an experiment to investigate how fish use their sense of smell. This activity includes statistical analysis and...
Curated OER
Photographical Ecology
Learners study organisms and the roles they play in nature. In this ecology lesson, students photograph several examples of organisms during a nature walk. Learners print out their photos and classify the organisms as plants or animals.
Curated OER
Making Tracks
Fifth graders examine the fossil footprints of two and four legged dinosaurs. Using this information, they try to determine how the dinosaurs lived their lives. They use their own walking pattern to compare it to the dinosaurs and...
Curated OER
Wild Animal Science
Learners discover how environmental factors impact the survival of a population. In this landscape design lesson, students create a new animal and discuss the relationship between the animal and its environment before creating a habitat...
Curated OER
Rain Forest Stencils
Fourth graders explore animals of the rain forest. They create a drawing of an animal in the rain forest. Students research the animal and write a paragraph about the animal. They use a stencil to create a picture of a rain forest animal.
Curated OER
Footprint Detectives: Making Inferences Using Dinosaur Trackways
Students analyze and discuss footprints and dinosaur tracks. They listen to books about paleontologists, create and analyze their own trackways using black paper and chalk, examine the data, and form hypotheses about footprints and...
Curated OER
Worm Weather Predicted
Students examine worm habitats. In this animal habitats lesson, students participate in a lab activity that requires them to explore the adaptations that earthworms make to their environment.
Curated OER
Whale Adaptations
Students explore whales and how they have adapted to survive in the ocean. In this whale adaptations lesson students complete several activities that allow them to investigate animal adaptations.
Curated OER
Population Density
Middle schoolers use the scientific method to conduct an experiment and use varied methods to gather background information. They correctly use lab equipment and prepare tables and graphs that organize, conclude, and present their...
Curated OER
Chicken Little
Second graders listen to the story "Chicken Little" as it is read to the whole group while recognizing similarities in the character's names. They create another character to be added to the story using the same rhyming pattern and make...
Curated OER
Understanding the Epidemiologic Triangle through Infectious Disease
Students examine the epidemiologic triangle. In this disease instructional activity, students discuss infectious disease as they study how they spread and discover their families' experiences with them. Students research Internet sites...
Curated OER
DNA: The Search for the Genetic Material
Young scholars study the history of DNA and how to extract it. In this genetic lesson plan students complete a DNA experiment using bacteria.
Curated OER
Butterfly Life Cycle
Students read books about animals and describe their structures, how they grow and change, and their life cycles. In this animals lesson plan, students also make animals out of pasta.
Curated OER
What is Manga?
Young scholars research graphic novels. For this manga lesson, students work in small groups as the read graphic novels in literature circle format.
Curated OER
Responding to Alcohol: What's Important?
Young scholars examine the effects on motor functions in mice. They make observations and graph their data. They analyze the data and draw conclusions in each of the three experiments.
Curated OER
Earthworm Movement and Landscape Structure
Students describe differences in animal usage of habitats depending upon successional status of site. They also design other experiments to test movement patterns of animals through habitats of differing structure.
Curated OER
Adaptations To the Environment
Young scholars design and construct an imaginary animal that is perfectly adapted to a particular type of biome. They give the animal a scientific name, place it in a phylum and write descriptions about its behavior, reproduction,...
Curated OER
Animals Abound Pre/Post Assessment
Students prepare for or evaluate their experiences in learning about animal persistence. This is part of a multi-segmented unit on animal living, adaptation, and survival.
Curated OER
Awesome Animals
Young scholars collect data from classmates about their favorite animal. They use the ClarisWorks graphing program to enter data, graph results, and interpret data.
Curated OER
Preparation -- The Right Way to Help and FOrm for Poetic Reflection
Pupils prepare for their service learning project by listening to a representative from the Lake Michigan Federation. They volunteer their time to clean up the coast line. They reflect on the event by writing a poem about their experiences.