ARKive
Penguin Diversity – Mask Making
Penguins are very diverse and well-adapted birds; they live on islands, in warm and cold climates. Little ones examine penguin diversity and discuss the highly functional adaptive traits that have helped them survive in some of the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Animating Poetry: Reading Poems about the Natural World
Middle schoolers complete poetry analysis activities. In this poetry analysis instructional activity, students consider the use of imagery and sound devices in poetry. Middle schoolers translate poetry into another art, read a diverse...
Curated OER
Fine Art to Animation With Keith Haring
Students examine artwork and Flip Books by Keith Haring. They analyze elements of line and color through drawing and create their own morphes using a computer animation marker.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lesson 2: Gorongosa National Park
How has Gorongosa National Park changed over time? Discover the park's rich history, dating back to primitive human times, through an interactive timeline and scientific reading. The second installment in an eight-part series explores...
Curated OER
Lesson: Lauren Kelley: Icon Identity
Barbie gets a makeover, but not the type you may be thinking of. Critical thinkers explore social norms, storytelling, sexual and racial identity through art. They view the short animated film, Big Gurl, discuss how Barbie was altered...
Curated OER
Build a Hawaiian Bird
Fifth graders make a model of a bird. In this animal adaptations lesson, 5th graders examine how birds adapt to their environment, using Hawaiian birds as an example. Students create their own bird using adaptation paper cut outs then...
Education Outside
Creature Jeopardy!
After conducting research on a given scientific animal name, group members take a walk around their school and look for the specified animals in that classification. Then, they come back to their worksheets and create five creative clues...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Life In A Nest: Exploring Life Cycles With Bird Cams
Why read about it when you can watch it happen? Bird cams make it possible for learners to experience the life cycle of a bird in real time! An engaging set of lessons provides activities to connect their learning to bird cam...
Curated OER
What Happened to Robin?
Students investigate animal injuries caused by humans. They present their findings to various neighborhood groups.
Curated OER
Parent and Baby Lookalikes
Students research baby animals, their special names and the vocabulary to describe their relative sizes through discussion, listening to a Salish story, looking at pictures, and creative artwork . They will also explore the significance...
Curated OER
Water Regulation
Students use their basic knowledge of physiology to analyze graphical data of paramecia under diverse conditions. From the data analysis, Students develop explanations of the animal's response to the concentration of different solutions...
K12 Reader
Endangered Species
Your learners have likely heard about animals going extinct. By reading this passage, they can find out some reasons why this happens and how to protect endangered species. After reading, individuals respond to five related questions.
Curated OER
The Eye; Structure and Function
Young scholars research the structure and function of the eye. For this anatomy lesson, students write a report about the eye and draw an illustration. They research a particular animal's eye then present their findings to the class...
Curated OER
Gel Electrophoresis: Sort and See the DNA
Students construct DNA fingerprints. In this genetics lesson, students watch an on-line gel electrophoresis animation, then they work in groups to use a restriction map to create a restriction enzyme and use that to arrange a DNA...
Curated OER
Where in the Wild?
Students investigate the purpose of animals' ability to camouflage. In this animal science lesson, students read the text Where in the Wild? and identify animals that are predators and prey. Students discuss how camouflage is necessary...
Curated OER
Who's in Charge of This Animal?
Eleventh graders study wildlife management and identify the appropriate government agencies that are in charge. They examine different wildlife management techniques. They write a letter showing interest in the activities of one of the...
Curated OER
Charlotte and Her Relatives Visit the Classroom: Spider Activities, Experiments and Projects
Students compare and contrast different spider species that they capture and maintain in the classroom for several days. They identify and research the species characteristics and living requirements then conduct an experiment on spider...
Curated OER
Fine Art to Animation With Keith Haring
Fifth graders create their own morphes in the computer lab emphasizing lines and color and explain them. In this art lesson plan, 5th graders base their creations on the work of Keith Haring.
Sea World
Ocean Discovery
Immerse your young marine biologists in the world of marine animals. The lesson includes several activities that are age-appropriate for preschoolers and kindergartners, including coloring pages, gluing feathers and sand onto paper...
Curated OER
Endangered Species Furniture Project
Students work in groups to research an endangered species. They then refinish and paint a piece of furniture and incorporate facts and references about the animal they have researched.
Curated OER
Wildlife Variety Show: Biodiversity In Illinois
Eighth graders write a short report in first person about any plant or animal found on a list of Illinois species. They become the character of the plant or animal and give a short report describing the plant or animal.
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation Educator Guide
In 1980, in the tropical rainforests of Panama, scientists discovered 1,200 species of beetles living in and around just 19 trees, with most of the species new to science—that's biodiversity! In the activity, learners work in teams to...
Curated OER
How Can Clear of Tress Destroy a Community?
Fifth graders brainstorm the relationship between trees and humans to determine how humans benefit from trees and how they benefit from us. They discuss oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange, soil stablization, animal habitat, shade, medicine...
Curated OER
Class Experience: African Masks
Students discover the many diverse artwork produced in Africa while focusing upon masks created in tribal groups. They conduct research using a variety of resources and then use the information as samples for inspiration to create their...