Scholastic
Study Jams! Heredity
Mia wishes her blue hair was inherited so that she wouldn't have to dye it, but Sam explains that eye color is. The video does not expound upon the concept of alleles. It does, however, describe inherited traits vs. learned behavior, and...
Curated OER
Animal Smarts Question Report
In this 10 question multiple choice worksheet, students choose the correct answer based on reading Animal Smarts. They read the non-fiction piece before determine the correct answers to the questions.
Curated OER
Pets: Oh Behave
Young scholars develop an understanding of how innate and learned behaviors and the environment determine behavior. They see how a variety of factors affects our pet's behavior-including species-specific traits, the environment,...
California Academy of Science
A Day inthe Life of a San Francisco Native Animal
Although the lesson is specifically about the San Francisco Bay area, it's good enough to be adapted to any local region. Children research what the landscape in San Francisco was like prior to settlement, they consider the types of...
Curated OER
Glacier Bay Pacific Halibut
The National Park Service has produced a high-quality presentation on the halibut population of Glacier Bay, Alaska. It takes the viewpoint of the marine biologists or rather, ichthyologists, who have been studying the adaptations,...
BrainPOP
Migration Activities for Kids
For as long as there has been life on earth, animals, including humans, have used migration as a means of survival. This collection of activities supports young scientists as they learn about this behavioral adaptation, encouraging them...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Gorongosa: Making Observations Activity
Do you have young scientists wanting to make new discoveries rather than just completing the same experiments? Young scientists use their observational skills to identify animals and patterns in animal behavior. Through tracking...
Curated OER
Animal Instincts
Students compare animal adaptations to human behavior. In this science lesson, students discuss animal instincts vs. learned behavior. Options for student writing, drawing and research are incorporated into this lesson plan
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...
Curated OER
Animal Adaptations
Learners will participate in classroom discussions and visit a website to learn more about animals and how well (or poorly) they've adapted to satisfying their needs in their natural habitats. This will help move them toward the goal, in...
Curated OER
Animal Movements
Students become familiar with the movement of various animals. In this animal movement lesson, students relate their knowledge of animal movements to the music they are moving to.
Curated OER
Philanthropic Behavior/ Cooperative Learning
Students increase listening comprehension and use critical thinking skills to make a picture. For this philanthropic behavior lesson, students draw pictures in three parts. Each part is drawn by another students. Students share their...
Curated OER
Basic Animal Behavior in Domesticated Animals
Students investigate animal behavior, examining the nervous system and the physiology of the brain and the fight or flight response. They simulate animal behaviors and discuss the difference between an instinct and a behavior.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey
The Great Peregrine Scavenger Hunt - On the Internet
The story of one bird provides valuable insight into general animal behaviors and interactions. Young researchers investigate the peregrine falcon using a web search. They analyze the behaviors of the raptor including its migration...
K12 Reader
Adapting to Survive
Life science and language arts come together in a passage about animal adaptation. After kids learn about how organisms adapt to conditions in their environments, they complete five reading comprehension questions based on context clues...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Roll of the Genes
Animal reproduction in sheep and cattle is explored with the help of Punnet squares. Scholars employ tools using probability to conclude the color of wool a sheep's offspring will have. Acting as animal geneticists, pupils then take...
Curated OER
Animal Movements
Students discuss the behavior of different animals and how they move. They explore the ways that this helps them live and find food in their environment. They participate in a game that requires them to mimic the ways in which animals move.
Curated OER
Rainforest Plant or Animal?
Young scholars explore the major functions of plants and animals. In this rainforest lesson plan students create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast animals in the rainforest.
The New York Times
Collateral Damage? Researching a Connection Between Video Games and Violence
Hook your class into an exploration of and discussion about violence in video games with a cute animal clip and a video game trailer. After a quick discussion about how media can affect mood, class members read a related article and...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
How Animals Use Sound to Communicate
Communication involves the visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile senses. Scholars observe groups of animals communicating through multiple senses. They note and learn why different species use different senses depending on their...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Butterflies without Borders
Some living things go to extreme measures to avoid the cold. A three-part activity guides learners through the migration of the monarch butterfly. After studying the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, pupils learn the process of...
Curated OER
Pets: Oh Behave
Students develop an understanding of how innate and learned behaviors and the environment determine behavior.
Curated OER
What Do We Learn From Fossils?
Students investigate what a fossil is and how it came to be. In this fossil activity, students examine pictures of skeletons and identify characteristics that can and cannot be determined by a fossil. Students complete...
Curated OER
Disney's Animal World Part 2: That's My Baby
Students see that baby animals go through different stages of growth during their life, just as people do. They use the downloadable Cyberlesson Worksheet to reinforce what they have learned about animals and their offspring.