Curated OER
Animal Behavior
Can you train a worm? Biology buffs will have a blast trying! Using planaria or earthworms, they introduce a certain stimulus repeatedly until the desired response happens more quickly. They also explore the response of their own eyes to...
Curated OER
Fishy Behavior
Here's a lab that may make you rethink that morning cup of coffee. Biology scholars test the effects of caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine on the behavior of zebrafish through an intriguing experiment. Learners observe fish...
Curated OER
Animal Behavior
Students investigate stimulus-response behavior, learned behavior in animals and innate behavior in animals. In this animal behavior lesson plan, students answer questions about their reactions to a toy cap gun that is fired off in...
Curated OER
Animal Instincts
Fourth graders explore the difference between studied behavior and instinct. In groups, 4th graders use website links to research information about a selected animal. They create a story about the life of their animal during the four...
Curated OER
Animal Keynote Report
Learners produce a research project on an animal. Using the Internet, they find pictures and information about animals. They are also given a list of items that should be covered in their report, including the appearance of the animals,...
Curated OER
Animal Behavior - Why Do Dogs Drool?
Students explore types of studied behavior animals acquire. Using a Smart Board file, students simulate rewarding a studied behavior. To further reinforce studied behaviors, students play "Pavlov's Dog" on an internet website. Students...
Curated OER
Marine Animal Tracking
Students engage in a lesson which serves as an introduction to the ideas and implications of animal tracking. They monitor animal foraging behavior on a spatial scale. The students break into groups and track each other's movements as...
National Wildlife Federation
Bird Behavior Hike
Bird behaviors have a distinct purpose. Using a tally sheet, learners observe and record different bird behaviors in nature. They practice their observation skills while learning how birds act and why.
TED-Ed
How to Speak Monkey: The Language of Cotton-Top Tamarins
Tamarin monkey language can be categorized by stem upsweep, duration, peak frequency, and frequency change. Although other complex terminology is used to describe the 38 calls of this species, the video is easy to follow and a...
Curated OER
Animal Signs
Students discuss the many different types of animal signs that can be used to identify and track animals. They participate in an hands-on activity in which they examine tracks, trails, homes, territory markings, and even "scat" left by...
Curated OER
Animal Signs
Students discuss the many different types of animal signs that can be used to identify and track all types of animals. They examine tracks, trails, homes, territory markings, and even "scat" left by animals and attempt to identify the...
Curated OER
Go Fish!
So much science in one tiny fish! Introduce young biologists to the zebrafish, a common aquarium inhabitant. The small, unassuming organism presents an opportunity for learners to study habituation using an easy-to-care-for species. Lab...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Fish Morphology
Life comes in all different shapes and sizes, and fish are no exception. Here, young scientists create fish prints as they learn how specific characteristics allow different species to survive in their particular habitats.
Curated OER
Animal Coverings
Students read a book. In this animal characteristics instructional activity, students read the book Animal Coverings, answer comprehension questions, and complete a chart where they match animals with their coverings.
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
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
Students 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, training, and...
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
Animal Instincts
Pupils compare animal adaptations to human behavior. In this science lesson plan, 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
Students 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. In 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.