Curated OER
A Study of Vertebrates
Fourth graders investigate the characteristics of each vertebrate group. They take notes in a science journal, and in small groups create a HyperStudio slideshow presentation to present information about a specific vertebrate group.
Curated OER
Reptiles
Students investigate reptiles and reptile habitats. They listen to books, cut out magazine pictures of reptiles from National Geographic, sort plastic animals into the categories of mammal, reptile, or amphibian, watch a National...
Michigan Sea Grant
Invasive Species
Learners identify invasive species to the Great Lakes and analyze their impact on the ecosystem. Using photo cards with pictures and facts, young scientists work in small groups to match invasive species with their corresponding...
Curated OER
Garden of Eden
Students view a video clip about animals and their habitats. They work together to discuss how different animals adapt to their environments. They create a new habitat for a specific animal and draw new adaptations for them.
Curated OER
TE Lesson: How Clean is that Water?
Students examine the factors the affect water quality, and allow for animals and plants to live. They look at how engineers apply water quality information when making stream modifications in order to ensure drinking water quality. They...
Curated OER
The Spider Beside Her
Second graders are introduced to the characteristics of spiders. In groups, they compare and contrast spiders to different insects to discover spiders are not an insect at all. In groups, they create a model of a spider and discuss its...
Curated OER
Classification and Identification
Students, after exploring and analyzing diagrammatic and taxonomic keys and their association to marine sciences, identify and classify objects and organisms based on visual attributes/characteristics. They research and create their own...
Curated OER
Interdependence and Adaptation
Fifth graders construct a food web to illustrate how animals and plants are interdependent. In this interdependence lesson, 5th graders identify how consumers, producers, herbivores, carnivores and predators are related in a habitat....
Curated OER
Get to Know: Mammals
Students discover the mammals in their community. In this animal lesson, students survey their school grounds for signs of mammals. Students examine tracks, droppings, and other signs of wildlife to learn more about the animals and their...
Curated OER
Classification of the Nearby Trees
Third graders practice using classification techniques to identify local trees. For this plant life instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss how trees differ from other plants and what characteristics are unique to trees alone....
Curated OER
Soil Treasure Hunt
Students explore the concept of soil and decomposition. In this soil and decomposition lesson, students investigate bags of soil. Students then learn how animals and other organisms help in the decomposition process.
Curated OER
Dynamic Wetlands
Students construct and observe a model of two different types of wetlands. For this wetlands lesson, students create a model of a wetland with constant drainage and a wetland that maintains a well-saturated soil. Students observe and...
Curated OER
Plant and Animal Cells
Learners investigate parts of a cell. In this plant cell lesson, students determine the difference between plant and animal cells. Learners discover that coral is an animal based on cell characteristics. Students create puppets to...
Curated OER
Generating Power
Students construct a working model of a turbine and explain how water generates power. By the end of the lesson plan, they list the effects of Kingsley Dam on people, plans, and animals -- both positive and negative.
Curated OER
The Rainforest Walk
Fourth graders research the characteristics and inhabitants of the rainforest. They demonstrate their ability to communicate using e-mail and create a class presentation of their research.
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Grouchy Ladybug
Students listen to the book, "The Grouchy Ladybug" by Eric Carle and sequence the events in the story. Using a graph, they draw and color the animals that the ladybug meets next to the corresponding time from the story, and conduct...
Curated OER
Idea Mapping
Young scholars generate, share and display ideas as a group. They break into small groups to work on hand-drawn maps made up of concentric circles. they come before the group and make a similar diagram by charting each other's...
Curated OER
Heroes and Heroines: King David, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and Napoleon
Students identify and examine four heroes from history and imaginative literature. They discuss the characteristics of a hero and share perceptions of what makes a hero. By comparing and analyzing a few historical and literary figures,...
Curated OER
Arthropods
In this arthropods activity, students review the characteristics of arthropods by choosing from 15 terms to fill in the blank of 10 statements.
Curated OER
Fun Activities Using Seeds
Students analyze the size, shape, and form of several different seeds. In this all about seeds lesson plan, students complete four activities involving characteristics of seeds. Students observe the seeds, record information about the...
Curated OER
Continent of Africa
In this geography worksheet, students examine a map of Africa and read about the characteristics of the continent. They use the map and information to answer 10 online fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
Buzzing is BEE-lieving
Students investigate insects. In this insect lesson, students explore various insect models and identify the characteristics of each. Students observe insects outside and tally how many insects they observe.
Curated OER
Songs, Myths and Games
Fourth graders recognize that the Ojibwa lived in a serene environment which shows in their legends. In this songs, myths and games lesson, 4th graders recognize characteristics of the Ojibwas culture through the study of their games,...
Curated OER
Identifying My Spider
Third graders navigate the Internet and research spiders. In this spider lesson, 3rd graders view photos of spiders and use their characteristics to determine the variety of spider. Students complete a spider data sheet.