Rainforest Alliance
The Carbon Cycle
Scholars learn about the carbon cycle, play a carbon cycle game, and then write a story based on their role as a carbon atom during the game. After the writings, pupils analyze the carbon cycle by leading a class discussion on the material.
Curated OER
Clay Hill Animal Sampling
Students create animal print casts from molds in the classroom. They use the cast patterns to identify animal prints on a field trip in which they locate animal tracks, identify the location with GPS and create field casts of the...
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Classifying Living and Non-Living Objects
Students investigate living organisms and define the properties of a living species. In this life characteristic instructional activity, students examine plants in their class and discuss whether or not they are alive....
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Feathers for Lunch Lesson Plan
Students discover different types of birds and the habitats in which the dwell. In this bird lesson, students read Feathers for Lunch, discuss bird facts, and build a bird habitat.
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Fabulous Fossils
Seventh graders investigate how fossils are formed and discuss how scientists determine the appearance of ancient plants and animals. They make fossils of everyday objects for others to identify. They make spreadsheets to display fossil...
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Plant Growth
Students role play as text book creators by designing an animation showing plant growth from seed to maturity. They incorporate things that plants need to grow in the animation.
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What Beautiful Caterpillars!
Second graders investigate the life cycle of the caterpillar. They create a caterpillar habitat and care for it. Students make daily observations that are recorded in a writing journal. During the process of observation the students...
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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...
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Habitat Mural
Learners build a collage of an ecosystem. The goal is for them to understand interactions in a community, plant and animal adaptations, and how all life depends on plants. This activity is based on Wump World and students describe what...
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Amazon Rainforest Conservation, Brazil
Students explore the concept of understanding the effects of disturbances in an environment. In this life science instructional activity, students use the game Jenga to help capture the idea of environment disturbances. ...
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The Food Chain
First graders explore how most living things, big and small, need food for survival.
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The Water Cycle
Students are introduced to the components and importance of the water cycle. They are shown how groundwater moves using a model. Students list 9 places on earth where water is found. They define the terms cycle and water cycle.
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Thematic Unit on Cats
Students discover in which climates the cats of the world live in. They review the different climates of the world and use maps and globes to help them locate continents.
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Butterfly and Caterpillar
Young scholars listen to the story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and create their own "Very Hungry Caterpillar" book to learn the life cycle of a butterfly.
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Reading Through Rainforests
Students investigate the concept of the rainforest through the use of nonfiction texts. The teacher reads to the class to give some information. Then they read their own books to find further information and perform the follow activities...
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Genetic Engineering
Students examine the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering. In this genetics lesson students simulate the genetic engineering of a human insulin gene.
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Mixed Media Painting
Young scholars create mixed media still life paintings in this "Happy Accident" art lesson introducing the concepts of using pen and ink, watercolors, and pastels. The lesson can be adapted for various grade levels and abilities ranging...
PBS
Righteous Reptiles
Young scientists write and draw about their knowledge of reptiles. They also view a nature video focusing on lizards and snakes, complete a chart comparing and contrasting them. Next, they focus on the defense mechanisms...
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Soil Sample Lab
Students test the pH of soil samples they collected from the field trip. In this chemistry lesson, students differentiate acids and bases. They write a lab report about the experiment.
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Biomes Around The World
Fifth graders explore the six major biomes found in the world and choose one for further research and presentation. Using internet sources, they identify the major characteristics of their biome and synthesize their information into a...
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Temperate Forests vs. Wetlands
Learners compare and contrast the temperate forest and wetlands by researching them in groups. In this forest lesson plan, students identify the economic, ecological, and social benefits of each.
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Life Beyond the Fifty Yard Line -- An ecological look at our backyard
Students, in groups, stake out and rope off their study area, do population counts and density studies. They construct a map of the whole area, collect plants and insects, and mount and identify the organisms using keys.
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Root, Root, Root for the Nutrients
Students observe the growth of a seed, predict what will happen when seeds are planted without soil, and conduct an experiment using a hydroponics system.
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Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditioning
Students view the A.D.A.M. computer simulation of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. They break into groups and members brainstorm and list as many aerobic and anaerobic exercises as possible in five minutes.