Curated OER
Bird Up
Third graders identify basic physical and behavioral characteristics of birds and how they adapt to their environments. To organize and share scientific information with peers. They discuss similarities and differences among birds....
Curated OER
Make it a habitat
Students consider the adaptation of life forms through natural selection to fill various niches and accommodate changing environmental conditions. They select an ecosystem and conduct research to provide as much detailed information as...
Curated OER
Pika Chew
Students work in collaborative teams with specific roles, use the Internet to research the behavior and ecology of pikas, make predictions about survival rates of pikas in different habitats and organize their data in graphs.
Curated OER
Pet-agogy
Students explore interesting animal behaviors and adaptations. They create information sheets about an animal residing in a fictional sanctuary and assess the animal's likelihood of being a good pet.
Curated OER
Garden of Eden
Young scholars 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
Changing With the Tide
Students research and they role-play the behavior of plants and animals in a salt marsh habitat as the tides change.
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
Heroes, Kindness and "To Kill A Mockingbird"
Students read To Kill a Mockingbird and relate the action sof the characters to behaviors in students lives. In this heroism, bullying, kindness and compassion lesson, students identify characters who are heroes in the story....
Curated OER
How Fire Affects Wildllife
In this ecology lesson, students select an animal to study and read about how this animal adapts to ecological disaster. They complete 5 short answer questions after reading.
Curated OER
Crocodiles
Middle schoolers study crocodiles and how they have survived and adapted over time. In this crocodiles instructional activity students research information on crocodiles.
Curated OER
Creatures of the Skies
Students create a bird identification game. In this classification lesson, students work in pairs to collect information about a specific bird. They use a bird field guide to aid in the research. They challenge other students in their...
Curated OER
Nature Superfish
Students study the behavior or ocean animals called billfish. In this life science lesson, students create their own documentary about a local animal. They share their videos with the entire school.
Curated OER
Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?
Students compare wolves' behaviors to those of the human race. In this wolf lesson plan students write a story that will show that wolves are either good or evil.
Curated OER
Abolishing Slavery
Students explain the goals and methods of the abolitionist movement.
They identify key leaders in the movement. This lesson has adaptations for elementary through high school. Links are provided for resource readings.
Curated OER
The Effects of Temperature on Chemical Mixtures
Students explore chemical cahnges and the effect of temperature on chemical mixturees, They make observations of the behavior and appearance of certain chemical mixtures and reactions.
Curated OER
The Sahara: Home of the Tuareg
Students study inhabitants of the Sahara. In this Tuareg culture activity, students explore the how the Tuareg people adapt to their environment as they research specific Internet sites.
Curated OER
Too Bee Or Not To Bee
Students recognize that bees are important in the reproduction of plants and to the survival of animals. In this bee lesson plan, students become familiar with the parts of bees and how those adaptations help them pollinate plants....
Curated OER
Endangered Species - Can We Help Them Survive?
Pupils, in groups, select an animal that has been identified as endangered and then identify its characteristics. They discuss why the animal has become endangered, evaluate adaptations for its survival and include an illustration.
Curated OER
Reading the River - Biological Classification
Youngsters create a list of grocery store items and then work together to categorize them as if they were setting up the shelves of the market. Then they are given a box of miscellaneous objects to practice categorizing. With these two...
University of Kentucky
The Great Spider Debate
Poor, misunderstood spiders! They are feared, disrespected, and detested by many people, yet they do so many positive things. A great addition to any insect unit, learn about some of the more common spiders, while hopefully dispelling...
Colorado State University
What Is a "Model"?
Model the transfer of energy during a typical 24-hour period. Young scholars use a game-like approach to learning the patterns of heat transfer through the day and night. Groups of four exchange different tokens as the energy...
PBL Pathways
Doctors and Nurses
How many nurses does it take to support one doctor? A project-based activity asks learners to analyze state data to answer this question. Classes create polynomial functions from the data of doctors and nurses over a seven-year...
STEM for Teachers
Temperature and Bounce
Take part in a fun experiment and hold an impromptu bouncing contest with your class. Young scientists heat and cool balls before bouncing them to determine whether temperature changes affect how they bounce. The set of...
San Diego County District Attorney
Emotions/Feelings
Three lessons delve deep into the topic of feelings and the importance of expressing one's emotions. Through grand conversation, hands-on learning experiences, and reflective writing, scholars interpret the ups and downs of everyday...