Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Microbes Help Ecosystems

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders observe different microorganisms under the microscope. In this biology activity, 6th graders draw and describe the samples they see. They study the root nodules of plants and explain how the plants benefit from those bacteria.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystems Beneath the Surface

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders create a KWL chart about microorganisms. In this biology lesson, 6th graders create and label a diagram on a microbial mat. They investigate the processes involved in the carbon, oxygen and sulfur cycles.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Living Organisms to Explain Evolution

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students investigate evolution in its most fundamental form: the observation of living organisms. By comparing variations that exist among living animals, students formulate their own hypotheses and conclusions about the evolution of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nitrogen Cycle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the main concepts and ideas of the nitrogen cycle. They review key concepts covered up to this point in ecology including food chains, food webs, energy pyramids, and bio-geochemical cycles.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Ecology

For Students 4th - 6th
In this ecology activity, students read information about ecology and the nine ecology subdivisions and answer comprehension questions. Students answer ten questions in this matching and fill in the blank activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Chains & Food Webs

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders examine how energy is lost through different trophic levels.  For this trophism lesson students construct a food web and view a video. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle (Grades 2-4)

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students demonstrate their understanding of the water cycle and how it effects the environment by graphically depicting and describing the water cycle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock Solid

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They watch a PowerPoint Presentation, view an online animation of the three types of rock stress, identify the various types of rocks, answer true or false...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In Search of a Land Ethic

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the theory that everything is connected to everything else. Students explore the concept of how do we put normative values on our nonhuman environment. Students investigate an ecologist and write an informational...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Problems at Cliffs of the Neuse

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students assume the roles of members of the Cliffs of the Neuse Sate Park and must develop an action plan in response to a complaint about possible water quality problems and associated human illnesses. Students conduct research on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Selection

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers estimate how many different species of organisms inhabit the Earth. In groups, they match the pictures of embryos at the different stages of development. They compare and contrast animals from the sky, land, and water...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Adopt-An-Insect III

For Students 7th - 9th
In this biology worksheet, students search through the links provided on insects to identify the order to which each insect belongs. Then they write the characteristics that distinguish insects from other arthropods. Students also select...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The City Inside a Cell

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students compare cell structure to the structure of a city. In this cell structure lesson, students investigate differences and similarities between cell structure and city structure. Students create a 3-dimensional, edible model of a cell.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology 12 Human Effects

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are able to respond to a reading passage concerning human effects (under development) in Madagascar. They have a quiz on primary and secondary succesion as their bell ringer. Students write an essay on the topic "No man is an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Relative Dating-Telling Time Using Fossils

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore how to read fossil range charts. They develop an knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the fossil record. Students become familiar with the concepts index fossil and fossil range. Students use bar graphs to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Virtual Earthquake

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners visit a website that features online interactive geology and biology simulations. They observe and estimate the amplitude of the largest wave and transfer the information to a nomogram. Based on the nomogram students will...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What do Earthworms Like to Eat?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students encounter three ecosystems for earth worms prior to performing an experiment. It will introduce students to one form of ecosystem as well as demonstrate how earthworms and the foods they eat affect the environment in which they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Architects of the Coral Reef

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discuss reproduction in Cnidaria. in this coral reef lesson, students describe five characteristics of Cnidaria and compare and contrast the four classes. They describe the reproduction strategies they use. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders investigate water formations by conducting an experiment. In this water properties lesson, 3rd graders utilize pie tins, sponges and salt shakers to create an evaporation and saturation experiment. Students collaborate in...
Worksheet
Curated OER

All About Birds

For Students 8th - 10th
In this birds worksheet, learners answer 25 short answer questions about birds. They color and label the different parts of a bird and fill in the correct term given the definitions.
Worksheet
Biology Junction

Segmented Worms - The Earthworm

For Students 6th - 10th
In this biology instructional activity, students color and label the different parts of an earth worm. They complete 41 short answers and fill in the blank questions about earthworms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Discovery of Photosynthesis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore how scientists discover photosynthesis. In this biology lesson, students identify the basic requirements for photosynthesis to happen. They recreate past scientists' experiments and record their observations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Backyard Birds: Who's Who Out There?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students practice techniques of field observation and data-gathering while studying local bird population, describe ecosystem as complex combination of elements, which can affect or be affected by each other, and determine effects of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Piece of Cake: Ocean Communities

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explain habitats. In this model based instructional activity students create a model to help describe a habitat that is typical of deep-water. Students will describe how organisms such as coral and sponges add to their habitat.