California Academy of Science
Exploring the Impacts of Feeding the World
Approximately 50 percent of people in the world who are chronically hungry work in agriculture. While it seems counter-intuitive, the farther you live from a farm, the more food options are available. Scholars explore concepts related to...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
More Tribal Homelands
Here is a very fun idea that introduces young learners to how geographical location affects cultural development. They are introduced to four areas where Native Americans have lived in the past by reading stories and examining images....
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Life at the Limits
There are some amazing ways species evolve to survive. From large ears to sneezing salt, learners read about these interesting adaptations in an interactive lesson. Great to supplement an in-class lesson, it also works well as a remote...
Curated OER
Learning From Leaves: Adaptations To Differing Light Levels
Learners, in groups, examine plants with different light levels. They are given plants from a tropical and desert region. They write a hypothesis at the beginning of the experiment.
Curated OER
It's not just pretty - it's a survival method!
First graders write explanations for why certain animals can only live in certain environments. In this animal survival lesson plan, 1st graders take pictures of animals and place them into the right environment after a lesson on the...
Curated OER
Making Mummies
Middle schoolers examine how mummies are made. In this ancient mummification lesson, students discover types of mummies and discuss the environments naturallly preserve bodies. Middle schoolers research noteable mummy...
Curated OER
Living in the Desert: Reading Comprehension
In this comprehension learning exercise, students read a short selection about sand gazelles, then answer 5 multiple choice questions. Answers provided.
Curated OER
Ecosystem Interactions Web
Students pick an ecosystem (forest, desert, coral reef, open ocean, grassland, mountain, savanna, etc.) and design an interaction web for their chosen ecosystem. Each group shares their ecosystem's web of life with the class.
Curated OER
Conservation and Environmental Protection
Students brainstorm a list of environments and animals from around the world that need protection. They then design and create a slogan about an animal or environment and an environmental protection poster.
Curated OER
Learning From Leaves: A Look at Leaf Size
Young scholars measure and analyze leaves from various environments. They discuss the environments, and make inferences about environmental variables that could have contributed to the differences in leaf size and texture.
Curated OER
Food Chains
Fourth graders investigate food chains. They review cycles and discuss ecosystems. They select an environment and create a food chain in small groups. They write their food chain and label it for the class to evaluate. They create...
Curated OER
What Makes a House a House
Students examine the ways in which the environment influences the house design. They describe how the physical environment, weather and local materials influence the type of house a family builds. They draw a house according to a given...
Curated OER
Habitats of the World
Students complete a unit of eighteen lessons that cover climate, geography, location, plants, and animals of each of the five habitats. They are also introduced to habitat destruction and discuss ways to protect the environment. They do...
Curated OER
Overpopulation
Students examine population growth and how it impacts our environment. In this population lesson students identify the causes and consequences of overpopulation.
Curated OER
Introduction to Biomes
Fifth graders use scientific skills and processes to recognize how living things depend on one another and on the environment for survival and the human use of natural resources impacts the environment. Explain how Earth's surface...
Curated OER
Trading in the Silk Roads Cities
Young scholars explore elements of trade along the Silk Roads by examining products of various locations along the route, production, influences of resources and environment, challenges of transportation, and economic exchange; students...
Curated OER
Our Special Planet Earth
Students explore what is special about our planet. They explore the various climates that are found on the planet Earth. Students create an advertisement to convince people why their favorite environment would be the best place to visit.
Curated OER
Hands On Biodiversity: Networking Students and Their Biomes
Young scholars telecommunicate and use the US Mail to network students from five biomes in the United States in order to monitor water quality in each area. They have e-mail pals and exchange materials representative of themselves and...
Curated OER
Learning From Leaves: From Observation to Inference
Learners examine the adaptation of plants to their environments. They analyze and observe the structure, shape, and internal structure of various leaves, and make inferences about the structures.
Curated OER
What is Cultural Evolution?
Students comprehend what is meant by Cultural Evolution and that it primarily applies at Human Evolution, but that there are examples in higher mammals such as a killer whales, dolphins and great apes of particular groups by exploring...
Curated OER
Learning from the Video Clips
Students view a wilderness video and write to explain the purpose of the video. In this wilderness video lesson, recognize how physical and living parts of the environment interact. Students understand how an ecosystem works.
Curated OER
California Regions
Students explore and compare and contrast the four main regions of California: mountains, coast, central valley, and desert. students use pictures and research to describe how regions vary in land use, vegetation, wildlife and climate.
Curated OER
More Than Tipis and Feathers
Fourth graders research Native American People of the plains, the forest, the northwest coast and the desert. They compare how their lives were similar and how they were different. They make a model of one type of dwelling.
Curated OER
Greenhouse Effect
Learners investigate the greenhouse effect. In this environmental lesson, students investigate why the greenhouse effect changes the climate through an experiment. Learners use vinegar to simulate how acid damages the environment.