Virginia Department of Education
A Dichotomous Key of Virginia’s Native Plants
Can your class correctly classify plant species? Individuals explore native plants of the local environment and correctly classify them into their respective categories. They investigate differences in the plants and discuss similarities...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Modeling the Regulatory Switches of the Pitx1 Gene in Stickleback Fish
Gene switches work similarly to light switches in controlling one feature of their environments. Scholars study the Pitx1 gene in a specific type of fish. They learn the different ways this switch controls various body parts and...
NOAA
Ocean Acidification
Carbon dioxide is on the rise; does that also mean a rise in danger to humans and animals? Scholars learn what that means for the environment and more specifically the ocean. They examine data on the pH of different ocean areas and learn...
EngageNY
Synthesizing Text Details to Explain Relationships: “Hunting”
The class is on the hunt. Scholars read pages 22-23 of The Inuit Thought of It about different hunting techniques of the Inuit people. They sketch a picture of the gist of the section and then complete a web that shows the...
Curated OER
The Chesapeake Bay in Captain John Smith's Time
When Captain John Smith visited the Chesapeake Bay in the summer of 1608, what types of animals and habitats did he encounter? Your young historians will analyze primary source documents to answer this question, as well as compare...
Teach Engineering
Introduction to Environmental Engineering
A series on environmental engineering introduces the class to issues that environmental engineers work to solve. This first lesson focuses on air and land issues, and looks at ways to reduce pollution.
Curated OER
To Recycle, or Not Recycle?
To recycle or not to recycle, that is the question. Your class can find the answer by taking a teacher created WebQuest, where they assume a role of a community member taking a stand on implementing a community wide recycling plan. The...
Curated OER
Wind Power
What a wonderful way to explore wind power! Through this lesson plan, learners get a background in the history of wind power, create their own wind turbine, and the test their designs. This is a terrific way to tie scientific principles...
Curated OER
That's Monkey Business!
Celebrating National Zoo and Aquarium Month by engaging pupils in an animal research project.
Curated OER
Hatching Chickens
Students observe chickens hatching in a classroom incubation environment In this egg-hatching lesson plan, students make observations of the hatching process and later care for the hatched chickens.
Curated OER
Crashed on the Moon
Students compare and contrast the environments of the moon and the earth. They discover how the differences might change one's daily activities.
Curated OER
Living On Earth
Students discover the many different animals within various habitats and discover how each individual species interacts with its particular environment. Through charting different animals and their distinct habitat and matching animals...
Curated OER
Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Bioluminescence fascinates most upper elementary scientists. Display images of different glowing deep-sea organisms and discuss their environment. Young biologists then experiment with images and different colors of filtered light. In...
Curated OER
Endangered Animals: Hawaii
Students locate regions in Hawaii where specific endangered animals live. They describe habitats, identify reasons why the species has become endangered, consider how a healthy environment for wildlife contributes to a healthy...
Curated OER
Northwest Hawaiian Islands
Students compare and contrast places around the world. Students analyze the effects of human activity on the physical environment and devise plans to address the consequences. Students also focus on geographical topics such as formation...
Curated OER
Exploring the Effects of Weather
Fifth graders brainstorm different types of extreme weather and their effects on the environment and share lists with class. They research the effects on the environment through the use of the World Wide Web, Microsoft Encarta, and...
Curated OER
Africa - Clothing
Third graders discuss the differences between the clothing choices within the three regions in Africa and in Hawaii.
Curated OER
All Ears for Adaptation
Young scholars discuss different characteristics that enable animals to adapt to their environments. They work in pairs with one partner standing about one foot behind the other partner and cup their hands around their ears with palms...
Curated OER
Cicada Invasion
Students consider how some animals, periodical cicadas, survive well in a particular environment due to the species' life cycle. They have a discussion about life cycles and how a particular species' life cycle helps it to survive....
Curated OER
A RELEVANT APPROACH TO HISTORY (AT-RISK LEARNERS)
Students do many activities which assist in teaching them individuals and societies in order that the student develop an awareness of the differences and likenesses of people. This many help the learner to realize his potential.
Curated OER
Fresh Water and land of Kiribati and Hawaii (Molokai)
Fourth graders examine the islands of Hawaii. Using this information, they organize it and create a map or graph that represents the data. As a class, they discuss how the watersheds on the islands are different and how people react to...
Curated OER
Mussel Ecology
Students are introduced to the marine environment of the mussel. The emphasis of the lesson is upon what human factors are present to influence the environment in positive and negative ways. They brainstorm in groups in order to conduct...
Curated OER
Meet the Animals
The class will examine a series of live or stuffed animals in order to learn how different animals survive in distinctive habitats. As they examine each animal, they will be asked a series of critical thinking questions geared at getting...
Curated OER
Angry Words: What Goes Around Comes Around
Students examine how angry words can effect the people and environment around them and identify ways to cope with angry feelings. They listen to the book Andrew's Angry Words by Dorothea Lachner, and participate in a simulation of how...