Fifth graders examine the concept of the food chain and define producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore. They draw a food chain for a mouse and discuss the different organisms involved in the chain, and conduct an...

Despite the typos and formatting issues, the Word document found here has some great potential. There are two questions that ask learners to put several events in a logical order; these could easily be made into a card sort activity....

Students create a worm bin full of fruit and vegetable scraps wit paper and observe what happens over time. In this decomposers lesson plan, students observe that the fruit and vegetable scraps become new soil.

Pupils investigate the growth of plants in soil with oxygen and soil without oxygen. They discuss what roots need to survive, and chart the growth of two plants to analyze the difference between plain soil and soil with two earthworms.

Students explore vermicomposting, the species of worms needed and the proper climate for it.  In this composting lesson students make their own worm compost bin. 

Students explore the process of converting organic waste into usable fertilizer. They observe how living and nonliving things interact with one another by making a mini-worm habitat.

Students explore cycles in nature. In this cross curriculum agriculture lesson, students define "cycle" and research weather and planting folklore. Students make a bracelet in which individual colored beads represent the many "cycles" of...

Students investigate how earthworms help build good soil. They examine the worms carefully to find the ringlike segments and swollen band at the front of the earthworm's body. Students take turns dampening the soil every day and adding...

Students investigate how worms affect plant growth.  In this biology lesson, students construct a worm ecosystem in a plastic 2 liter bottle and plant a seed in the soil.  They later compare the ecosystems with worms to ones...

Students explore the process of decomposition in plants. In this plant biology activity, students use a cleaned out pumpkin and observe how the decomposition process takes place. Students write down adjectives to describe the pumpkin.

Students explore the process of decomposition. In this science lesson, students carve a pumpkin and observe as it decomposes. Students compare the changes to an uncarved pumpkin. Students write about the disappearing pumpkin.

Students explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Students utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...

Student use the scientific method to experiment with worms. In this characteristics of living things lesson, students predict and examine the reactions of worms to dry and wet soil. Students share their findings.

In this recognizing items that can be composted worksheet, students identify organic items that can be composted, write items that can be composted for each of the letters in the word compost, and make a list of vegetables and fruits....

Fourth graders study food chains, producers, consumers, and decomposers. They play a food chain game and create food chain mobiles or posters. They take a nature hike around the school and observe various parts of a food chain.

Students explore decomposition. Students define and describe  components of the decomposition process. Students make a composter in a terrarium. Students record observations and changes weekly, drawing conclusions about the results...

What do a bicycle and the life cycle have in common? Cover this and more with the series of cross-curricular activities included in this plan. Learners do everything from making bracelets that represent the life cycle to checking out the...

Students build mine-earthworm habitats to discover their niche in them. They make predictions about what the niche looks like in a week and draw a picture of it. Students notice the tunnels in the soil and how the sand and dirt are now...

Students collect and study information about worms. They discover how an earthworm helps process and loosen the soil. They write in their journals as well.

Seventh graders design and conduct experiments to determine what environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They use chunks of carrot for the materials to be decomposed, and their experiments are carried out in plastic...

Students identify insects living in rotting logs. In this decomposition lesson, students observe pieces of a rotting log, they look at the insects that have inhabited the log and create a chart that shows their findings.

Fourth graders see how the flow of energy through an ecosystem made up of producers, consumers, and decomposers carries out the processes of life and that some energy dissipates as heat and is not recycled.

Students are able to define food web, and identify the interdependence of organisms within a system. They are able to describe how natural events and human activities can impact a food web.

Take your enthusiastic ecologists outdoors to explore the biodiversity right in their own schoolyard! In preparing for this activity, it may be worthwhile to research websites with local flora to help in the plant identification...