Curated OER
Pollen & Pollination
Students identify the different ways things are pollinated and how to manage pollen. In this pollination lesson students complete an experiment on how moths pollinate flowers.
Curated OER
Phytoremediation
Students participate in a lab designed to facilitate the clean up and remove of substances ranging from heavy metals to dynamite. They focus on the remediation of copper. They discuss their results of this open ended inquiry experiment.
Curated OER
Macroinvertebrate Sampling
Young scholars identify macroinvertebrate species to investigate ecological systems and the relationship between humans and the environment.
Curated OER
Eco-enrichers
Learners discover the importance of plant and animal components within soil. In this soil lesson, students test the quality of soil. Learners then conduct an experiment adding different components to bags of soil to see what will...
Curated OER
Comparing Local, National, International Biomes
Middle schoolers calculate averages of climate sets of data. In this ecology activity, students analyze data to determine identity of a biome and collect meteorological data to understand process. Middle schoolers also compare data sets.
Curated OER
The Greenhouse Effect
Seventh graders investigate the temperature change in open and closed containers. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders relate this lab activity to greenhouse effect. They create a line graph from data collected in the experiment.
Curated OER
Ocean Layers
Students investigate how temperature and salinity causes ocean layering. In this ecology lesson, students observe and sketch their experimental result. They report their findings in class.
Curated OER
Salt, Soil and Seeds
Students investigate seed growth by experimenting with different soils. In this ecology lesson, students plant seeds in paper cups and add differing amounts of salt to enhance the growth process. Students record which plants will grow...
Curated OER
Population Growth
High schoolers examine the factors that affect population growth such as, the length of life cycles, carrying capacity and competition. In this population activity students conduct an experiment on population growth and collect data and...
Curated OER
Dissolved Oxygen and Respiration
Learners are presented with the question, "Do plants that grow underwater use oxygen?" They create an experiment to test the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water using provided materials. Student experiments include a control jar as...
It's About Time
The Nitrogen and Phosphorous Cycles
How do we affect the ecosystem, and what can we do to preserve it? Pupils explore chemicals that promote and inhibit plant growth, then discuss the importance of nitrogen and phosphorus to the survival of organisms and describe how...
Curated OER
Making Paper
Students explore paper making. In this cross curriculum multicultural ecology and art lesson, students follow written and oral instructions to make paper using common household items. Students predict the amount of paper use in their...
Curated OER
Types of Marine Debris
Students conduct an experiment. In this marine debris and environment protection instructional activity, students categorize trash into piles, predict whether these trash items will sink, float or be picked up and carried by the wind...
Curated OER
Photosynthesis Lesson Plans
You can teach students about the importance of plants and the process of photosynthesis with motivating lesson plans. Follow along and find out how one science teacher uses experiments, stories, and her love of plants to get kids excited...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Gorongosa: Making Observations Activity
Do you have young scientists wanting to make new discoveries rather than just completing the same experiments? Young scientists use their observational skills to identify animals and patterns in animal behavior. Through tracking...
Curated OER
Fun with Ecology
Students explore their environment. Given a question and a scenario, they conduct a field study of a designated area. In that area, they count and tally the number of insects that are present.
Curated OER
"Croak" Science Mystery
Solve the mystery of a declining frog population! Lead your junior ecologists on an investigation that simulates actual events concerning pollution, predation, poaching, and more. Investigators read a story online, then analyze survey...
Curated OER
Sustainability
Here is an in-depth, and incredibly thorough lesson plan on sustainable agricultural practices; specifically, regarding the growth of coffee. After completing and discussing a worksheet called "Thinking About Tomorrow," groups of...
Curated OER
Watershed Works: Unit 1
By constructing a watershed model and identifying watershed features in it, they discover how water erosion changes the landscape. As with most watershed modeling activities, this one is costly in terms of time and materials. It is,...
Curated OER
National Marine Sanctuaries Fish
Information is provided on Gray's Reef, Florida Keys, and Flower Garden Banks marine sanctuaries. Young marine biologists then visit the FishBase and REEF databases to collect fish species information for each location. They then...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Make a Difference!
We are very dependent upon other life forms around us to survive. Here, scholars explore relationships in the ecosystem with the help of Auntie Litter and the pollution patrol. They imagine a world without grass, making connections to...
DiscoverE
Build a Watershed
What's the best way to learn how watersheds work? Build one! Combining engineering, the water cycle, and ecology concerns, the activity is the perfect fit for an interdisciplinary unit. Teams construct a model watershed with simple...
NOAA
Please Pass the Salt
Salinity is the focus of two experimenters that work to answer the question, How does salt change the physical properties of water? Super scientists compare the freezing rate of salt and fresh water, combine the two waters to observe how...
Rain Bird Corporation
Rain Forest Teaching Curriculum
Take young naturalists on an exploration of the world's tropical rainforests with this extensive collection of lessons and activities. Whether its creating leaf and flower prints or investigating the absorption spectrum of chlorophyl,...