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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Winogradsky Columns: Microbial Ecology in the Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Winogradsky columns are ideal for observing the role of bacteria and other microorganisms in an ecosystem. This student activity guide is complete with data tables for observations and analysis questions for processing what was observed....
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Activity
1
1
It's About Time

Who Eats Whom?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Packed with visual aids and multiple learning opportunities, an engaging exercise challenges individuals as they explore the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers. After discussing differences between food chains, food...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Caterpillars and Climate: How Temperature Affects Feeding Rate In Insects

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Do you eat more when you are hot or when you are cold? Young scientists observe the eating pace of two caterpillars at different temperatures. The differences in endotherm and ecotherm animals' ability to adjust to temperature change...
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Lesson Plan
1
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NOAA

Exploring Potential Human Impacts

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Arctic sea ice reflects 80 percent of sunlight, striking it back into space; with sea ice melting, the world's oceans become warmer, which furthers global warming. These activities explore how humans are impacting ecosystems around the...
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Interactive
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Niche Partitioning and DNA Metabarcoding

For Students 9th - 12th
What is DNA metabarcoding? Show your biology class the latest method for studying biodiversity in an ecosystem with a fun, informative interactive. Individuals examine the animal species that compete for vegetation, then learn how their...
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Activity
2
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Creating Chains and Webs to Model Ecological Relationships

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The sustainability of an ecosystem depends on many factors and changes constantly. Young scholars consider these factors as they use a set of cards to create food webs. They review key scientific vocabulary such as predator, prey,...
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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

EarthViewer Climate Guide Activity

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What did Earth look like 4.5 billion years ago, and what was the climate like then? Scholars explore a view of Earth throughout history. They observe continents moving, temperatures fluctuating, and huge changes in ecosystems. A...
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Lesson Plan
Purdue University

Discovering the Watershed

For Teachers K - 5th
Human impact on watersheds can make or break an ecosystem. Learners use a game to learn about the impact human choices have on water quality and the organisms that depend on it. The activity includes a game board and game cards that tell...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Stressed Out!

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Are our oceans really suffering due to the choices humans make? The sixth and final installment in the volume of activities challenges research groups to tackle one of six major topics that impact ocean health. After getting to the...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

My Friend, the Volcano

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Working in cooperative groups, young scientists research and report on how undersea volcanic activity may benefit marine ecosystems. There are many links to websites that you can use to stimulate curiosity or for pupils to use for...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Links in the Chain of Life

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Using the prairie dog community as an example, middle school ecologists examine the food web. Pairs of learners take one species in the community and research its role in the ecosystem. They share their findings with the rest of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Keys and Webs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore and classify organisms found in a Rocky Mountain Ecosystem. Through discussions, students examine the effects upon an ecosystem if a component was removed or a new component was added. As a class, they survey...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Uncertain Future

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the distribution of large mammals and carnivores in an ecosystem. Using maps and historical data, they examine areas for these animals such as refuges, untouched forests, prairies and grasslands. Students determine actions...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Survivor!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers play a game in physical education class to examine how a deer survives. Using nature as a guide, they discover how it is constantly changing due to weather, food, water, pollution and predators. They discuss the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design a Reef!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Here is an ambitious, but highly valuable undertaking: set up a miniature coral reef in your classroom. Young marine scientists research coral reef ecosystems and ensure all vital factors are included in their functioning model. The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photosynthesis and Respiration

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students comprehend the relationship between plants and animals in an aquatic ecosystem. They predict the effects of low dissolved oxygen on the organisms. Students create microcosms with plants, animals, or both. They determine which...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Here is a simple lesson plan for young learners on the plants, animals, and flowers found in the prairie environment. There are worksheets embedded in the plan that pupils use once a teacher-led discussion and demonstration has taken...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Species Interactions

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students research desert species to find where it lives, what it eats, and what species it interacts with directly. Upon completion of research, students construct a web of all the species as a class. This emphasizes the role each...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Northwest Hawaiian Islands

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners 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. Learners also focus on geographical topics such as formation...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go With the Energy Flow

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore energy and nutrient flow. For this science lesson, students diagram the flow of energy through food chains and food webs. Students discuss the importance of energy flow in Earth's ecosystems.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bug Work

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Young scholars explore the life cycles of insects and how they interact with each other in the prairie to create a healthy ecosystem and viable food chain. They list animals or insects in their own community that are similar to the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Adaptations

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders consider the survival of prairie plants. They examine how some tallgrass prairie species are adapted to the conditions of their ecosystem. They make a prediction of how a species might change given new conditions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Find Outdoors

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students take a field trip to a local prairie. Using identification books, they identify various forbs and grasses in the prairie. As a class, they discuss the importance of forbs and grasses to the ecosystem and review the various types...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biology of Bats

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Your class will love exploring animal conservation through this lesson on bats. Learners discuss the importance of bats in the ecosystem and talk about the different types and their characteristics. As a follow up, a model of a bat or a...

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