Columbus City Schools
Diversity of Living Things
Here's a topic classes can really dig—the fossil record. Use the well-organized and thoughtful road map to take eighth graders back in time to unearth the answer. Learn how our climate has changed, and how organisms have changed along...
Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust
The Lost World
Fans of Sherlock Holmes may be surprised to learn that in addition to stories of the famous deductionist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is also the creator of Professor Challenger. An irascible, unpredictable scientist, Challenger was featured...
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey
The Great Peregrine Scavenger Hunt - On the Internet
The story of one bird provides valuable insight into general animal behaviors and interactions. Young researchers investigate the peregrine falcon using a web search. They analyze the behaviors of the raptor including its migration...
Curated OER
What Happens When Invasive Species Are Introduced
Helping students understand the dangers of nonnative species is an important part of ecology and environmental science lessons.
Curated OER
Endangered Relationships
Students study the interrelationship between the horseshoe crab and red knot. In this ecology lesson, students explain why several species became extinct. They research about endangered species found in their region.
Curated OER
Beaver, or not?
Students study the role of the beaver in Illinois during the 1800's and how overtrapping cause the near extinction of the beaver colonies in Illinois by 1900. Students role play various people in 1945 who have an opinion about the...
Curated OER
Ecology Community Status
In this ecology community status worksheet, students research their state's ecosystem, make a chart of the biodiversity, analyze the chart and identify issues with wetland species. This page has several links to helpful web resources.
Curated OER
It's all Interconnected
Students participate in a number of activities to investigate the food web, species extinction, predators and prey, and biological diversity.
Curated OER
Martha Who?
Students explore how the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and on abiotic factors, such as quantities of light and water, a range of temperatures, soil composition. They are...
Curated OER
Regulating the Harvest
Pupils study the effect of trapping in the Illinois Territory in 1805 and compare it to trapping today. They participate in a role playing activity in which they discover how practices in early Illinois Territory led to wildlife such...
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Fourth graders investigate endangered species to discover reasons for the extinction. Resources are examined to determine preventive measures for the endangerment. The unit contains four lessons.
Curated OER
Morphing
Students examine how organisms adapt to their environment in order to survive. As a class, they discuss the extinction of the dinosaurs and review Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. They select an animal to morph in the future...
Curated OER
Centennial: Mammoths to man
Students research and investigate woolly mammoths in order to determine what caused their extinction in Utah. They research how Utah changed in the time after the mammoth disappeared.
Curated OER
Evolution of Sea Creatures
Students identify and describe the mechanisms of natural selection. They study Cambrian Period animals and discuss adaptations for their specific environment.Students compare and contrast a modern sea animal with the Cambrian era animal...
Curated OER
Horseshoe Crab Fun
Marine biology masters will meet the horseshoe crab and red knot shore birds that feast upon the crab eggs. Begin with a discussion and then have learners write postcards from each animal detailing their migration trips. A few math...
Curated OER
Natural Resources: Getting a Fair Share?
Students explore the impact of human behavior on key components of the environment, examine how theirn own personal decisions have added to the problem, and explore possible solutions to the current ecological crisis.
Curated OER
People Take Action
Students locate landforms of California on a map. They discuss the problems and solutions that were used to save the lizard from extinction. They discuss how working together to solve problems is useful.
Curated OER
Environment: Climate Change
Students explore climate change and the greenhouse effect. Using provided definitions, they assess local weather conditions and analyze long term climatic data for their areas. Once they explore the concept of and connection between...
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Students research the issue of species endangerment by exploring threatened animals, their habitats, and the environmental challenges associated with them. They explore the relationships between living things and their environment....
Curated OER
Grizzlies: Back from the Brink
Students explore the grizzly bear and the struggle for the grizzly bear to come back from the brink of extinction.
NOAA
Marine Policy
Save the oceans! The 22nd installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on laws and marine policy. Pupils take part in an activity investigating fisheries stock data.
Teach Engineering
News Flash!
Extra, extra, read all about it! Scholars research information on endangered species and produce a news report to share their findings with the rest of the class. In groups, they then consider engineering solutions to problems on habitat...
Curated OER
Natural Selection
Kids act as scientists and preditors in this short natural selection activity; they collect and analyze data, then apply their new knowledge to real-world examples of natural selection. The layout of the worksheet is easy enough to use...
National Science Teachers Association
Hop into Action
Young scientists find out what makes amphibians such unique and interesting animals in this simple life science lesson plan. After looking at pictures and discussing the characteristics of amphibians, learners complete a series of three...