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Biomes -- Part 1
Students use the internet to locate and gather information on the world's biomes.  They compare and contrast biomes to ecosystems and describe the human effects on ecosystems.  They answer questions to end the instructional activity.
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Find the Speed of a Protist
Students identify protists under a microscope, and using a stopwatch calculate the speed of a protist from a pond water sample.  They use distance and time to identify the speed of a protist, and create a distance versus time graph to...
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Three Main Rock Groups
Students are introduced to igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They use foods to demonstrate the basic formation of each type of rock, read books about rock formation and view related videos.
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Trash Flash Through Time
Students describe ways in which solid waste was disposed in the past and the present. They survey an older citizen about his/her solid waste disposal methods. They discover solid waste practices from long ago.
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Ants In Motion
Students brainstorm ants and their characteristics in a class discussion.  They observe the ants and answer question pertaining to their behavior; then they apply the scientific method in creating and investigating a problem.
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My Biotic Creation
Eighth graders explore different ecosystems.  In this ecosystem survival lesson conditions lesson students create their own fictional creature.
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Wetland Adaptation
Fourth graders study the impact of the wetland environment on the migration of birds.  They  make a list of the important reasons on a large piece of paper to be posted in the classroom and point out the biggest wetland in the state (The...
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Personal Ecosystem
Students build an aquatic ecosystem using large glass pickle jars.  In this ecology lesson, students build and ecosystem then observe and collect data on the habitats.   In this long term project students observe a...
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Energy Detectives
Students explore where energy comes from and identify the different kinds of energy.  In this energy lesson students search their classroom for energy connections and record the way that they use energy. 
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What's the Big Deal?
Students define terms and describe where they are found and formed.  In this methane lesson plan students complete an activity and describe ways in which methane hydrates impact our lives. 
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Getting the Oil Out
Students discover ways of obtaining oil by participating in an experiment.  For this natural resource lesson, students identify diagrams of oil derricks and pumps in order to visualize how oil is retrieved from the earth....
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CO2 Dragster Challenge CO2 Dragster Challenge
Eighth graders construct a car out of a block of basswood.  In this car lesson students research, design and construct their own cars.
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Dogs & Darwin
Ninth graders construct and conduct a laboratory experiment illustrating the transfer of mutations. They compare and contrast natural selection in organisms with long and short reproductive cycles.
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I Wood if I Could
Tenth graders investigate the process of how specific products are made from trees. For this chemistry activity, groups of students must choose among ice cream, bubble gum, paper, toothpaste and lipstick. They research, design and...
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Rice: The Global Crop
Students understand the uniqueness of the rice plant and how it grows. Students compare rice growing in Indonesia and California, observing the steps common to the process everywhere. Students comprehend the concepts labor-intensive and...
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Studying a Piece of an Ecosystem
Students carry out an outdoor land study in which they identify organisms living in the soil, and any other animals living within the site. Groups also examine abiotic factors. They respond to a series of questions concerning their data...
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Wetland Adaptation
Students participate in a simulation to investigate the impact of the wetland environment on the migration of birds. They discuss the patterns of migration they took and why they avoided certain wetlands.
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EPA Pesticides Reduction
Learners examine the effects of pesticides on the environment and bugs. They answer questions as an assessment.
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Biomes -- Part II
Students use the internet to gather information on the biomes of the world.  They identify the climate and unique characteristics of each biome along with any threat to them.  They create their own campaign to preserve wildlife.
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Investigating Ocean Life
Sixth graders explore the various forms of ocean life. They research a creature that lives in the ocean. Students use their research information to create a series of HyperStudio stacks about their sea creature.
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The Environment and Interactions of Living Organisms
Students study the environment and interactions of living organisms. They identify abiotic and biotic factors and create a foldable and vocabulary cards. They create a poster illustrating soil and watch a video to study symbiosis.
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Scales, Scutes, and Skins
Students identify the various adaptations of reptiles and amphibians. After distinguishing between reptiles and amphibians, students discuss the ways in which their adaptations aid in their survival. They participate in a hands on...
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The Eruption of Mount Pinatubo
In this volcano activity, learners read about the eruption of Mount Pinatubo and the effects of sulfur dioxide. Then students complete 4 short answer questions.
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Earth Day, Every Day
First graders celebrate Earth Day. In this Earth Day lesson, 1st graders listen to a book Where Does the Garbage Go? by Paul Showers, and list facts about the garbage we throw away. Students use the Think-Pair-Share method.