Students develop their own research questions dealing with specific variables provided by the instructor; students conduct bird counts using two kinds of birdseed, and analyze possible effects such as abundance or diversity.

Is everything really connected? Take your class on a walk outside, where they will make observations and write them down on a worksheet. Once they are back in the classroom, learners will work to determine if and how things like birds,...

Students investigate adaptation.  In this cookie age instructional activity, students examine changes and variations in chocolate chips in cookies in preparation for determining the age of trees using lines.  Students discuss...

Learners 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...

Creating an ecosystem is as simple as baking a cake. Well, maybe not, but using a recipe analogy helps learners realize that ecosystems consist of different components that come together in unique ways. Offer this worksheet as an...

Students will understand the relationship between limiting factors and evolution. They will be able to hypothesize possible evolutionary pathways for modern day organisms.

Middle schoolers examine tree rings. In this tree ring lesson, students analyze the rings of fallen trees. Middle schoolers discuss factors that influence tree growth.

Arranged as an interactive lesson, this presentation focuses on the six world biomes. Upcoming biologists click on a specific biome and a slide lists its location, description, native plants, and animals. A quiz provides learners with...

What happens at the end of a plant's life cycle? Show kids the natural way that plants show that they're decomposing, as well as the importance of compost, with a lesson plan about living organisms. After reading Log Cabin by Anne...

NASA has crafted an imaginative and memorable series of lessons, "NASA and Jamestown Education Module." This instructional activity is one of the five components. In it, middle schoolers connect history and science by comparing the...

Students recognize that for a trout habitat to be ideal, several components must be present.  In this trout lesson, students explore what makes a healthy stream.  Students create paintings for a mural of a trout habitat....

The effects of rising sea levels on Isle de Jean Charles, located off the coast of Louisiana, are documented in Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee's poignant short video. Viewers are asked to consider not only the plight of residents but also what...

In this biomes activity, students complete a crossword puzzle by figuring out the answers to 17 clues focused on communities and biomes.

Students discuss the benefits and problems associated with fire. They discuss the role that fire plays in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Students brainstorm ways that fire can be harmful, such as damaging homes, communities, and...

Third graders view a clip of the video Backyard Safari, "Trees," and portray the life cycle of a tree. They also view a clip on structures of a tree and draw a diagram of a tree in their science journals.

Take a good look at tree leaves and notice the adaptations for collecting solar energy. Pupils trace the margins of five different leaves onto graph paper and count the number of squares covered. They then relate this infomation to the...

Assess the probability of a wildfire with several lessons about fire danger ratings and risk factors. After experimenting with fuel moisture, learners explore the various elements that could contribute to a wildfire, such as wind...

Students examine a cross section of a tree. They discuss what the rings mean and how they can tell its age. They complete a worksheet to end the instructional activity.

Young scholars observe changes in a selected tree leaf near their homes during the fall. Twice each week students record changes in the leaf using words, pictures, and numbers.

Students discover the urban ecosystem through a series of activities. They explore both the biotic and abiotic factors of the urban environment.

Eleventh graders compare the amount of sugar sand present in tree sap. In this environmental science lesson plan, 11th graders measure different tree circumference. They prepare a report and share findings in class.

Students investigate tree stems and conduct an experiment on how non living factors affect living factors. In this tree stems lesson plan, students observe and record physical characteristics, and make predictions on what factors will...

Students observe their local forest and document the change that occurs over the school year.  For this forestry lesson, students utilize a GPS to mark a certain area of the woods as their study area for the remainder of the year....

Students investigate types of trees. In this forestry lesson, students read the book The Mighty Oak and act out the story with a partner. Students discuss the types of trees in the book and plant an oak tree on school grounds.