Chicago Botanic Garden
Nature Walk and Ecosystem Introduction
A food web has no organism higher than a tertiary consumer because there wouldn't be enough energy left to sustain them. The fourth installment in a seven-part series begins with a nature walk to get pupils thinking about their...
Wildwood Trust
Habitats
The circle of life is all around us, from the black bears in the nearby mountains to the pile of dead leaves in the backyard. Encourage young scientists to take a critical look at the world around them with a set of lessons...
Curated OER
Predators and Prey
Students explain how the food chain works. They contrast predators with prey and describe their function in nature. Students discuss how the food chain aids in keeping nature balanced. In small groups, they play a game that simulates the...
Curated OER
Hedgerows
Hedgerows prevent soil erosion, capture pollutants running off fields, store carbon to help combat climate change, and provide homes for predators of many pest species. The biodiversity lesson begins with an activity that...
Curated OER
Wild, Wild Wetland Wildlife
Students investigate biology by participating in a science experiment. In this dissection instructional activity, students conduct a nature field trip around their school grounds and identify animals, plants, tracks and waste. Students...
Curated OER
Plankton Parade
Plankton isn't just a tiny cartoon character, it's also a very important food source for animals around the world. Budding scientists discuss the types and functions of plankton, including where they are found, how they are caught, and...
NOAA
The Incredible Carbon Journey: Play the Carbon Journey Game
Class members explore the carbon cycle in the final installment of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They play a simulation game where they walk through the steps carbon takes as it cycles through the different layers...
Curated OER
Making Marsh Connections
Third graders explore the interdependence among the plants and animals in natural communities.
Curated OER
Homeschooling Chronicles - Insects
The world of bugs may be small, but they can have a big impact on the lives of nature explorers like my children.
Curated OER
Plastics by the Numbers
High schoolers investigate plastic resins and their uses. In this plastics lesson plan, students describe major plastic resins and what they are used for, they compare and contrast the properties of plastic resins and they list products...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Rock Residents: What Lives Under a Rock?
For this activity, learners first listen to a story about animals that live under rocks, then go on an exploratory nature walk to see what animals they can find, living in their own small habitats. They write about their discoveries in a...