Curated OER
Raid the Food Pantry
Students explore the food groups represented on the food pyramid. In this nutrition and physical education lesson, students participate in a game in which teams try to grab a play food object designated by the teacher and return it to...
Curated OER
Animal Classification
Students are introduced to the concept of classification as it relates to objects, information, and characteristics. In this classification lesson, students research a variety of animals. Students study the Linnaeus's system of...
Curated OER
Classification
Students investigate how different types of food can be classified then counted. In this sorting, arranging, and classifying lesson plan, students explore how to group foods based on commonalities. Students are asked four questions which...
Polar Trec
Arctic Smorgasbord!
Two blooms of phytoplankton, instead of just one, now occur in the Arctic due to declining sea ice, which will have widespread effects on the marine life and climate. In small groups, participants build an Arctic food web with given...
Curated OER
Food Classification
Middle schoolers are introduced to classification and some of the difficulties surrounding classification and how classification systems need to be able to adapt and how they may need to be changed when new information is discovered. ...
Curated OER
Food Webs
Learners produce a newspaper covering topics related to food webs. They use print and electronic sources to gather information about specific animals. They share their information with the class.
Curated OER
Animal Groups
Students explore animal groups. In this animal science lesson, students use pictures from magazines and classify the animals into five categories. Students share why they categorized the animals the way they did.
Curated OER
The Key To Classifying Animals
Explorers of the environment construct a dichotomous key for a variety of organisms and design a key to classify Galapagos animals based on descriptions and images. The lesson includes a link to an animal gallery and the worksheet for...
Curated OER
First Place Foods
First graders identify healthy foods. In this nutrition lesson, 1st graders create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast healthy foods. Students place foods in the proper circle.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Section One: What is Biodiversity?
Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...
Curated OER
Sharks Taxonomy
Learners, in groups, establish a classification system for the world of your classroom. They draw a chart to explain their categories and system to the rest of the class.
Curated OER
Backyard Bugs
Explore the concept of scientific classification and the similarities and differences between plant and animal species. Your class will participate in hands-on activities by investigating dichotomous keys and classifying their shoes. To...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Classification
Students examine why scientists classify living organisms. They list and classify items they buy at the grocery store, sort and classify leaves, explore various websites, and write a biography of Carolus Linnaeus.
Curated OER
Scavenger Hunt: A Group Collection
Students be complete a collection of living organisms and systems from the school campus.
Curated OER
Animal Classification
Third graders differentiate between vertebrates and invertebrates, and identify the main characteristics of mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. They sort and categorize different types of balls, discuss the characteristics...
Curated OER
Farm Products Help Me Grow
Learners view a display of empty food containers (or illustrations). They select a food and decide as a class if it has an animal or plant origin. Students view a display of common farm animals that are commonly eaten (cow, pig, chicken,...
Berkshire Museum
Backyard Rocks
You don't have to travel far to learn about rocks, just step outside, pick up a stone, and begin investigating. After taking a class walk around the school grounds collecting rocks, young scientists practice their skills of observation...
Curated OER
Create a Critter Collage
Students create a collage. In this animal classification lesson, students discuss why and how scientists classify animals. Students view pictures of different animals and decide which class each animal belongs to. Students compare...
Curated OER
Minerals of the Earth
Students learn and practice identifying Earth's minerals and their properties. Working in small groups, they evaluate minerals. This is a well-described lesson, which students enjoy.
Curated OER
The Living Environment
In this living environment worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle given 34 clues about the various species in the environment that produce, consume and decompose. Topics also include photosynthesis, respiration, glucose, organic...
Curated OER
Local Animal Sort
Young scholars examine the concepts of sorting and classifying animal. They use familiar animals to determine the connections between physical characteristics and categorization.
Curated OER
Vocabulary Development - Word Tiers
This lesson focusing on classifying vocabulary words as concrete, abstract, or content specific could best be used with older high schoolers and adults. A list of words and the classification chart is provided.
Curated OER
Classified Information - Part 1: Shapes
Third graders investigate how and why scientists use classification. They discuss classification strategies using animals, and as a class fill in a flowchart with their responses. Next, in small groups they cut out a variety of shapes...
Curated OER
Stacking the Deck on Nutrition
Students explore classification. In this science lesson plan, students arrange a variety of foods into their proper food groups. This and other related activities will aid in the development of the students' critical thinking skills.