Curated OER
A Tree Is More than a Street Name
Eighth graders discuss the role of trees as one of the most important natural resources. In groups, they examine how the forests nearby helped to shape their urban city. Using the internet, they research the use of the forest in early...
Curated OER
Growing a Lawn
Young scholars research plant growth. In this plant growth instructional activity, students explore the needs of plants. Young scholars compare and contrast grass and broadleaf plants and grow a miniature lawn in a cup of soil. Resources...
Curated OER
Biology Leaf Collection
Students collect leaves and compile them into a collection booklet. They collect tree leaves, shrub leaves, grasses, and weeds. For each sample they also label its common name and information about where and when it was collected.
KOG Ranger Program
Use It Safely!
Campfires are not the only way that forest fires start. In a worksheet and word matching activity, young campers learn about common fuel and heat sources that, when combined, can be the spark to a dangerous and harmful forest fire.
Curated OER
Using Insects in the Classroom
Students identify and interpret the importance and diversity of the insect world. Students organize various insects into a classification system based on their characteristics. Students create tree or window ornaments utilizing their...
Forest Foundation
The Web of Life
Producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers. To begin a study of the forest ecosystem, learners examine the connections among the members of ecological communities.
Polar Bears International
Top of the World
Learn about polar bears and the Arctic circle with a lesson about the countries and conditions of the region. After examining how the area differs from Antarctica, kids explore climates, animals, and geographical position...
Curated OER
Life And Death
Students participate in an interactive game to review how living things are classified.
Curated OER
Simple Machines IV - Levers
The principles of levers and simple machines are presented here. An easy-to-make lever is constructed by each group of scientists, and they use it to explore how this simple machine makes heavy things so much easier to lift and move. A...
Curated OER
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Young gardners read and listen to books about seeds, plants, and the growing process. They plant seeds in plastic cups to observe the process of root-growing and plant formation. The whole class walks through a field to collect seeds...
Curated OER
Dinner in a Woodland
After reading a short paragraph about what makes up a woodland habitat, fifth graders attempt to identify the primary consumers, secondary consumers, and third order consumers in two separate food chain scenarios. They also name a hawk's...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Preparing for Project BudBurst
Male deer growing antlers to begin the breeding season is an example of a phenological event. First in a four-part series is an activity requiring individuals to collect phenological data on their campus. Classes discuss phenology, the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Preparing for Project BudBurst
Plants take cues from the environment—change in daylight hours and temperature—to complete their seasonal life cycles. Lesson four in the series of six has classes collect phenology data on plants. After taking initial observations,...
K12 Reader
Taiga Ecosystems
Introduce your class to another type of ecosystem, the taiga ecosystem, through a reading passage. Class members read the text and then respond to five reading questions about the content of the passage.
K12 Reader
Taiga Ecosystems
After reading a short article about taiga ecosystems, middle schoolers are asked to identify the characteristics of this chilly environment.
Biology Junction
Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession
Can an area with no soil turn into a forest? Scholars learn about the process of ecological succession using an interesting presentation. It covers both primary and secondary succession in the building of new ecosystems.
Curated OER
Plant Poetry
In this poetry worksheet, students complete a poem about plants and insert the right wording to each line. Students complete 10 lines of the poem with specific directions.
Curated OER
Antarctica I
Students explore exploring and expiditions then simlate their own on campus. They divide into small "expedition groups." Have each team report back to the class about their expeditions, using written, oral, or videotaped presentations.
Curated OER
All Hands on Deck: A Harbor Education Program
Students build a model of an estuary. In this wetland lesson, students build a model estuary with a paint tray and modeling clay. They use the model to illustrate the impact of non-point pollution on the watershed.
Curated OER
Wetland Plant Detectives
Sixth graders identify plants in the wetlands. In this plant detectives instructional activity, 6th graders complete a scavenger hunt on a local reserve, record observations, and respond in their journals.
Curated OER
Geography Vocabulary
In this identifying geographic terms and their definitions online interactive worksheet, students match the vocabulary words with their definitions. Students match 24 answers.
Curated OER
What is a Dry Forest?
Learners explore the importance of the dry forest. For this science lesson, students discuss the history of dry forests and changes that have occurred due to human interaction. Learners create a map showing the historical range of the...
Curated OER
Ecological Succession
Students examine succession in different communities. In this investigative instructional activity students study ecological succession and complete several assignments.