Curated OER
What Are Endangered Species?
Students explore the concepts of endangered and extinct animals. In this animal protection instructional activity, students discuss and define the words endangered, extinct, and habitat. Students share why they think it is important to...
Curated OER
Native vs. Non-native Species: Who Will Win?
Pupils examine non-native species and the problems they have caused in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. They create a "Wanted" poster for one of the species. They describe the effects of non-native species on the schoolyard species.
Curated OER
Invasive Species in the News
Students explore how invasive species can change an environment. In this critical thinking lesson, students study how invasive animals can change an environments population. They will discuss the implications of an invasive species and...
Curated OER
A Fiedl Study of an Integral Species
Students compile baseline population information on a local species. They design and conduct a scientific investigation of a local species. Students interpret, analyze and communicate results based on sound scientific and mathematical...
Curated OER
Let's go to the Video Tape!
Using actual data from a deep-sea video survey, high school marine biologists consider the biodiversity, compare species richness between two communities, and learn to calculate the diversity index. The lesson plan is all-inclusive,...
NOAA
Importance of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – How Diverse is That?
When judging diversity of an ecosystem, both species evenness and species richness must contribute. After a discussion of diversity and a guided example using the Shannon-Weaver function, scholars use the same function on two other...
NOAA
Biological Oceanographic Investigations – Keep Away
As of 2015, there are 53,481 oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Scholars determine how species diversity is impacted based on the ecosystem's distance from a drilling platform. It focuses on finding the mean of data sets and creating bar...
Curated OER
Web of Life Game: Trout
Students explore the concept of food webs. In this food web lesson, students demonstarte the connection between species. Students use a ball of string show how the food web works, then have a class discussion.
Curated OER
Branching Out
Students investigate the causes and effects of the spread of tree diseases in the U.S., and research certain American species of trees and the diseases that commonly threaten them. They create pamphlets to help identify healthy and...
Curated OER
How Do Populations Grow?
Students examine how populations grow and how invasive species can affect the balance of ecosystems. They simulate the growth of lily pads, analyze and record the data, and simulate the results of an invasive species on an ecosystem.
Curated OER
CSI Rhino
Students study the rhinoceros and how the species has survived for so long. In this rhino lesson students create graphs and research what is being done to protect the rhino.
Curated OER
Nine Lives, One Habitat
Students explore reintroduction of endangered species into new habitats. They research and promote possible sites for reintroducing populations of Florida panthers outside of their current habitat in the Big Cypress Swamp region of...
Curated OER
How Diverse is That?
After reviewing biodiversity, learners work in small groups to analyze actual species distribution data. They learn to calculate the Shannon-Weaver diversity index for different communities. Though not particularly engaging, the content...
National Wildlife Federation
Create a Fish
Don't just teach learners to fish, but to create fish. The class discusses fish heads and predicts whether where the fish might live and what it eats. Given an index card with a fish adaptation written on it, pupils construct an...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
Pupils examine biodiversity in plant life and what an ecosystem is composed of. In this ecosystem lesson students go around their school and collect specimens and examine the plant species they encounter.
Curated OER
Blue Planet: Open Ocean
Students research facts about animal species. In this ocean instructional activity students view a video, prepare illustrated cards and create a food-web display.
Curated OER
Leaf Stomata as Bioindicators of Environmental Change
Students, in this experiment, collect leaves from two species of trees and the stomatal index on the upper and lower epidermis of each leaf be determined.
Curated OER
Endangered Species- Florida Panther
Young scholars investigate the concept of the conservation of the Florida Panther and examine the effects of the Everglades water restoration project. They conduct a web based activity that includes the following: Listing what they know,...
Curated OER
How Diverse is That?
Compare various types of biological diversity in a coral reef and calculate a numeric indicator that describes the diversity found in coral communities. Your class can work in groups to look at the abundance and distribution data of...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: One Tiny Turtle (Davies)
The loggerhead turtle is a fascinating species, and budding readers learn all about it in Nicola Davies' account One Tiny Turtle. This informational narrative offers excellent vocabulary in context, and you'll find guidance here to...
Curated OER
Analyzing Intertidal and Deep Sea Vent Communities
Young scholars study how scientists measure diversity. In this diversity lesson students look at marine communities and look at data to calculate diversity in 3 different ways.
Curated OER
The Unique Rain Forest
Students explore the unique Rain Forest. In this Rain Forest instructional activity, students watch a video about the dangers the Rain Forest faces. Students create a Rain Forest mobile. Students choose plants or animals from the...
Curated OER
Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?
Young scholars compare wolves' behaviors to those of the human race. In this wolf lesson students write a story that will show that wolves are either good or evil.
Curated OER
Biodiversity Activity
Students are introduced to biodiversiy. They use a simulation of two forests, one planted with only Douglas Fir trees, and one with diverse species of trees. Students also use the simulation of two forests, one a monoculture of only one...