Curated OER
Lake and Pond Study
Students examine the habitat and community structure of a pond that could support Ospreys through games and worksheets. They then go on a field trip to a pond to evaluate the suitability of the pond as an Osprey habitat.
Curated OER
Examining the Stages in Ecological Succession
In this ecosystems worksheet, students use illustrations and descriptions of four ponds to determine the order of succession. Students complete 8 fill in the blank questions and 5 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Pond Life Identification Kit
Students explore ecology and biodiversty. They use the wet-mount procedure to make several slides to view using the microscope and draw what they see.
Curated OER
Creatures in Torch Lake
Young scholars investigate pond ecology. They gather water samples from various sources, add grass, and let it sit for a week. Afterward, using microscopes, they identify the microorganisms present in the sample.
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.
Curated OER
Examining the Stages of Ecological Succession
In this ecological succession worksheet, students answer questions about the process of succession in four ponds given diagrams and descriptions.
Curated OER
Lentic Ecosystem or Lotic Ecosystem
Learners explore the differences between lentic and lotic ecosystems. In this ecology lesson plan students study the water systems in Pennsylvania.
Curated OER
Burnaby Lake Field Trip
Students identify different organisms found in the lake ecosystem. In this life science lesson, students discover the predator-prey relationship through a game. They explain how beavers adapt to the environment over time.
Curated OER
Using A Winogradsky Column to Analyze Microbial Communities
Learners use easily obtained materials to study ecological succession in a microbiological community. This investigation is appropriate for a variety of age groups. Elementary Students be fascinated by the changes occurring over time...
Curated OER
Aquatic Habitat Water Quality Experiment
Fifth graders discuss the importance of water quality for humans and fish and make predictions about what happens to water that is polluted. In small groups, they conduct experiments to compare and contrast water that is unpolluted and...
Curated OER
How Healthy is the Wetland?
Students explore wetlands. For this ecology lesson, students visit a wetland site and collect data about the wetland functions. Students record their results and use the data recorded to rate the wetland site on its function.
Curated OER
Bat Ecology
Learners, through hands on games and activities, discover how bats live and how bats benefit ecosystems. They play a game designed to show them how echolocation works and another to show how mother bats locate their young through their...
Curated OER
Human Impact on the Environment
In this environmental science learning exercise, students complete a crossword puzzle with 26 questions about human impact on the environment.
Curated OER
Using A Winogradsky Column to Analyze Microbial Communities
Students use easily obtained materials to study ecological succession in a microbiological community. They collect water samples from outdoor sources in plastic bottles to observe and record changes.
Curated OER
Visual Vocabulary
Students interpret and name the vocabulary termed acted out by the mime. In this science/language arts/physical education lesson plan, students are given a set of vocabulary terms to discuss within their group. Next, students place all...
Curated OER
Learning About Watersheds
In this learning about watersheds worksheet, students answer 15 questions using links to web resources about water use in their community. This page includes numerous links to helpful websites.
Curated OER
Freshwater Habitats
Students take samples from local freshwater sources and examine them for macroinvertebrate life. They take samples from both shallow and deep freshwater environments, measure temperatures, and classify organisms found in their samples.
Curated OER
Animals Finding Rice Paddies
Fourth graders examine the animals who live in rice paddies and create a chart. In this rice lesson plan, 4th graders link the types of animals living in each ecosystem with a bar graph. Students use colored bars to show...
Curated OER
Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work?
Students explore the characteristics of major ecosystems, the interactions of the organisms within the systems, and the effects of humans on the system. Both living and non-living components are examined in this five lesson unit.