Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Flowering Phenology: How Do Plants Know When To Flower?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars explore the biotic and abiotic factors that affect plant reproduction and the potential consequences of human activities on plant populations. The effects of urbanization are discussed as an influence in the consequences.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Makes Up a Healthy Watershed

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, after observing the elements of a local watershed, explore the need to protect watersheds as water resources for the future. They examine the factors involved with a watershed: geology, ecology, and the effect of man's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America's Rain Forests Can It Be Real?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars examine the attributes of unusual plants and animals before determining how they are adapted to specific habitat. They complete an associated worksheet. They make posters with information that they find during research...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Connection?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explain hardground communities in the Gulf of Mexico. In this deep-sea ecosystem instructional activity, students investigate the connection between deep-sea ecosystems and petroleum deposits. They discuss the relationship...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy is Everywhere

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources and identify the different forms of energy and list the advantages or disadvantages of different forms of energy. They also determine the benefits as well as the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Receding Waters

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students explore the effect of environmental factors on ecosystems.  In this wildlife and ecology lesson, students identify and describe the stages in a frog's life cycle. Students participate in a simulation demonstrating the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing Watershed Experiences

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students observe organisms found in the water. In this lesson on organisms, students collect water from local streams and tributaries in order to study the organisms found in the water. As a culminating activity, students create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond Water Web

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students familiarize themselves with the common organisms that live in a pond and discover their importance in a balanced aquatic habitat as they create food webs. They also investigate how an environmental change affects the habitat as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Succession

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students research environmental change and why forests cannot stay the same for long.  In this environmental growth lesson, students discuss the life cycle of a tree and examine tree cookies to discover the age of these specimens....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

GLOBAL WARMING

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students form definitions of the greenhouse effect based on prior knowledge, class discussion, viewing diagrams, and participate in group brainstorming sessions and class discussions related to the impact of the greenhouse effect and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genetically-Modified Food

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the pros and cons of genetic engineering. They watch a short Bill Moyers video, conduct Internet research, create a poster, participate in a pro/con debate, and write an essay expressing their personal feelings...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lord of the Rings - A Study of Tree Rings

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine trees and discuss how the environment effected the tree. They also predict what the area look like in fifty years.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Current Groundwater Contamination Research

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research the effects of groundwater pollutants on life. They name and describe 1 environmental factor that has an effect on our drinking water. Students read the Water-Groundwater and Pollution Article. They discuss and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recycling!

For Teachers K - 7th
The students recall events from Dr. Seuss' story The Lorax and make connections to environmental issues affecting their lives. They are expected to reflect on the facts of the story and respond verbally stating the inferences they made...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make it a habitat

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners consider the adaptation of life forms through natural selection to fill various niches and accommodate changing environmental conditions. They select an ecosystem and conduct research to provide as much detailed information as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Going...going...gone? Tropical Rainforests-How They Work, What They Do for Us, What's Being Done to Them...

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore the Tropical Rainforest and come to understand what it is and how it affects the ecosystem. In this rainforests lesson, 6th graders write about the Tropical Rainforest, imagine they are in the Tropical Rainforest,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Endangered Species

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students create a postcard about endangered species. In this biology lesson, students identify how human activities endanger other species. They research and recommend ways to help protect them.
Lesson Plan
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Historical Harbor Habitats

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders create food web displays in the classroom. In this ecology lesson, 10th graders identify the different pollutants in the environment and their effect on organisms. They collect samples of sediments from the harbor and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hide In Plain Sight

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students view video clips and use the Internet to look for hidden animals. They then use the Internet to print out animal shapes and color them. They create environments on construction paper in which their animals can hide.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Sources

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify natural resources and describe the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources. They also identify the disadvantages and advantages of the resources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Culture or Not to Culture

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study the pros and cons of the aquaculture industry after reading hypothetical case study. They simulate a town meeting debate about aquaculture.
Lesson Plan
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Biosphere II

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars continue their examination of the existence of life on Earth. In groups, they determine the role of the water cycle and other biogeochemical cycles play in keeping balance on Earth. They participate in experiments to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Establishing a Baseline Ecology of a Creek Ecosystem

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the physical, chemical and biological parameters necessary to establish an ecological baseline. Establishing an ecological baseline not only shows the ecological characteristics of a creek but makes the possible...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Importance of Tropisms

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate plant tropisms using the scientific method. In this life science lesson, students learn about tropisms and test the response of corn seedlings to gravity. Response questions, extensions, and an adaptation for...