Second graders view milkweed plants (or pictures). The describe the plant and discuss ways some butterflies use it as a food source. Students view four pictures of different phases of a milkweed plant's life cycle. They discuss the...

First graders build a terrarium in order to observe animal and plant life dynamics. In this biology lesson, 1st graders compare how organisms survive in different environments. They write their observations and analysis in their journal.

Learners construct a food web to learn how living things in an ecosystem are interconnected. For this food web simulation lesson, students will be assigned an animal and the teacher will represent the sun. Learners and teacher discuss...

Students investigate the water cycle. In this water cycle instructional activity, students create an ecosystem within a 2-liter bottle. Students record scientific observations as they observe the water cycle within their ecosystem.

Students identify the different stages in the water cycle. In this earth science lesson, students calculate the residence time of water in oceans using a mathematical formula. They explain how this cycle regulates the Earth's climate.

Young scholars make an island that has a construction site on it. They spill siulated pollution and trash on top of the island and then water it to simulate rain. They will observe how the rain washes dirt, sand, and pollution off the...

Students participate in various fall activities. In this fall lesson plan, students take a trip to a farmers market and purchase the ingredients needed for vegetable soup. Students paint fall scenes and create a fall story. Students...

In this plant kingdom activity, students will review the characteristics of the 12 divisions of the plant kingdom, comparing and contrasting their structures and life cycles. This activity has 17 matching, 5 short answer, and 5 fill in...

Anytime you make concepts clear with role playing or hands-on experience, it's a win for the whole class. Ping-Pong balls are used to represent carbon in a carbon cycle role-play activity. In small groups, children first discuss what...

Class members explore the carbon cycle in the final installment of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They play a simulation game where they walk through the steps carbon takes as it cycles through the different layers...

Students discuss ways that butterflies and moths change during their lifecycles, observe caterpillars, and explore how their different body parts work.

Do you want a creative and fun way to teach about natural selection? Hop to it by turning your middle school princes and princesses into frogs trying to catch as many bugs as possible in a Hungry Hungry Hippos style game. For high...

One hundred metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time—that's a lot of carbon! In the activity, groups of middle school learners determine what makes forests important. They then solidify the concept by using a...

Everyone knows a tree makes a sound when it falls, but what do we know about dying trees? Class members learn background information about Laurel wilt disease from a teacher-led presentation. Team members work with partners to read and...

Fourth graders investigate several cycles such as life cycles, and the moon cycle. They examine the sequences and patterns that are associated with daily life by keeping a daily journal for three days, and comparing it with others....

Third graders examine life in a terrarium and relate it to life in a larger environment. In this terrarium lesson, 3rd graders examine how living and non-living things work together by examining the changes in a terrarium. They make...

Students create a compost cake. In this gardening and decomposition science lesson, students review and describe the "nutrient cycle." Students create a compost pile, measure and record the dimensions and temperature of the pile, and...

Students illustrate the major parts of a plant, classify some plant foods we eat as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. They also name some animals that use seeds, leaves, and fruit for food.

Students examine a variety of fruit to discover that each has seeds. Through experimentation, they discover the role that fruit and seeds play in a plant's life cycle.

Quiz your kids on how various plants get their seeds dispersed and ready to bloom. They will answer either wind, animal, water, or explosion as a mode of dispersal for the seeds of eight different plants. Tip: Customize this presentation...

Students work together to build models of prairie plants. Using the model, they estimate the height and then measure them using metric and standard units. They write a fraction to represent their part of the whole set and compare and...

In this giant panda worksheet, students read and complete 5 pages of information and activities pertaining to the giant panda. Students study maps of the area, read fun facts about pandas, cut and paste life cycle sequencing, and read...

Scientists monitor seasonal changes in plants to better understand their responses to climate change, in turn allowing them to make predictions regarding the future. The last activity in the series of six has scholars analyze BudBurst...

Here is a great game to play at the end of the year as a cumulative review or prior to state testing. This 1st grade Jeopardy Game contains questions related to typical 1st grade science concepts: clouds, the 5 senses, plants, life...