Curated OER
Plant Reproduction
Fifth graders discuss the way a plant can reproduce from roots, stems, and leaves instead of the more familiar way of flowers, fruits, and seeds. In groups of four, 5th graders pick a plant group. Each group then writes a report,...
Curated OER
Fabulous Fantastic Flowers!
Students study flowers and identify their major parts. In this flowers lesson plan, students research flowers, learn about their life cycle, label their major parts, and make tissue paper flowers.
Curated OER
Up From the Ground
First graders sequence the development of a plant. For this plant life lesson, 1st graders listen to a story about how a plant grows, students view a PowerPoint presentation and learn new vocabulary. Finally, students sequence the stages...
Curated OER
Plants
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.
Curated OER
Fiber of Life
Students examine the importance of plants to individuals and society through a multi-discipline set of activities. They observe and draw different leaf structures and then create a book about trees and photosynthesis. They explore ways...
Curated OER
Planting Pumpkins
Students plant pumpkins. In this agriculture lesson, students use pumpkin seeds, mulch, and shovels to plant seeds from a pumpkin. Students observe the changes during each season.
Curated OER
2nd Grade - Act. 23: Sprout Houses
Read the story "Sunflower House," by Eve Bunting with your 2nd graders to investigate the relationships between plants and animals. They will discover how living things change during their lives by creating their own sprout houses....
California Academy of Science
Composting: A Scientific Investigation: California Academy of Sciences
Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...
Science Matters
Formative Assessment #6: Photosynthesis Cellular Respiration
You know you taught it, but did they learn it!?! A quick formative assessment asks pupils to describe both photosynthesis and cellular respiration before showing how they relate to each other. The lesson marks the 20th lesson in a...
Curated OER
Growing a Native American "Three Sisters" Garden
Students explore plant life by creating their own gardens in class. In this food growing lesson, students discuss the types of gardening methods Native Americans used in order to keep healthy. Students plant corn seeds in their school...
NOAA
Climate, Corals and Change
Global warming isn't just an issue on land; deep ocean waters are also showing troubling signs. Young scientists learn more about deep water corals and the many recent discoveries researchers have made. Then they examine data related to...
Curated OER
Cells
Students are introduced to the life cycle of a cell. In groups, they identify and describe the function of organelles. They compare and contrast the differences and similarities between plant and animal cells as well. They complete a...
Curated OER
Milkweed Plants
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...
Curated OER
Rosa Parks Community Garden
Students explore gardening and nutrition in the Rosa Parks Community Garden. They work in stations to discuss food choices, the life cycles of plants, and mini-composting. After starting in one station, they rotate to try each activity.
Curated OER
Index of Organisms
In this biology worksheet, students fill in the description of a plant or animal. They write answers to 8 blanks and draw the organism's life cycle diagram.
Curated OER
Exploring the Water Cycle
Students investigate the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students create an ecosystem within a 2-liter bottle. Students record scientific observations as they observe the water cycle within their ecosystem.
Curated OER
Grow Frog Grow
Students begin a KWL chart to determine what they know about frogs. They watch a video and listen to a read aloud of Karen Wallace's Tale of a Tadpole before adding what they now know to the chart. They access the Internet, look at a...
Intel
Cell-to-Cell
The third in a series of 10 STEM project-based lessons focuses on cells types, functions, and physiology. Through research, discussions, writings, and presentations, groups learn about the difference between plant and animal cells, the...
National Park Service
Reduce Our Carbon Footprint, Let’s Compost!
Roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty with this elementary and middle school compost lesson plan. All you need is a large plastic container, a couple old newspapers, some organic waste, and a few hundred worms and you're ready...
Curated OER
Conservation in Small Spaces: Butterfly Life cycles
Students discuss ways that butterflies and moths change during their lifecycles, observe caterpillars, and explore how their different body parts work.
Rainforest Alliance
Investments in Forest Carbon
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...
Curated OER
Raising Plants
Students investigate the life cycle of plants by growing their own in class. In this botany lesson, students practice using plant vocabulary while they grow their own Wisconsin Fast Plants. Students collaboratively build a...
Curated OER
Populations and Life Cycles
Students explore biology by researching ocean statistics. In this data analysis lesson plan, students conduct a snail examination experiment utilizing live pouch snails. Students collect data about the snails over the course of six weeks...
Curated OER
Let's Make a Compost Cake
Students create a compost cake. For 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...