Curated OER
Bug Work
Young scholars explore the life cycles of insects and how they interact with each other in the prairie to create a healthy ecosystem and viable food chain. They list animals or insects in their own community that are similar to the...
Curated OER
Forest Dwellings: Toad House
What a great project to use as part of an exploration of animals or habitats. Learners design a clay model of a home for a forest animal. This could be a great way to cement what your class has learned about habitats.
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Arctic Smorgasbord
Though the walrus spends roughly one third of its time on land, it eats organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean. The first in a series of five, the lesson uses a variety of plant and animal cards to have scholars build an arctic...
Curated OER
The Marvels of Mud
Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine the role that...
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Life is Weird!
A pool of brine in the deep sea can be up to four times as salty as the surrounding sea water. The deep sea ecosystem relies on chemosynthesis and the organisms that live there are often strange to us. The lesson focuses on researching...
Sea World
Marine Animal Husbandry and Training
Step into the role of a zoo director with several activities about animal training and running a zoo. Kids calculate the amount of food each animal needs, design a habitat for penguins, decide how to breed bottlenose dolphins, and train...
Curated OER
Plants and Animals in the Local Environment
Students recognize the different types of plants and animals living in a local environment. They determine how they require different habitats to live, and relate simple life processes to plants and animals found in local environments.
Michigan Sea Grant
Fish Life Cycle
Fish are no different when it comes to a living being's primary objective—to reproduce. They do differ, including from fish species to fish species, in their life cycles, survival tactics and reproductive strategies. After discussion of...
Curated OER
Story Totems
Students write and illustrate a story to describe the habitat and life cycle of a selected animal. They write and publish their story, and create a picture of the animal on a wooden board.
Curated OER
The Five Classes of Vertebrates
What a terrific lesson! Learners discuss the animal kingdom, and classify them as vertebrates and invertebrates. They also identify them as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. There is even a taxonomic breakdown of popular...
Curated OER
The Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Fifth graders identify all parts of an egg, and explore their importance to the life cycle of a chicken. Learners compare all sorts of birds and place them in categories based on what they look like. This five-day lesson plan effectively...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Biology Reference Sheet
First year life science or biology pupils will appreciate this all-inclusive reference page. It provides a diagram of both a plant and an animal cell, the metric system prefixes, classification levels, definitions for cell processes, the...
Curated OER
Dinosaurs
Students are introduced to the various types of dinosaurs and write in their journals about their favorite one. After listening to a story and watching a filmstrip, they color a few pages in their Dinosaur Friends Book. They also examine...
Curated OER
Life on the Surface of the Earth
Students discover that life occurs on or near the surface of the Earth in land, air, and water. They read the literature selection, 'Whose Forest Is It?'
and discuss with students that there are examples of of many living things
that...
Curated OER
Patterns and Adaptations in Plants and Animals
Fourth graders conduct research about some of the regions of Texas. They compare plants and animals to identify different adaptations. The statistics of survival rates are measured for changes.
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: An Earthworm’s Life
Students are read An Earthworm's Life, by John Himmelman. In this vocabulary focused lesson, students discover the definitions of at least three Two Tier words. As a group they discuss the meanings of the words both before and after the...
Curated OER
Life Cycles
Students identify and explain the parts of a flower and their role in the life cycle of flowering plants. In this online plant biology lesson, students explore the processes of pollination, seed dispersal, and germination. Extension...
Curated OER
Sea Animal Slide Show
Students cllassify sea animals into groups based on certain attributes. They create a picture on ClarisWorks for Kids. They write/wordprocess their own name and copy words from immediate environment to label sea animals.
Curated OER
Hatching Chickens
Students observe and care for eggs and chickens. In this life cycles activity, students recall facts about chickens and how they hatch. Students read the article Hatching Eggs in the Classroom and observe the life cycle of the chicken in...
Curated OER
Seaside Science
Students research sea life using laptop computers. In this sea life lesson, students participate in a field trip to the beach and enter observations into their laptop computers. Students classify shells and sea life.
Curated OER
Problem Based Learning Scenario
Students research about the function of MPA's. In this marine science lesson, students explore how humans influence changes near these areas. They explore different MPA's in the Great Lakes region.
American Museum of Natural History
They Glow!
Would you believe marine animals can make their own light? An online resource describes the process of bioluminescence and how animals in the ocean use it to survive. The lesson features a catchy tune that describes the behavior of ocean...
ReadWriteThink
Webcams in the Classroom: Animal Inquiry and Observation
Boost observational skills with an inquiry-based lesson that takes scholars on a virtual field trip. With help from webcams, learners observe animals in a zoo or aquarium. Observations go into a journal and a discussion is held to review...
Core Knowledge Foundation
A Time for All Seasons - Fall
The weather is cooling down and the leaves are starting to change color; fall is right around the corner. Celebrate this special time of year with this earth and life science lesson series that teaches children about the causes of...