Curated OER
The Circle of Life
Fourth graders examine how the different organisms living in an ecosystem affect one another. In groups, they research a specific ecosystem and present their findings to the class based on the type of organisms found in it. To end the...
Broadway GPS
The Lion King—The Broadway Musical Study Guide
Musicals have been adapted from stage plays, novels, and movies. With The Lion King, Disney transforms its animated film into show-stopping, live-action musical theatre. The guide Disney provides to accompany a study...
Curated OER
Pond Ecology
A lab activity is a great way to incite thoughtful questioning and scientific processes. Pupils will collect organisms with a Petri dish, make observations, sketch the organism, ask questions, then attempt to identify the specimen...
Curated OER
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Here is a good lesson on butterflies and caterpillars. After listening to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, young learners put cards that depict the life cycle of a butterfly in the correct order. There are some good ideas for center...
Purdue University
Reptiles, Amphibians, and the Scientific Method
What do a reptile and an amphibian have in common? A three-part lesson allows scholars to investigate the similarities and differences between the two types of animals by identifying specific body parts. The lesson highlights the...
Curated OER
Life Cycles
Students are introduced to the concept of life cycles and identify the growth order and different stages attained by various animals. They view slideshows and video of butterflies and frogs as they change through the various stages of...
Wild BC
Carbon - The Short and the Long
For this complex game about the carbon cycle, the playing field is divided into air, living, and earth zones. Children are assigned to be either plants or animals, and collect carbon tokens as they proceed from zone to zone. While the...
Curated OER
Hatching Chickens
Students observe how chickens hatch. For this life cycles lesson, students read the book Hatching Eggs: A Step by Step Guide and use an incubator to hatch the eggs. Students observe the chicks hatching and take care of the chicks by...
Curated OER
Animal Adults and Babies
Students examine how different animals care for their young and how young animals change as they grow. They conduct research on the growth patterns and life cycle of a selected animal, create a realistic baby and adult form of their...
American Museum of Natural History
You are the Queen
A day in the life of a wasp queen is not as royal as it may sound. Pupils assume the role of the wasp queen to complete an interactive activity that simulates building a colony. They make decisions along the way and note the changes from...
University of Southern California
Mastering Microbes
Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging lesson plan asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Seasons of a Plant
The third in a series of six lessons is an engaging three-part activity defines that discusses phenology, focusing on the cyclic seasons of plants. Pupils then observe phenology outside before determining how climate change can...
Curated OER
Animals Finding Rice Paddies
Fourth graders examine the animals who live in rice paddies and create a chart. In this rice lesson, 4th graders link the types of animals living in each ecosystem with a bar graph. Students use colored bars to show...
Curated OER
Life Cycle of Brassica Plants: Planting Seeds
Students explore botany by participating in a calendar class activity. In this plant observation lesson plan, students examine a diagram of a Brassica plant and identify its anatomy before planting their own seeds and viewing the changes...
Curated OER
Butterfly Introduction
First graders create a KWL chart about butterflies and then read a story about butterflies. In this butterflies lesson plan, 1st graders then discuss the life cycle, body, habits, and facts about butterflies as they read.
Curated OER
Introduction to Plant Science
Although the formatting is less than perfect and some of the pictures are blurry, the information in this presentation on plants is pertinent. Viewers will be able to compare and contrast plants with animals. They will learn about...
Curated OER
Plants Alive! How Plants Grow and Move
Students explore how plants move in response to the environment. In this plant lesson plan, students engage in three different experiments to investigate how plants grow and move. Resources available in English and French.
Curated OER
The Water Cycle--Model Simulation
Students build a model to simulate parts of the water cycle. They recognize and explain the essential elements of the water cycle.
Curated OER
Bug Detective
What happens when a living thing dies? After reading a paragraph of background knowledge on the life cycle of bugs, third and fourth graders work through four clues to figure out which bug is which. When they finish, they can study the...
SeaWorld
Animal Migrations
Here is a fabulous set of activities for your young scientists. Each instructional activity contains map, hands-on, and game activities that will help the class understand why and how animals migrate from one place to another. First...
Curated OER
Agriculture is a Cycle
What do a bicycle and the life cycle have in common? Cover this and more with the series of cross-curricular activities included in this plan. Learners do everything from making bracelets that represent the life cycle to checking out the...
Curated OER
What is an Animal?
In this animal worksheet, students review characteristics of animals including body symmetry, development, and skeletal structure. This worksheet has 3 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Animal Habitats
In this animal habitats worksheet, students study the 4 pictures of animals and habitats. Students draw a line to match the animals with their habitats.
Curated OER
Animal Homes
Students explore how an animal's relationship to its habitat affect the animal's survival. They discuss animal habitats and the animal's relationship to that habitat through the food chain, life cycle, community, and balance of nature....