Lesson Plan
Rainforest Alliance

Climate Educator Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Climate change is a hot topic in the news. Class members examine carbon dioxide data to analyze trends of our atmospheric makeup over time. They also discuss climate and climate change, and determine how these changes are affecting life...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Unknown Secrets of the Rain Forest

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students explore the rain forest and where they are located. Students examine why the rain forests are important and what is happening to them. They investigate the water cycle and life cycle of a frog. Students build a rain forest in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Does a Tree Grow?

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders learn about the life of a tree. In this tree growth lesson, 8th graders discuss and dramatize the life of a tree from seed to trunk. There are no
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon Cycle Capers

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine the carbon dioxide cycle in the atmosphere. In this element lesson, students discuss the relationship between carbon dioxide on Earth and the plants that store it. Students play a game to ensure their understanding. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Insects

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students study the characteristics and basic needs of insects. They compare and describe similarities among insects. They examine the body structure, covering, and movement of insects and also, examine insect life cycles in this unit of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Is Tree-rific!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders view a clip of the video Backyard Safari, "Trees," and portray the life cycle of a tree. They also view a clip on structures of a tree and draw a diagram of a tree in their science journals.
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Interesting Insects

For Teachers 2nd
Students discover the characteristics of insects. They explore insects through cooperative learning, group projects, hands on activities, and poetry. They gain knowledge of insect life cycles, habitat, and physical characteristics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fall Lesson Plans

For Teachers Pre-K
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...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Carbon Cycle Role Play

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Rainforest Alliance

Investments in Forest Carbon

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
WK Kellogg Biological Station

Sounds of Selection

For Teachers 7th - 12th
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...
PPT
Biology Junction

Plant Diversity

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Ginkgo trees existed for more than 350 million years, and, at this time, only one species still remains. While plant diversity generally increases over geologic time, some interesting exceptions occur. Young scientists learn about plant...
PPT
Biology Junction

Nonvascular and Simple Vascular Plants: Mosses to Ferns

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Sometimes conservationists use specific plants to prevent erosion or fight invasive species. A 50-slide presentation covers both nonvascular and vascular plants. It discusses the plants, their stages and life cycles, reproduction, uses,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Many Trees Can You Grow?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students solve a story problem about how many trees can be planted in a given area. Using a map, they gather information about the size of the area and the dimensions of an acre. They use a specific equation to determine the area of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Processes

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students investigate the basic needs of organisms that must be met in order to carry out life processes. They view a variety of organism that are meeting and competing for resources. Students create an Idea Web for the animals shown....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Froggy Page

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students investigate the cycle of life by observing tadpoles.  In this biology lesson, students utilize the Internet to read stories, observe pictures, and listen to sounds of frogs.  Students create a poster board collage...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree Friends

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students are introduced to tree structure and use. They identify their special tree using all senses except sight. Students identify six different internal parts within a cross section of tree trunk (bark, phloem, xylem, cambium,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Pests of Summer

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students research insects that act as pests during the summer months. They investigate how to protect themselves and their homes from these pests. They study the life cycle of the cicada.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Periodical Cicada Survival

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students explore defense mechanisms involved in predatory/prey relationships.They engage in a discussion about predatory/prey interactions. They reflect on the life cycle and behavior of the cicada.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Unknown Secrets of the Rain Forest

For Teachers K - 3rd
Learners listen to the story "The Great Kapok" then discuss characteristics of the rain forest. They make several different types of rain forest animals from paper plates (ex. sloth, tigers, monkeys etc) and design costumes for a...
Assessment
Science Matters

Ecosystem Pre-Assessment

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Test scholars' knowledge of ecosystems with a 20-question pre-assessment. Assessment challenges learners to answer multiple choice questions, read diagrams, and complete charts.
Assessment
Science Matters

Post-Assessment

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Twenty questions make up an assessment designed to test super scientists' knowledge of ecosystems. Scholars answer multiple-choice and short-answer questions about organisms, food chains, energy flow, and more.
PPT
Curated OER

Phylogeny

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here is an unusual collection of slides. The first, which is upside down, is the phylogeny of fish. Next comes an article about invasive lampreys in the Great Lakes area. The third slide shows the life cycle of sea lampreys. A reptilian...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Layers of the Earth

For Students 4th - 5th
For this layer of the earth worksheet, students label and color each layer of the earth. Then students are asked to describe each layer below.