Curated OER
Bud the Spud Moves West
As part of a unit on Canadian agriculture, this focuses on how potato farms have increased in the west. Pupils participate in a discussion about the impact of consumer demand on production, and then they read an article about potato...
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Turtle Hospital
Students explore techniques to rescue and rehabilitation of stranded and injured sea turtles. They examine the turtle's impact on the environment. Students discuss ideas to reduce the number of stranded marine turtles.
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Land Quality Issues
In this unit of lessons, students examine land quality issues. They discover food chains and practice reading them. They also examine the erosion of soil and how it affects the environment.
Learning to Give
Start Cleaning the Air
Advocate for the environment! With the short story included, learners are prompted to think about radon (the odorless and colorless gas) and possible ways to get donations or raise money to purchase detection equipment. The plan spans...
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To Light or Not to Light
Learners examine the role of light and dark in a living environment. In this photosynthesis lesson, students hypothesize about the best environment for plant growth, record observations using plant seeds in various light and dark...
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Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students examine the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this living environment lesson, students view dinosaur video clips and define the word "extinction." Students visit the "Zoom Dinosaur" website to investigate various...
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Frog Habitats
Students are placed in pairs and given a type of frog to research on the computer. They research its habitat for 30 minutes on the computer and then make a 3-D habitat/model of their individual frogs living environment with their...
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Thinking Like a Scientist
Pupils examine what it is like to be a scientist. In this living environment lesson students complete a group lab activity and answer questions.
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Unique Ecosystems
Fourth graders explain how in any particular environment, some kinds of
plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. They research the ecosystem of which each animal or plant is natively a part.
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Biomes of the World (and Canada)
Students explore environments by analyzing food chains. In this biome identification instructional activity, students define a list of environmental vocabulary terms such as tundra, rain-forest and desert. Students create a fictional...
Michigan Sea Grant
Wetlands
Wetlands may not sound particularly ornate, but they are as important as any habitat! With a hands-on activity, young scientists build a wetland model and observe its many functions in action. They discover the importance of wetlands to...
Michigan Sea Grant
Fish Identification
Using a dichotomous key, pupils identify characteristics of fish who live in the Great Lakes and explain how these features help them survive. In small groups, class members discover what features scientists consider important and...
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Ocean Habitats
Students examine the water samples from a demonstration and discuss the difference between fresh and salt water. They draw different animals that live near or in the ocean and how humans can harm the ocean habitat. They draw pictures of...
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Squirrel Islands
In this adaptations worksheet, students read about 3 species that have changed over time to adapt to their environment. Students design a squirrel that has adapted to an island habitat that students are assigned. They describe the...
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T's Alive! Or Is It?
Students explore data on the bone, muscle, and skin of living systems and then create a list of characteristics of these systems and relate these characteristics to bone, muscle, and skin.
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Plants Alive! How Plants Grow and Move
Students explore how plants move in response to the environment. In this plant lesson, students engage in three different experiments to investigate how plants grow and move. Resources available in English and French.
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Global Resources: What Will You Do with Your Power?
Young scholars examine the human impact on natural resources. They read and discuss an article, evaluate nations regarding their environmental problem-solving, develop a presidential speech on the environment, and conduct a natural...
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Dirty Decomposers
Students explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Students utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
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Can Worms See?
Second graders discuss the previously created worm compost and the importance of living creatures to the Environment. In this worm instructional activity, 2nd graders observe worms and record their sensitivity to light. Students...
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Into the Bat Cave
Students explore the lives of bats. In this bat lesson plan, students participate in up 6 activities that focus on bats and build their background knowledge about the nocturnal mammals.
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Using Abiotic and Biotic Parameters to Monitor Air Quality
Students identify the abiotic factors that influence a river or stream and the organisms that live in it. They measure several abiotic and biotic parameters to gauge water quality. Students examine the biotic environment by identifying...
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Layers of the Forest
Students explore rain forests. In this rain forest ecosystems lesson plan, students identify and describe the layers of the rain forest. Students paint and decorate a large rain forest mural. Students write riddles about animals...
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Toxicology and Living Systems
High schoolers investigate how toxic chemicals affect biological systems. They determine the toxic dose of a chemical that inhibits seed germination in a Brassica rapa. They investigate the effect of environmental tobacco smoke on human...
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Throwing It All Away?
Students read a New York Times article as part of their investigation as to what happens when an item is thrown away or recycled. They analyze the relationship between a product's ingredients and its effect on the Earth and healthful...