Quiz your kids on how various plants get their seeds dispersed and ready to bloom. They will answer either wind, animal, water, or explosion as a mode of dispersal for the seeds of eight different plants. Tip: Customize this presentation...

Pupils become plants in an interpretive play that depicts what happens throughout the seasons in a rain garden. As you narrate, students bloom, flower, and go to seed accordingly. The lesson is first in a series of lessons written for...

What are those horns for anyway? Little ones discuss the shape, texture, and purpose of horns found on animals such as the deer and antelope. They then pair up and make their own set of antelope horns to wear while visiting a local...

When little ones make things out of clay they're not just exercising their creativity, they are following directions, developing fine motor skills, and building a sense of pride in their work. First graders use the pinch-and-score...

Take your enthusiastic ecologists outdoors to explore the biodiversity right in their own schoolyard! In preparing for this activity, it may be worthwhile to research websites with local flora to help in the plant identification...

If you are looking for a instructional activity about invasive species to ocean habitats, you have arrived! Introduce the concept to learners and have them read an article about marine invasive species. Vocabulary, relevant web...

Have fun completing Earth Day related activities while learning about simple ways to preserve the Earth. Implement some of the ideas for going green as a class, like cleaning up a local park or planting a tree at school.

The world would be a much different place without the help of pollinators. Read about the important role bats, hummingbirds, and various insects play in plant reproduction, exploring the interdependence of living things in an ecosystem....

You are never too young to learn about maps. To better understand the concept of a homeland, young scholars work together to construct a map of their local area out of paper puzzle pieces. They'll put the maps together and then add...

Hydrology hopefuls learn about their local watershed. Through discussion and online interactives, they see that their habits affect the water supply. The lesson concludes with a pledge to filter out bad water usage habits. It makes a...

Written for Washington state students in life science, this lesson provides an opportunity to examine the residents of local freshwater habitats. You or the class collects a water sample, and learners try to examine what organisms live...

Second in a pair of activities, young ecologists continue to examine the food pyramid of a freshwater ecosystem. They take a look at the food pyramid drawn in Activity A and consider what would happen if a reservoir was created on the...

Three days of erosion exploration await your elementary geologists. Learners begin by examining rivers via Google Earth, then they model water flow in sand, and finally, they identify resulting landforms. This lesson is written...

You have just been informed you are moving, but you have the choice of three locations. Where do you go? This is the question class members answer in a map skills project. Learners examine three locations using maps, gather...

Students investigate many of the factors that affect water quality. They take measurements and water samples at a local stream and evaluate the health of their community's watershed. They write a report detailing their findings.

Young scholars use the internet to research the history of their local area through the use of barns. In groups, they discuss the importance of the barns in their community and develop an interpretation of the history of various barns to...

There are an average of three human fatalities by bears in North America every year, which is low when you compare it to the 26 killed by dogs and the 90 killed by lightning annually. The lesson encourages researching human-bear...

What's the best way to learn how watersheds work? Build one! Combining engineering, the water cycle, and ecology concerns, the activity is the perfect fit for an interdisciplinary unit. Teams construct a model watershed with simple...

Municipal government takes on many roles, not just the ones we are used to hearing about such as Parks and Recreation. Scholars delve into the topic to get a grasp on how the government system functions. They participate in readings,...

Students conduct a visual survey to discover information about local land use and water quality; document their findings by mapping and profiling the water body; and use this initial investigation to raise questions about local land use.

Learners investigate the use of zip code/city searches to locate local weather forecasts. They design icons to be used on a classroom forecast poster.

Students identify insect body parts and look for local insect life. They create an insect using recycled material and design a classroom mural with bug facts. They study Monarch butterflies and dragonflies.

Learners explore the notion of local evolution, or genetic selectivity among different continent-based human populations. They consider specific examples of local evolution, such as lactose tolerance, skin color, and cognitive capacity,...

Through the use of digital cameras, this lesson shows students how to document how water is used in their local communities and explore how those uses impact the local environment.