Curated OER
Pesticide Watch Card
Students examine human health by identifying dangerous pesticides. In this agriculture lesson, students research the food production system in the United States and discuss dangers such as pesticides, chemicals and insecticides which...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Farmland: GMOs and Organic Agriculture
Learn more about genetic modification, organic farming, and the role of biotechnology in agriculture by watching a documentary that shows how newly gained knowledge can be applied to specific situations involving farmers and the choices...
Captain Planet Foundation
Energy Flow in the Garden
How can you tell what an owl has eaten? Study the food chain and flow of energy in an ecosystem by dissecting an owl pellet and noting the bones found inside. Additionally, the instructional activity includes a game about consumers and...
Smithsonian Institution
Strength in Solidarity: Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Campaign for Fair Food
Not all food is created equal. The lesson plan dives into the world of migrant farm workers to show their struggles to earn livable wages and better working conditions. Academics learn why the Coalition of Immokalee Workers was created...
Curated OER
Food Webs
Sixth graders discuss and describe consumers and producers. They discuss and describe predator-prey relationship. Students review food chains. They form a circle, and each student is given an ecosystem card. Student at the top is given...
Curated OER
Genetically Modified Food (GMF)
Explore genetically modified foods through various experiments. In this biology instructional activity, students discuss the safety issues related to GMF's. They conduct a PCR analysis to identify the presence of genetic modification.
Curated OER
The Digestive Dance
Students read food labels to compare healthy verses non healthy food and then use diagrams to create a poster of the digestive system. In this food lesson plan, students move the food down the digestive track along the digestive system.
National Park Service
Living & Non-Living Interactions
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in learning about the...
Channel Islands Film
Human Impact on the Food Web of Santa Cruz Island
What happens when a non-native species is introduced onto an island? Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Island chain located off the coast of southern California, provides the perfect laboratory for young environmental scientists to...
Curated OER
Who Works for Nonprofit Organizations? (6-8)
Students explore career opportunities in the nonprofit sector. In this career exploration instructional activity, students listen to guest speakers who work for nonprofit organizations explain their jobs. Students also examine the role...
Curated OER
Food Chain/Food Web
Students explore ecosystems. In this ecology lesson plan, students read an article explaining ecosystems. Students create a visual organizer with index cards using components of various ecosystems.
Curated OER
Food Chains & Food Webs
Tenth graders examine how energy is lost through different trophic levels. In this trophism lesson students construct a food web and view a video.
Curated OER
Owls: Top of a Food Chain
Although written for middle schoolers, there is no reason that a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader could not also learn about food chains through the dissection of owl pellets. After you introduce the topic, learners complete an owl research...
Curated OER
WHAT'S ORGANIC?
Learners explore how certain foods come to be certified "organic." They write the words "organic" and "synthetic" and given the definitions of each. Students are given dictionaries. They are asked: "What is organic food?" Learners grow...
Curated OER
Can You Count on Cans?
How can a canned food drive be connected to math? It's as simple as counting and organizing the cans! Children demonstrate their ability to sort non-perishable foods into categories that include soup cans, vegetable cans, boxed items,...
Curated OER
Breaking the Food Chain
Students investigate the food chain. They brainstorm questions about the human food chain and explain what would happen to living things in the food chain if organisms or resources were removed. They role-play situations in which the...
Curated OER
Food Web
Students are able to define food web, and identify the interdependence of organisms within a system. They are able to describe how natural events and human activities can impact a food web.
Curated OER
Dissolved Oxygen Introduction
Students are shown how dissolved oxygen enters the water. They are taught the difference between a water sample that has been exposed to the air and one that has not. Students brainstorm what organisms need to survive. They use dissolved...
Captain Planet Foundation
Sorting Out Soils
Sift through soil and learn about why it's important for organic processes. After discussing what makes up soil, such as the living organisms and what types of soil have more nutrients, kids sample layers of mulch and deeper soil to...
Curated OER
Using Details from the Text
Explore non-fiction comprehension strategies with your class. They will visualize daily activities and label a 4 circle Venn diagram with related phrases. They must identify the overlapping sections as "main ideas," then complete a...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Understanding the Food Web
Building on prior knowledge of the pervious lesson in the series, pupils explain the previous lesson to each other. Then they write a simple guide for a young child to read on the same topic.
Curated OER
Forest Food Chains and Webs
Students explore forest ecological systems. In this ecology lesson, students classify forest plants and animals according to their ecological roles. Students play a related vocabulary guessing game. Students choose a card on which a...
Curated OER
Classify the Microbes
Students classify microorganisms into categories based on their characteristics. Pupils use a taxonomic key to identify organisms. They classify certain bacteria, protists, and viruses using a classification or taxonmic key.
Curated OER
Soil, the Forgotten Resource
Students discuss soil understanding that is is often overlooked as a natural resource. In this science lesson plan, students recognize that we depend on it for energy in the form of foods. Students experiment with six boxes of soil to...