Curated OER
The Biological Carbon Cycle
Students learn about the biological carbon cycle. In this carbon cycle instructional activity, students access the web site and mouse over the diagrams to follow the carbon cycle. They read about what happens to humans and plants during...
Curated OER
Why Are Bees Important?
Students identify and analyze pollination and how bees play an important part in the life cycle of flowering plants. They also identify the process of plant pollination and how bees play an important part in the life cycle of flowering...
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Native Chili Planting
Students discover the process of planting chili. After comparing two types of seeds students plant and with the use of a digital camera, record the seed progress. When ready for transplant, students take young plants to a retirement...
Curated OER
Magical Metamorphosis
Learners explore the life cycle of the butterfly and the process of metamorphosis through the creation of painted life cycle habitat. They place each part of the cycle in the correct location through the use of a visual diagram.
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Change or Adaptation
Students identify the adaptive forces in the life cycle of plants, animals, and humans, isolate and identify the role that change and adaptation play in extreme environments and research and write a short term paper using MLA citations.
Curated OER
Beaver Ecology
Students investigate beaver adaptations, life cycle, and the effects of beaver behavior on ecosystems. They compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic ecosystems.
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Diurnal Cycling Experiments
Students carry out an experiment to monitor diurnal fluctuations in dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, pH, and water temperature. They determine the CO2 and pH of the samples (and optionally, dissolved oxygen). Students complete their...
Curated OER
And the Rains Came Down: A South American Rainforest
Students examine the characteristics of a South American tropical rainforest. They analyze maps, develop graphs, listen to the book, The Great Kapok Tree, and create a rainforest mural.
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Illnois River and Lake Mussel Habitat Diorama Activity
Students identify the environmental elements of river and lake mussels. They compare the elements to the time before settlement and during industrialization. They also participate in a field trip to a mussel exhibit.
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Plants and Animals of Great Bay Animals and Plants of the Estuary
Students participate in a webquest about the plants and animals that inhabit an estuary. They role play as environmentalists researching this habitat and present the results of their research in a creative way.
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Pond Exploration
Learners take a hands-on approach to explore the world beneath the water in this activity. They examine the creatures they catch to study about the adaptations these animals have that allow them to survive in this harsh environment. They...
California Academy of Science
Composting: A Scientific Investigation: California Academy of Sciences
Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...
Curated OER
Water's Edge Café
Students observe water birds feeding at a local wetland, record what they see, and construct an appropriate menu for a "Waterfowl Cafe." They also play a "flocking" game.
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This Is Tree-rific!
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.
Curated OER
Where the Red Fern Grows: A 4th Grade Literary Focus Unit
Fourth graders explore the human and animal connection along with the idea that death is a part of the life cycle. They read "Where the Red Fern Grows." Students examine the feelings and emotions surrounding death and they discover the...
Curated OER
School Forest
Sixth graders explore the concept of biodiversity. For this biodiversity lesson, 6th graders discover a variety of planets and animals that live in forests, and how a rotting log benefits that environment. Students also...
Desert Museum
Daisy Ecology
Here's a fine instructional activity that combines poetry with life sciences. Learners carefully listen to a poem that's all about a food chain. As the poem is read, learners name the producer, the herbivore, the carnivore, and the...
Curated OER
Exploring Forest Objects
Young scholars explore the forest. In this ecosystems lesson, students rotate through sensory activity centers, brainstorm, and read about temperate forests.
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Comparing Mitosis with Meiosis
Life science learners view an online animated mini textbook comparing two types of cell division. Working in groups, they use a digital microscope to capture images of cells in different stages of mitosis and meiosis. Then they create an...
Curated OER
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
With The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry as the hook learners discuss the rainforest, the animals that live there, and conservation efforts. Then, students write a letter to the man in the story asking him not to cut down the Kapok...
Curated OER
Making Weather-Tracking Tools
Students build tools to help track the weather. For this weather lesson, students follow directions to build a rain gauge, barometer and hair hygrometer.
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Observing Pods
Middle schoolers observe the pistil growing into a tiny string bean-like seed pod. They then observe the development of the fertilized pods between Day 17 and Day 35 and record their observations by drawing and labeling, writing, and...
Curated OER
Index of Organisms
In this biology worksheet, students fill in the description of a plant or animal. They write answers to 8 blanks and draw the organism's life cycle diagram.
Curated OER
Beetle Rearing
Students investigate plants and the effects beetles have on the plants. In small groups, they collect plants and observe the beetles as they interact with the plants. They record the conditions including temperature, cloudiness, length...