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Contribution to the Beautification of Parma
First graders participate in beautification project in their local area. In this community service lesson, 1st graders plan and prepare a flower planting project for a low income area of their city. They practice arranging flowers in...
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Decomposers- Nurse Logs
Students investigate temperate forest ecosystems. In this environmental lesson, students discover different forms of decomposition and its effect on the environment.
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The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grades 8-9)
Learners use the scientific process to show that when various surfaces are exposed to similar environmental conditions, surface temperatures may vary. They examine the "urban heat island" phenomenon and analyze why it increases energy...
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Classroom Composting
Students discover the benefits of composting. They identify the steps of decomposition as well. They are read a book and discuss what items decompose.
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The Life Cycle of the Butterfly
Second graders study the life cycle of a butterfly by observing metamorphosis taking place in a butterfly pavilion. Students illustrate their understandings of the body parts of a caterpillar and butterfly, as well as the life cycle,...
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Managing Nutrients in Livestock Manure
Livestock managers reinforce math and science skills while learning about the nutrients found in manure. They predict which animal produces the largest amount and which animal's manure contains the most nitrogen. Finally, they compare...
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Introduction to Seeds
Young scholars investigate how to plant a seed. In this gardening instructional activity, students listen to the book I'm a Seed and research the materials needed to plant a seed. Young scholars present the information they found.
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Burs in Your Furs
Students explore the concept of animal welfare. In this wild animal habitats lesson, students discover the work of wild animals in sustaining their habitats as they participate in a classroom simulation. Students discuss how wildlife...
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Drawing Straight Lines
In this pre-printing practice worksheet, learners use straight lines to connect a set of dots, then color the resulting picture. Page has multiple links to additional resources.
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Nitrogen Fixation, OR What a Gas!
Learners illustrate the adaptation and co-evolution of organisms. They examine set up an experiment to determine the effect of adding the Rhizobium bacteria to a group of legume seeds.
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Martha Who?
Learners explore how the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and on abiotic factors, such as quantities of light and water, a range of temperatures, soil composition. They are...
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A GROWING MARKET
Middle schoolers reasearch and grow a plant and present findings. They are told that bedding plant is the name for young plants grown. Students choose one plant to research and they use their worksheet to create an information sheet...
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Xeriscaping In Your Community
Fourth graders participate in a service-learning project to design landscaping that maximizes water use and utilizes indigenous plant species.
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Dishing the Dirt Part 3
Learners collect and examine different soil samples. They test for specific types of soil elements and the pH level. They answer questions about optimum growing conditions as well.
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Learning From Leaves: Adaptation Scavenger Hunt
Students participate in an adaptation scavenger hunt at. They obtain various plant specimens, and sort the plants based on whether they came from a desert, tropical rainforest, or wetlands.
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Why Is An Apple Like A Suitcase?
Students examine a variety of fruit to discover that each has seeds. Through experimentation, they discover the role that fruit and seeds play in a plant's life cycle.
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Color Your World with Changes --- the Camouflage Game
Seventh graders, after predicting dominant colors foud in their habitat or garden, visit heir area on a monthly basis. They search for colored toothpicks, then graph the results, determining the dominant color for the month.
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Defining Culture
Second graders define the term culture and are exposed to a variety of cultures from around the world. They read books, play Native American games, develop a class book that examines their own culture and, after examining currencies from...
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Conservation Collage
Students identify many different ways the environment is polluted, and determine ways to prevent pollution. They create a collage of pictures describing how the earth becomes polluted.
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Growing With Compost
Students discuss the positives and negatives of composting. They plant their own plant using composting material and record results. They create a poster for the classroom.
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Let's Think About Air
Students explore the concept that air is all around us and identify ways that we can use air, and what air can do. They watch a short video that illustrates some of their findings.
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Bringing Illinois into the Curriculum
Students of all ages are introduced to the geography of Illinois. Depending on the grade level, they participate in different activities which allow them to discover Illinois in the past and present. They examine the animals and...
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Let's Think About... Change
Students observe various examples of "change." They mix paint to cereate new colors, eat bread and then toasted bread, and match baby pictures with pictures of how the same people look in the present. Finally, they watch a bouquet of...
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Observing Motion
First graders explore movement and motion. In this motion instructional activity, 1st graders how objects can move as well as how the Earth is in constant motion and the force of gravity. Students complete a coloring sheet.