Here is a well-designed lesson on biodiversity that should intrigue your charges. In it, pupils compare a natural desert area to a school field to see how habitat destruction affects species diversity. Groups set up transects and collect...

Students compare and contrast fresh and salt water coastal environments. After describing how sea animals adapt to their habitats, they design a variety of sea creatures and explain how the adaptations aid in the animals' survival. ...

Young scholars investigate the growth and changes in plants. They view a video and discuss the changes in plants. They work in small groups to demonstrate vocabulary words to the class. They visit a green house and take pictures of...

When your class is examining the fishing industry or sustainable practices, you can use this brief activity to demonstrate the global impact our food choices have. Overharvesting, overfishing, and bycatch are important topics to address...

Did you know that tomtoes and cucumbers are actually fruits? Biology or botany beginners read about the function of flowers and fruit and find that some food items commonly called vegetables are, by definition, also fruits! Give learners...

Scientists monitor seasonal changes in plants to better understand their responses to climate change, in turn allowing them to make predictions regarding the future. The last activity in the series of six has scholars analyze BudBurst...

On September 26, 1991, four women and four men entered the scientific experiment, Biosphere 2; the doors were sealed for two years in order to study the interactions of a biosphere. In the activity, scholars explore biospheres by...

Lead your class in exploring their local communities as well as the general environment. As they determine continental distributions by investigating minerals, rocks, and fossils located in their local region, pupils construct...

What one person thinks is a pest may not be a pest to someone else. Here, scholars examine the characteristics of living things and pests through grand conversation and a variety of activities. Class members play a game of pest or not a...

Scholars read a brief overview of what a terrarium is and how it creates the greenhouse effect, then click on a link to discover the materials and 10 steps they need to build their own.

Students complete a research activity in a schoolyard or park to learn about plants. In this plant lesson, students learn the name of the one of more plants. Students describe or draw the plant, pointing our features that distinguish the...

Students explore trees and learn about their importance to the environment. In this tree study lesson plan, students work in groups to complete a tree survey, a map for the survey, and several worksheets about the tree topics. students...

Students investigate the lives of trees by examining ring cycles.  In this plant life lesson, students identify the field of study known as dendrochronology and discover its history.  Students investigate a simulated tree ring...

Seventh graders create a final project called Industry X (which was previously researched in the unit) has plans to build in town. There is a special town meeting scheduled to discuss this matter and allow everyone to express their...

Students examine the impact of pollution. In this pollution instructional activity, students watch Protecting Our Planet, then participate in a simulation of the effect of pollution on a variety of organisms.

Fourth graders investigate the ecosystem and how forests are disappearing.  In this environmental protection lesson, 4th graders analyze the changes in their school for 2 weeks.  Students practice identifying trees, birds, and...

In this earth's environment worksheet, young scholars use the 20 clues and their problem solving skills to correctly complete the crossword puzzle.

Emerging ecologists examine endangered species by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency website. They consider human contribution to the decline of different species. They research an endangered animal and then craft a poster...

We are very dependent upon other life forms around us to survive. Here, scholars explore relationships in the ecosystem with the help of Auntie Litter and the pollution patrol. They imagine a world without grass, making connections to...

Third graders research insects using the internet sites provided. They research the role of insects as pollinators for plants, and the impact they have on our ecosystem. They participate in various activities/centers utilizing the facts...

Which ones can be thrown on the ground? Discover the difference between natural litter and unhealthy trash, helping scholars by using several examples. Use the information here to give them a basic background, but also encourage prior...

Fourth graders explore the concept of food chains. In this food chain lesson plan, 4th graders discuss what different animals eat and how they are all connected. Students explore a garden and the environment around them to find examples...

Students study the characteristics of wetlands and watersheds. In this wetlands and watersheds instructional activity, students study the characteristics of wetlands. They investigate the plants and animals that live there and will tell...

Students describe how plants and animals depend on each other. They see how living and nonliving environments change over time. They identify ways in which humans have changed their environment and the effects of those changes.