Curated OER
Protecting Philippine Reefs
Students watch a slide show about the Philippine Reefs to explore the topic of fish populations. In this reef and fish population lesson, students watch a slide show about fish populations and how the Peace Corps works...
Curated OER
National Parks in Atlantic Canada
Tenth graders research and discuss factors that have an effect on the sustainability of national park ecosystems in Canada. They examine changes in thinking that have led to new park management practices.
Curated OER
The Living Environment
Young scholars explore the cycles of an ecosystem. In this environmental science lesson, students work in groups to research the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, or the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Young scholars prepare a...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
Sixth graders perform various labs, create presentations, and do hands on activities to explore the ecosystem.
Curated OER
Surveying an Environment / Ecosystem
Students visit a local ecosystem to survey the plants and animals present and identify interactions between organisms. They identify interactions that occur between living organisms and their ecosystem and present their ecosystem to the...
Curated OER
Depending On Each Other. Communities And Ecosystems
Seventh graders investigate how the ecosystems of the world has influence upon the immediate and nonimmediate environments. The interelationships of food webs is discussed. The class researches one type of ecosystem for a class project...
Curated OER
Native Species Restoration and its Impact on Local Populations
Students watch video clips of ecosystems and answer questions relating to them.
Curated OER
Making a Food Web and Learning About Ecosystems
Third graders examine the difference between a food web and food chain. They also examine the importance of the sun in a food web and food chain. Students understand what happens when you remove parts of the chain.
Curated OER
Ecosystems
Third graders identify and define an Ecosystem and the basic needs of all animals. They collect pond water in a pickle jar. They observe the organisms that are in the jar to keep an ongoing record of the creatures and their population.
Curated OER
How Many Bears in the Forest?
Third graders model the tag and recapture of bears and use proportions to estimate the population of the bears in their forest. This is a statistical sampling method used by scientists and naturalists to determine population numbers.
Curated OER
Bats in My Backyard
Students investigate the importance of bats in the ecosystem and develop an understanding of the effect that humans have on bat populations. They research bats by reading articles while focusing understanding scientific writing. They...
Curated OER
Biodiversity Activity
Young scholars are introduced to biodiversiy. They use a simulation of two forests, one planted with only Douglas Fir trees, and one with diverse species of trees. Students also use the simulation of two forests, one a monoculture of...
Wild BC
Is Climate Change Good for Us?
Is it really that big of a deal if the global climate undergoes a little change? Young environmentalists consider this very question as they discuss in small groups the impact of different climate change scenarios on their lives,...
Curated OER
Interactions of Living Things
Is it a producer, carnivore, omnivore, scavenger, or decomposer? Different relationships among organisms are explored here. It is a simple, multiple choice assignment. Use it as a quick warm-up or quiz.
Global Oneness Project
Reclaiming Rivers
Robert Hass's article "Rivers and Stories" underscores the importance of rivers in the development of civilization and the importance of reclaiming supposedly dead rivers and implementing policies that protect river health. Groups...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Leaf Litter Ecology Lab
Some organisms spend their entire lives in leaf litter. The third in a series of six is a great lesson exploring the community of leaf litter. Groups gather and then spread leaf litter over white paper and remove leaves/twigs while...
College Board
2011 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
Beetle population, climate change, and acidification are all real environmental threats. Scholars display their knowledge of these threats and offer solution strategies in a four-question assessment resource. Questions from the AP® exam...
National Wildlife Federation
Gator Hole Graphics
Climate changes are cyclic so how do these changes impact species that live in different habitats? Learners examine the rainfall levels in a specific swamp habitat. They also review graphical data and tell a story about how the...
Earth Day Network
The Neolithic Revolution
With the abundance of food products we can easily access in our society today, it is easy to forget the toll this can take on our global environment. Young learners will discover how the transition to agriculture and domesticated living...
Sea World
Arctic Animals
Discover the coldest animals in the world with a lesson about the Arctic habitat. Kids use a glossary and information sheet about animals found in the Arctic Circle to complete several activities, including tracking the lemming...
NOAA
Invertebrates
Crabs and lobsters ... yum! The 18th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on invertebrate marine life. After the lecture slideshow, learners conduct an activity to sample...
Rainforest Alliance
Trees and Carbon
You'll find everything but the kitchen sink here ... or just a carbon sink. In the activity, pairs or groups of middle school learners go outside and measure a tree's circumference and height to estimate its carbon storage potential and...
Teach Engineering
Bees: The Invaluable Master Pollinators
There is nothing in the world quite like a bee. Here is a video that explains the importance of bees to pollination. Scholars consider possible solutions to the declining population of bees in the ninth and final installment in the series.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Unit 4 Pre-Assessment
Pre-assessments are great to help teachers determine what information their classes lack, what misconceptions they have, and how in depth to teach specific concepts. The first in a five-part series is a pre-assessment of middle...