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Prairie Scales and Prairie Smoothies
Sixth graders explore the animals that live on the prairie and identify differences between amphibians and reptiles and the adaptations each have made to live on the prairie.
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Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students view videos and websites and create finger puppets and hatchable eggs. In this dinosaur lesson, students view video clips and a website to introduce the dinosaurs. They do a finger puppet play and create hatchable dinosaur eggs.
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Dissecting Owl Pellets
Students dissect owl pellets. In this dissecting owl pellets lesson, students discuss birds of prey and make predictions about what they may find during the investigation. Students tease out skull and bones and try to make a complete...
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Scales, Scutes, and Skins
Students identify the various adaptations of reptiles and amphibians. After distinguishing between reptiles and amphibians, students discuss the ways in which their adaptations aid in their survival. They participate in a hands on...
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Mimics Survive -- Camouflaged Reptiles
Students examine mimicry as a survival strategy in repiles. They examine examples of the Mexican milksnake and the coralsnake in attempt to distinguish the differences in them. They discuss other species that use mimicry.
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Predator Prey Population Links
Fifth graders relate population of animals to its available food supply. They participate in an experiment and gather information. They use the data to draw conclusions.
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Ambush Warriors
Students identify four different categories of reptiles and explain how snakes deliver their venom to their prey.
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Focus on Food Chains
Third graders collect and analyze data about food chains. They conduct Internet research about the habitat of a selected organism, write a narrative, and create a computer slideshow using Kid Pix computer software that illustrates the...
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Bat Ecology
Students, through hands on games and activities, discover how bats live and how bats benefit ecosystems. They play a game designed to show them how echolocation works and another to show how mother bats locate their young through their...
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Bats and Boas Abound
Students investigate Puerto Rican boa constrictors and bats. In this animal science lesson, students read an article about the bats and snakes found in Puerto Rico. Students use various art supplies to create a diorama of the habitat of...
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What Is Happening To My Species?
Students select and research an animal that lives in the rainforest of Manu, Peru. They watch and discuss a video, create masks and costumes to role-play various rainforest animals, conduct research, and write a short story of their...
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Wildlife Habitat
Students explain what a habitat is and describe its four elements. They see how an area's habitat suitability varies with different species of wildlife. They name factors that affect habitat suitability.
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Night Hike
Young scholars explore Upham Woods at night and investigate about the special adaptations of nocturnal animals. They identify three nocturnal animals and how they are adapted to the night. Students explain what night vision is and how it...
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Quiz: African Animals
In this science worksheet, 3rd graders will respond to questions pertaining to African animals. Students will answer ten questions consisting of true/false, and multiple choice.
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Critter Encounter Chart
Students record data found at an assigned web site. In this data collection instructional activity, students access an assigned web site in order to complete a data chart about animals they see. They travel to different sections of the...
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Biodiversity in Illinois-Pond Habitats
Second graders construct a pond habitat in the classroom using a small swimming pool partially filled with water, real cattails, a tree log adjoining, and plastic animal life appropriate to a pond setting. They examine the frog in detail...
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Venom!
Students examine the nature of venom. They conduct an experiment to demonstrate how proteins such as venoms can be denatured using raw eggs, beakers, heated water, and compresses.