Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Raindrops Keep Burning On My head

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the effects and causes of acid rain. They test pH of household items to familiarize themselves with pH scale and compare that information with acid rain solutions. They investigate impact of acid rain via internet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Change-Boon or Bust for Northern Waters?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore about and evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on northern hydrological systems. They work in small groups, research the background to climate change in the north with a particular focus on lakes and rivers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Are the Dinosaurs

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the concept of extinction. In this dinosaur lesson, students view a video and have a class discussion about the extinction of dinosaurs. They create a dinosaur egg and imagine what life would be like for a dinosaur.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wacky Water Critters

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Learners visit a local creek or stream. They collect water samples from the creek and observe and sort the "water critters" they find in the sample, observing smaller organisms under a microscope if necessary. They identify each organism...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in the Kelp Forest

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research and create a marine food web to learn about plants and animals in a kelp forest. In this marine food web lesson, students draw lines between kelp forest predators and prey and show the flow of energy in the food web....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Food Web Activity

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students gain knowledge of food webs and ecological interconnections in the forest, and place different life forms in their proper place in a food chain. Students appreciate the balance of nature and how humans are affected by extinct...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mold

For Teachers K - 12th
Students explore mold, the different types and the health risks that they pose.  In this mycelium lesson students grow different molds and see which type of foods mold the fastest. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Beach

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Young scholars explore the beach. In this marine habitat lesson, students inspect sand grains, design beach profiles, classify marine life, and examine natural beach habitats. Young scholars use spreadsheets to record data from their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Invasive Species

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Pupils study exotic and native species, and examine how exotic species can impact native ones. They study how the mute swan effects native species.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Estuaries, Estuarine Habitats, and Adaptations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils conduct research on estuaries. They design and construct an estuary, describe the physical characteristics of an estuary, and create a diagram illustrating an estuarine food web.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Classification

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars classify animals. In this animal classification lesson, students identify characteristics from each of the 5 categories of vertebrates. Young scholars group animals by categories.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Lives In The Water

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the environment of a stream or lake to collect and observe macroinvertebrates in their natural environment. They record data and summarize the information obtained. Students look to see if there has been any...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Australian Ecology and Bushfires

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discuss the different types of ecosystem. In this earth science instructional activity, 8th graders explain the benefits and harm of fire. They research articles about bush fires or controlled burn instance and share it...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life In Extreme Environments

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students work together to design and participate in experiments to determine the rate rotifers eat. After completing their experiments, they record and analyze their data and identify any challenges faced during the procedure. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Temperature and Brine Shrimp Eggs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine the optimal temperature at which brine shrimp eggs hatch and develop. They evaluate the changes, if any, which occur in a brine shrimp culture at various temperatures.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Relating Number of Insect Species to Water Quality

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are asked to respond to questions such as:" Have there been surveys of the area to inventory the species?" (For example, for a wetland area, do they know what amphibians live there and how abundant they are?) Are there any...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Urban Impact on Chollas Creek (California): A Field Study

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students, in groups, take samples from a creek and keep a field journal on their samples. They also perform tests on their samples.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mussel Movements

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners consider the impact of invasive species on local environments. In this ecology instructional activity, watch the video, Arizona Wildlife Views, which focuses on invasive species. Students develop vocabulary, relate to meaningful...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the relationship between the environment and those that have to live in it. They discover that we are responsible for our environment and understand the consequences of its neglect.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Amphipods

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify organisms that live at the bottom of the body of water. In this biology lesson, students evaluate the effects of pollution to amphipods population. They examine collected data and create a bar graph comparing them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Bug

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students design an ideally adapted macroinvertebrate to live in a water habitat. They illustrate their animal, name it and specify the adaptations it has that enable it to survive.
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Microorganisms in Pond Water

For Teachers 8th - 12th
That is living in the water? Groups of two to three view pond water with microscopes in order to find microorganisms. They draw pictures of the ones they find in their slides.  The groups compare their drawings to pictures of common...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Acid Rain and Aquatic Life

For Students 2nd - 5th
Chemicals from the Earth's atmosphere are making their way down to the planet. Not in spaceships, but in rain. The acid rain can infiltrate ground water, lakes, and streams. How does acid rain affect aquatic ecosystems?
Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Ecosystems: Aquatic Ecosystems

For Students 3rd - 5th
A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of aquatic ecosystems. It discusses the difference between freshwater and saltwater ecosystems, then explains what the three ecozones are in a marine ecosystem.