Curated OER
Up From the Ground
First graders sequence the development of a plant. For this plant life lesson, 1st graders listen to a story about how a plant grows, students view a PowerPoint presentation and learn new vocabulary. Finally, students sequence the stages...
Curated OER
Ziploc Gardening
Students analyze plant life cycles. They observe and record, reflect, investigate and have hands-on experiences. Each student grows one to three plants from various beans that are placed in a bag.  As the plants grow, students will...
Curated OER
Adopt A Tree
Students list characteristics that make some plants "trees," identify parts of the tree and their basic functions, describe how trees grow, and recognize products we get from trees and the environmental importance of trees.
Curated OER
Carrot Seed Lesson Plan
Students create a seed museum.  In this early childhood lesson plan, students identify various seeds and the plants the seeds will grow into.  Students write a description of the plant, illustrate the plant and create a seed museum in...
Curated OER
Sustainable Agriculture
Students perform an experiment to find out if plants grow best when grown in soil with no fertilizer, with chemical fertilizers, or with compost that they have made themselves. Students discover how agriculture practices can benefit the...
Curated OER
From Seed to Plant
First graders listen to the book, FROM SEED TO PLANT by Gail Gibbons and identify the process by which a seed becomes a plant. They  discover the names of the parts of a plant as well as what is needed for it to grow. They wrap up the...
Curated OER
Organisms – Their Needs
Students compare and contrast different organisms characteristics. In this life science lesson, students design an experiment about plants and animals needs. They collect data and write their conclusion about the experiment.
Curated OER
Plants -- What Are Their Parts and Functions?
Students identify the parts of a flowering plant and their functions. They describe its life cycle as well. They compare the parts of the plant to the roles that are needed in a democracy.
Curated OER
Science: How Tall Are Plants
First graders investigate plant growth and examine what factors contribute to plant growth. They keep a class chart of plant growth and write about and illustrate their conclusions.
Curated OER
Ready, Set, Grow
Create a class butterfly garden, then write journal entries with illustrations of the garden.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
Students create terrariums in containers in order to study the Water Cycle. They examine how the terrarium maintains life in the closed environment.
Curated OER
Science: A Tree for All Seasons
Students observe trees in their schoolyard and record the seasonal changes by drawing pictures. In this ongoing lesson, they discover the names of the seasons and place green paper leaves on a paper tree in the classroom, which are also...
Curated OER
SAV Plants of the St. Mary¿¿¿s River Ecosystem
Students examine the importance of submerged aquatic vegetation in the St. Mary River ecosystem. They identify different characteristics of common eelgrass and discuss water quality, photosynthesis, habitat, oxygen production.
Curated OER
Case of the Missing Pumpkin
Scientists define and discuss decomposition, and watch pumpkins decompose and return to soil in classroom experiment. They record the date the experiment began, chart changes in pumpkins on a calendar, count how many days it takes...
Curated OER
All About Seeds!
How do fruits relate to flowers and seeds? Identify the seeds and their purpose with a coloring activity for kindergartners. Once they color the seeds of apples, bananas, and peas (among others), kids get hands-on experience with bean...
Curated OER
Whose Home Is This?
After reading a short and informative paragraph on animals and their environments, learners look at pictures of four animals, and write a short description of how each one has adapted to its environment. A suggested activity is that each...
American Museum of Natural History
What Do You Know About Virtual Water?
Did you know you can conserve water by drinking tea instead of coffee? Learn about other products that use larger amounts of virtual water in an online lesson. Pupils complete a series of questions to test their understanding of the...
Curated OER
Our Earth
In this Earth's environment worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle given 35 clues about a variety of topics related to our Earth. Topics include ecosystems, precipitation, biomes, energy transfer, soil, weathering and rocks.
Curated OER
Pumpkins
Observe the differences between the inside and outside of a pumpkin. Learners discuss what pumpkins are used for and then view a pumpkin. Next, they view the inside of the pumpkin and draw the differences they see.
The New York Times
Trouble in the Hive: Researching the Decimation of Honeybee Colonies
Teach your class about colony collapse disorder and foster discussion about causes and solutions for the honeybee problem. Class members read and discuss an article and participate in one of two detailed activities about pollination and...
Curated OER
Pocket Full of Posies: Ceramics
After studying the plant or flower life cycle, have the class create a basket of flowers out of clay. They hone their ceramics skills while they push, pull, then paint clay to look like flowers they've seen in nature. There are several...
Curated OER
Glacier Bay - The Kelp Forest
Few people get to visit Alaska's Glacier Bay, and fewer yet go underwater to explore its kelp forest. Through this presentation, viewers get to do just that! In the process, they learn about the simple structure of kelp and the diverse...
Curated OER
Praire Biome Models
Fifth graders, in groups, list the physical characteristics of a biome and think of ways in which animals might have to adapt to live there and make a biome mobile ball that show the different types of habitats that shape the praire biome.