Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Now You See It, Now You Don't

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore organic and inorganic objects. In this environmental instructional activity students perform a composting experiment using flowers in different soils. Students record their observations.
Worksheet
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Nutrition and Energy Flow

For Students 4th - 8th
In this energy flow worksheet, students will complete 10 short answer questions based on a food web diagram. Then students will review different cycles in nature including the water cycle, carbon cycle, and energy cycle. This worksheet...
Lesson Plan
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Bugs in the Woods

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders identify insects and plants in the forest ecosystem in a structured field trip with stations and activity booklets.  In this bugs lesson, 2nd graders explore the ecosystem of the forest, complete the booklet and play...
Lesson Plan
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Flower Power

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students investigate and explain the basic needs and life processes of plants. Key concepts include: living things change as they grow and need food, water, and air to survive. The reverse of the Kansas quarter serves as inspiration.
Lesson Plan
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Helping plants grow well

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore the effect of water, temperature and light on plant growth. Students are asked if they remember the LAW for plants. This is Light, Air(temperature) and Water, which all plants need for growth. Students are divided...
Lesson Plan
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Beaver Ecology

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Learners explore the lives of bgeahvers. They identify the physical and behavioral adaptations that help beavers survive in their environment. Students compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic...
Lesson Plan
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From Seed to Apple

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students identify the stages of apple growth. For this agricultural lesson, students read the story I Am Apple and sing the song "Round the Apple Tree." Students place pictures of the stages of an apple into the correct order. Students...
Lesson Plan
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From Corn To Tortillas

For Teachers K
Students investigate the food known as the tortilla. They research the growth cycle of the corn plant and how tortillas are made from it. The importance of the tortilla according to the Hispanic culture is explained to the students. The...
Lesson Plan
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Pond Safari

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students investigate organisms and animals by examining a nearby pond. In this ecosystem lesson, students participate in a field trip to a local pond where they utilize a net to gather animals, plants and pollution items, Students...
Interactive
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Mystery Caterpillar Challenge and IPM or Organic Gardening Practices

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this caterpillar worksheet, students look at the picture of the caterpillar and identify what kind it is. Students then decide how to take care of it.
Lesson Plan
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Halloween Literature Unit: Pumpkin Patch Unit Project

For Teachers K - 1st
Students simulate an agriculture project. For this sequencing lesson, students observe their classroom pumpkin patch, make journal entries, and predict how the pumpkins will grow. They discuss as a class how to keep their pumpkins safe...
Lesson Plan
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Compost Columns

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this unit of lessons, students examine the role of compost columns and recycling. They create a KWL chart about garbage in Chicago. They also examine life cycles and packaging of everyday products.
Lesson Plan
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Prairie Math

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students work together to build models of prairie plants. Using the model, they estimate the height and then measure them using metric and standard units. They write a fraction to represent their part of the whole set and compare and...
Interactive
Curated OER

The Cell - Internet Activity

For Students 5th - 10th
In this cells activity, students click on the links to learn about the plant and animal cells complete a comparison chart and answer short answer questions about it. Students complete 10 questions total.
Lesson Plan
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Window Gardens

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use a plastic sandwich bag containing a damp paper towel taped to a window as a model system to observe the germination and early growth of radish seeds. They are challenged to pose a question about seed germination and growth...
Lesson Plan
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The Miracle Fish: Learning to Design an Experiment

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students develop procedures to explore the behavior of fish.  In this scientific experiment instructional activity students from a hypothesis, write a question, identify different variables and controls in their experiment. 
Worksheet
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Fungus Among Us- Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension Worksheet

For Students 5th - 6th
In this fungus non-fiction reading comprehension worksheet, students read a 3 page selection that describes the characteristics and life of fungi. They answer 10 questions based on the reading which include true or false, multiple...
Worksheet
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Milkweed and Monarch Butterfly puzzle

For Students 4th - 8th
In this milkweed and monarch butterfly worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle about milkweed and monarch butterflies. Students complete 15 blanks in the puzzle.
Lesson Plan
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Ecosystem Food Web Mural

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners create a food web mural about an ecosystem of the freshwater marsh. For this food web lesson plan, students write about the organisms and how each one depends on another.
Lesson Plan
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Mushroom Prints

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students create a mushroom spore design on paper while studying the facts on fungi.
Lesson Plan
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Habitats

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students participate in an online lesson to determine that different plants and animals are found in different habitats. They use food chains to show feeding relationships in a habitat, and see that nearly all food chains start with a...
Interactive
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Ecology Vocabulary

For Students 5th - 8th
In this ecology worksheet, students read the vocabulary words and then categorize a species found in a field, meadow, or fencerow in their state or region. Students complete 6 problems.
Worksheet
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Milkweed and Monarch Butterfly Puzzle

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this milkweed bug and monarch butterfly worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle dealing with milkweed bugs and monarch butterflies. Students answer 15 questions in the puzzle.
Lesson Plan
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Illnois River and Lake Mussel Habitat Diorama Activity

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students identify the environmental elements of river and lake mussels. They compare the elements to the time before settlement and during industrialization. They also participate in a field trip to a mussel exhibit.