Curated OER
Change or Adaptation
Students identify the adaptive forces in the life cycle of plants, animals, and humans, isolate and identify the role that change and adaptation play in extreme environments and research and write a short term paper using MLA citations.
Curated OER
Creepers and Climbers
Students compare vines. In this vines lesson, students analyze the adaptations common in vines. Students determine if the vine grows using tendrils, modified roots, or twining stems. Students explore a forest area to flag different vines...
Curated OER
Life Systems - Plant Growth
3rd graders will participate in a variety of tasks which help them to understand the basic concepts of plant growth. Research and reporting skills are developed as they gather information from various sources related to the use of plants...
Curated OER
Tic Tac Plant Parts
This plant biology PowerPoint introduces plant parts and their functions. This PowerPoint allows students to identify each plant part on a diagram, along with its' function. The slides contain a clear explanation of how each plant part...
Curated OER
Plant Pollination
Students investigate methods of pollination for various flowers. In this plant biology lesson, students learn the parts of a flower and form a hypothesis about the method of pollination for the flower. They determine the validity of...
Pace University
Grade 6-8 Living Things
What characterizes a living thing? Scholars explore the concept during a differentiated instruction unit on living things. They perform lab experiments to determine how animals adapt to stimuli, watch videos and learn about...
NOAA
Watch the Screen!
Can a sponge cure cancer? Life science pupils visit the drugstore under the sea in the fifth lesson of six. Working groups research the topic then get hands-on experience by testing the inhibiting effects of several plant extracts on E....
Curated OER
WET Science Lesson #3: Comparison of Aquatic and Terrestrial Plants
Elementary life science explorers compare and contrast aquatic and terrestrial plants (elodea and soybeans) in a Venn diagram. Some background information is provided to support direct instruction, and general instructions are provided...
Curated OER
Growing Up (And Around, and Down...) Exploring Plant Growth
Students build plant growing structures. In this plant growth lesson, students plant growth structures such as a garden tepee or a crawl through tunnel. They grow plants that are appropriate for the structure.
Curated OER
Physiological Adaptations
High schoolers investigate the concepts of genetics and how it is tied to the variations found within different species and how it is tied to adaptations. They review the theory of evolution and factors found to help create variation....
Curated OER
WET Science Lesson #11: How Light Affects Water
Scientists listen to the story of Wadja Egnankou who works to save African mangrove forests. They experiment with refraction and the introduction of particulate matter to water. They conclude with creative writing about the need for a...
Curated OER
Plant Adaptations
Students identify parts of prairie plants. They sketch the plants indicating its adaptive parts and write brief descriptions of them. They present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Invent a Plant
Students investigate plant adaptations. In this plant adaptations lesson, students create a model of a plant. Students are given action cards detailing specific environmental situations. Students design their plant to adapt to the...
Curated OER
Artificial Selection
The second lesson in the series begins with a starter activity discussing wild versus domesticated animals. Then, scholars play a card game, with optional variations, to emphasize artificial selection. Next, they attend a field trip to a...
Curated OER
Photosynthesis
We all know photosynthesis happens, but why should we care? Here is a unit that covers everything young scholars need to know about photosynthesis. Hands-on activities, assessments, and lectures guide pupils though the physiology of a...
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...
Curated OER
Leaves: All-Natural Solar Collectors
Take a good look at tree leaves and notice the adaptations for collecting solar energy. Pupils trace the margins of five different leaves onto graph paper and count the number of squares covered. They then relate this infomation to the...
University of Wisconsin
Bimodel Botany Bouquet
Gardeners are given an individual plant specimen from a bouquet of local rain garden plants. They group up by their plant type and then make observations together, name the plant, and introduce it to the rest of the class. You then share...
Curated OER
Sorting Things Out
Written to examine seeds that grow in Kansas, you can adapt this instructional activity to anywhere you live. Learners sort a mixture of five different seeds to by any characteristic of their choice. When your budding scientists are...
Curated OER
Skulls Tell It All
Skulls tell it all, and with this lesson plan, you will tell it all to your class! Youngsters view animal skulls, analyzing the shape of teeth and the placement of the eye sockets. They associate these adaptations with the types of food...
Kenan Fellows
Designing a Water Treatment Plant
How does dirty water get clean enough to drink? After viewing a PowerPoint that outlines the process water goes through at a water treatment plant, groups work together to design a chlorination chamber for a treatment plant.
Curated OER
Design a Plankton
Learners explore animal and plant adaptation. For this ecosystems science lesson, students view websites to gain information about plankton and its interdependence within ecosystems. Learners identify ways in which plankton has adapted...
Curated OER
Plant Structure and Growth
This plant structure and function PowerPoint addresses the main organs and the factors that affect its development as well as going into detail about the specializations at a cellular level. The cell functions and system adaptations...
Curated OER
Plant Growth - Light and Shade
Third graders conduct an experiment comparing plants. For this plant lesson, 3rd graders plant seeds and grow two varieties of plant comparing the light needed for it to grow. Students make predictions and record their observations....