Eighth graders study how all living things die. They are introduced tot he life cycle and the concept of an ecosystem. Students have a introductory exposure to trophic levels (producer-consumer-decomposer) in the environment.

Students engage in a instructional activity of investigating the amount of water that is transpired in a one day cycle. They conduct research to find the purpose of transpiration and find information to explain the value to a plant and...

In this activity, the students will learn what a terrarium is, the layers of a terrarium, and the function of these layers. They will see how these components work together to create an ecosystem. This lesson plan was created as a result...

A collection of planting activities, including how to make a terrarium and how to grow potatoes.

The Chicago Field Museum provides a comprehensive soil education project covering topics such as soil structure and organisms living underground. Students can use the site for research or do the full-blown project, where they establish a...