Curated OER
Central Park Field Trip
Students visit the park to observe signs of spring in the forest and pond environments. In this field trip lesson, students explore the park for various items
Curated OER
Independence and Conservation
Students read an original story "Brothers of the Rainforest" downloaded from the internet site provided. Students investigate the impact of the demise of a particular species on the rest of the environment. Students participate in a...
Curated OER
Water's Edge Café
Young scholars observe water birds feeding at a local wetland, record what they see, and construct an appropriate menu for a "Waterfowl Cafe." They also play a "flocking" game.
Curated OER
Agriculture and the Environment
Young scholars investigate the interdependence of agriculture and the environment. They research areas of interdependence and provide examples of situations where farmers are practicing conservation in the local area. Their findings are...
Curated OER
Everything Breathes!
Fifth graders test plants in the dark and in the light to see which grows better and produces more carbon dioxide. In this plants lesson plan, 5th graders also create ways for plants to go through photosynthesis that they can observe.
Curated OER
Cellular Respiration
Students are often confused by the huge amount of information and detail that can be learned about respiration. This is a great presentation summarizing the main 4 stages of cellular respiration. It is clear and uses diagrams and...
Curated OER
What Is Viscosity?
Students experiment with the visocosity of corn syrup, mineral oil, vegetable oil, water, and honey. They research viscosity before beginning. Pupils draw the conclusion that the marble sinks more slowly in the liquids with greater...
Curated OER
Take a Stab!
Your geology class practices taking core samples of a potato to examine the stratigraphy. This is a terrific modeling lesson that helps youngsters visualize strata that cannot be seen from the surface of the ground. The directions...
Polar Trec
Foraging for Fish in a Melting Arctic
How much do you know about the black guillemot of the Arctic region? With great background information, images, and a quick discussion, the class will learn all about the plight of the foraging seabird as they play a fun game. First,...
Curated OER
Microbes
Microbiology beginners feed different sweetening agents to yeast and measure carbon dioxide production to estimate energy contained in each. They set the trials up in zip-top plastic baggies and then measure gas volume by water...
Curated OER
Building Soil Nature's Way: Exploring decomposition and soil health
Young scholars explore decomposition and soil health by creating their own garden. For this agriculture lesson, students build a "lasagna garden" with organic matter found in the area and plant perennials native to their region....
Curated OER
Saving Sturgeon
Marine biology apprentices interpret data of sturgeon interaction with gill nets. They use the data to calculate the percentage of fish entangled in each twine size to discover if there is any correlation. This is a valuable exercise in...
ARKive
Seasons in the Woods
Winter in the cold Northwoods of Wisconsin can be hard on animals that aren't adapted to the climate. Investigate the animals that are out and about even in the coldest winter temperatures as you and your class examine animal...
Baylor College
Water in Your Body
Do you know how much water you have had in the last 24 hours? Do you know how much your body needs? For this hands-on activity, your class members will estimate how much water our bodies lose each day by filling and emptying one-liter...
Cornell University
Beneficial Insects
A lot of people think of insects as pests. But actually, some insects are beneficial because they get rid of pests! After learning about beneficial insects, class members research given insects to find out if they are pests or predators.
Green Learning
Build Your Own Solar Oven
This is not exactly a lesson plan, but rather a six-page document detailing how to build a solar oven. A bit of background information, materials list, diagrams and photos, and clearly-written procedures are all included. There are no...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect
Dive into the power of the sun with a two-part lesson. Budding scientists model the greenhouse effect in a hands-on activity, and then participate in a skit that explores the earth's energy balances and what really occurs in the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is important, for without it, life on Earth would not exist. An activity that includes modeling the greenhouse effect and acting out the Earth's energy balance makes up the first part in a series of seven...
Curated OER
In Touch with Apples
Students read "How To Make an Apple Pie and See the World", the story of a girl who traveled the world to find the ingredients to make her apple pie. They conduct a series of interdisciplinary activities including testing their senses,...
Curated OER
Earth Day Unit Plan: Pollution in the Anacostia River - Biology Teaching Thesis
Sixth graders are able to explain that there are pollutants in the Anacostia River, what these pollutants can cause, and how to prevent further pollution. They examine the impacts that the pollutants of the Anacostia River could have on...
Curated OER
Who Lives Here?
Learners identify various aquatic wildlife species. In this biology instructional activity students collect clues about animals that live in wetland habitats. Learners rotate through several stations displaying particular animal species...
Curated OER
Cell Respiration Worksheet
Beginning biologists demonstrate their grasp on cellular respiration, photosynthesis, and energy flow though ecosystems when completing this worksheet. Fifteen multiple choice and short answer questions test their knowledge. Because of...
Curated OER
Earth's Water: A drop in your cup
Students complete activities where they observe the amount of freshwater in the world as a fraction of the actual amount of water using different mixtures. In this freshwater lesson plan, students brainstorm on how to preserve...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate Change
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.