Curated OER
Bats: Need Nectar, Will Travel
Beginning wildlife biologists become adult bats, baby bats, snakes, owls, bobcats, or land-clearing developers in a grand role-playing activity. In a large open space, they play a game in which they move to designated areas based on what...
Prince William Network
The Incredible Journey
Divide your school gym into breeding grounds and non-breeding grounds so that your zoologists can play a game simulating the seasonal migration of shorebirds. Players pick one of the included game cards and follow its directions, which...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Carbon Dioxide & Krill: Impacts
What effects do temperature and carbon dioxide levels have on the zooplankton of Antarctica? This concluding lesson plan in a short unit on climate change and the ocean helps environmental scientists answer these questions. After...
Curated OER
Birds and Coffee
Fifth graders identify the changing seasons with how they affect animal and human behavior. They explain what migration is and why many birds migrate south for the winter. They then trace the coffee sold in their neighborhood and in...
Curated OER
How Does the Loss of Ozone Affect Our Climate
Students explore the greenhouse effect and what it does to the environment. They discuss if and how human behavior contributes to global warming and test natural materials for carbon content.
Virginia Department of Education
Ecosystem Dynamics
Searching for an eccentric way to enhance lessons on ecosystems while ensuring pupils remain creative and motivated? Upon viewing The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, designated groups design and construct a pop-up book that depicts the specific ways...
Curated OER
Life-Cycle Sleuth
Students analyze an animal's life cycle and behaviors, and examine what animals need to stay alive and reproduce. They develop theories and hypotheses about the reasons for migrations, using the Journey North online project.
Curated OER
Learning the Effects of Weather
Second graders examine how weather affects animals and people. They discuss Navajo and Ute stories told during different seasons of the year, and create a drawing of people or animal behavior and the connection to the weather.
Curated OER
Living with Manatees
Learners research the lives of manatees and how humans are contributing to their survival. They visit a variety of websites including a webcam.
Curated OER
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Third graders discuss the weather and how it changes during the different seasons. They listen to a read aloud of Judy Barrett's, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. They write and illustrate a news article about the weather that is found...
Curated OER
Night Hike
Young scholars explore Upham Woods at night and investigate about the special adaptations of nocturnal animals. They identify three nocturnal animals and how they are adapted to the night. Students explain what night vision is and how it...
Curated OER
Is Climate Change Good for Frogs?
Students fill out a chart on how climate change would affect them and things around them. In this climate change lesson plan, students discuss how global warming affects them and amphibians and then fill out the chart that goes with it.
Curated OER
Families and neighborhoods
Students create their house to add to a class "neighborhood". In this activity on family and community, students read the book Family by Todd Parr and discuss how all families and houses are different. Then, students create their own...
Curated OER
Frog Metamorphosis
Students play 20 Questions with animal characteristics and then view an animation of how a tadpole changes into a frog. They consider the importance of camouflage to frogs and write out the story of a frog from tadpole to adult.
Curated OER
Cranes, Crosswalks, and Big Gulps
Pupils watch a video and answer questions based on wildlife jobs. For this wildlife lesson plan, students learn that biologists don't just play with animals but that there is a lot of study involved.
Curated OER
Japan and The Ring of Fire
Students engage in a study of the volcanic forces and earthquakes associated with The Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean. The people of Japan are researched in how they have dealt with living in the area. Also students write in journals...
Curated OER
Miracle of Winged Migration
Students explore the life cycle of insects by researching butterflies. In this insect migration lesson plan, students identify the Monarch butterfly, where they inhabit, and what their migration consists of. Students utilize the Internet...
Curated OER
Making Sense of Unusual Findings
Students work on the development of observation skills and seeing how they can be used in different contexts. The lesson is good for helping the beginner and novice, along with encouraging and reminding the expert observer of right...